The Fighting Parson is a 1933 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Hoot Gibson, Marceline Day, and Ethel Wales.Pitts, p. 107.
Plot In an ingenious reversal, two ne'er-do-well cowpokes impersonate goody-goodies to bring baddies to justice.
The film opens with Hoot's lanky pal Arizona Joe (Skeeter Bill Robbins) losing Hoot's cowboy hat in a dice game. Riding through the countryside, the pair come upon a set of ministerial togs. Donning them, Hoot and Arizona Joe ride into the town of Red Dog and are welcomed as Mr. Doolittle, an evangelist who is scheduled to conduct a series of revival meetings.
Much of the comedy comes from Hoot's efforts to extricate himself from his predicament. After becoming whimsically romantic, the story takes on an exciting dramatic tempo as Hoot is suspected of being a pal of Bart (Stanley Blystone), head of the gang of local bad men. To clear up the mess, Hoot takes it upon himself to run the desperados down. His efforts lead him into no end of dangers, the most interesting feature of which is the sensational dynamiting of the side of a mountain.
In the end, Hoot rounds up the gang's ringleader, Bart, recovers the stolen money, wins the girl, and steps aside to let the real Mr. Doolittle start his revivals.
The film ends with Bart, who, in addition to having been sentenced to hang the next day, is forced to sit through the revival meeting. As Hoot and Susan rise to join the singing, they are holding hands.
Supporting Gibson in The Fighting Parson, Marceline Day plays the demure but wise Susan. Robert Frazer plays Mr. Doolittle, the unfortunate evangelist. Stanley Blystone plays the villainous Bart, who previously knew Hoot and uses that to his advantage.Plot summary is based on the AFI synopsis of the film https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetailsPrintView/3966
For a B movie from a Poverty Row studio, The Fighting Parson features a large cast of notable actors, plus surprisingly good horseback-riding scenes and a scene where the actors blow up part of a mountain to crush a cabin where Hoot Gibson and Arizona Joe are trapped.
The film was passed by the National Board of Review. Copyright L3921 (1933).
Cast Hoot Gibson as Steve Hartley Marceline Day as Suzan Larkin Skeeter Bill Robbins as Arizona Joe Ethel Wales as Mrs. Betsy Larkin – Suzan's aunt Stanley Blystone as Bart McCade Robert Frazer as Rev. Joseph Doolittle Charles King as Mike – henchman Phil Dunham as George Larkin Jules Cowles as Marshal J. A. Darby Fred Gilman as Express Agent
Additional cast members not listed on the film credits included Horace B. Carpenter, Frank Ellis (actor), Merrill McCormick, J. Farrell MacDonald, Frank Nelson (actor), Blackie Whiteford, and Tex Palmer.
Crew Story by Edward Weston Photographed by Harry Neumann and Henry Kohler Production manager Ray Culley Edited by Mildred Johnston Art director Gene Hornbostel Recorder Dave Stoner Assistant director Gene Anderson Director Harry Fraser Producer M. H. Hoffman, Jr.
References
Bibliography Pitts, Michael R. Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films. McFarland, 2012.
External links