The Indians Are Coming
| The Indians Are Coming | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Henry MacRae |
| Starring | Tim McCoy Allene Ray Edmund Cobb Francis Ford |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 12 chapters |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | Almost $1,000,000[1] |
The Indians Are Coming is a 1930 American Pre-Code Universal movie serial based on The Great West That Was by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The serial was the first "all-talking" (complete sound rather than a silent movie with occasional sound sections) film of its kind. It played at The Roxy Theatre and was responsible for saving the film serial format into the sound era.
Cast
- Tim McCoy as Jack Manning
- Allene Ray as Mary Woods
- Edmund Cobb as Bill Williams
- Francis Ford as George Woods / Tom Woods
- Wilbur McGaugh as Rance Carter
- Bud Osborne as Bull McGee
Production
Along with Battling with Buffalo Bill (1931) this serial was based on The Great West That Was, by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody.[2]
Release
Theatrical
The release of The Indians Are Coming was the first time a serial was given an "uptown" treatment. The serial played at The Roxy in New York City and had full runs across the country.[2]
According to Raymond Stedman, The Indians Are Coming earned a profit on "near" $1M.[1] The success of the serial ended doom-mongering about the sound technology being the end of the serial format.[1] It is "credited with reviving interest in what seemed to be a dying form of entertainment" and proved that action sequences could still be done with sound equipment.[2]
Critical reception
Stedman compares Tim McCoy's delivery to that of Adam West in the Batman television series but declares it restrained compared to other stars. He goes on to comment that "Only the dog managed not to fall victim to the natural tendency of actors groomed in the silent film to overplay when thrust into a talkie."[1]
Chapter titles
- Pals in Buckskin
- A Call to Arms
- A Furnace of Fear
- The Red Terror
- The Circle of Death
- Hate's Harvest
- Hostages of Fear
- The Dagger Duel
- The Blast of Death
- Redskin's Vengeance
- Frontiers Aflame
- The Trail's End
Source:[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Stedman, Raymond William (1971). "3. At This Theater Next Week". Serials: Suspense and Drama By Installment. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-8061-0927-5.
- ^ a b c Cline, William C. (1984). "2. In Search of Ammunition". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 9–10. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
- ^ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 202. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.