The Raiders (1952 film)
The Raiders (reissued as Riders of Vengeance) is a 1952 American Technicolor Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring Richard Conte and Viveca Lindfors.
| The Raiders | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Lesley Selander |
| Produced by | William Alland |
| Written by | Lyn Crost Kennedy |
| Screenplay by | Polly James Lillie Hayward |
| Starring | Richard Conte Viveca Lindfors Barbara Britton |
| Cinematography | Carl E. Guthrie |
| Edited by | Paul Weatherwax |
Production company | Universal Pictures |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
Going west where gold is being found, Jan Morell and wife Mary meet in the Napa, California, valley with his prospector brother Frank, but soon hired gunmen Jack Welch and Hank Purvis steal the gold they have panned and kill Mary.
In town, Frank is killed, as well, and Jan seriously wounded. He is cared for by Felipe de Ortega and sister Elena, who explain that Welch and Purvis work for dishonest Mayor Thomas Ainsworth, who also stole the Ortega family's land and property. An approval of statehood for California could restore law and order, as well as citizens' rights.
Elena fears for their safety, but Jan joins forces with Felipe's men to create havoc in Ainsworth's life, rustling horses and stealing money. A new U.S. marshal, Henderson, places a $5,000 reward on him, but Jan nevertheless captures Purvis and threatens to lynch him if he does not confess to Ainsworth's misdeeds. Elizabeth Ainsworth now begins to understand her father's corrupt ways.
As the gunfighting intensifies, both Welch and Felipe are killed. Jan is arrested and faces the hangman, but Henderson believes in his innocence and is able to release him when statehood wins approval and a general amnesty is granted. Jan and Elena plan a new life together.
Cast
- Richard Conte as Jan Morrell
- Viveca Lindfors as Elena de Ortega
- Barbara Britton as Elizabeth Ainsworth
- Morris Ankrum as Alcalde Thomas Ainsworth
- Richard Martin as Felipe de Ortega
- Gregg Palmer as Marty Smith
- William Bishop as Marshal William Henderson
- Hugh O'Brian as Hank Purvis
- John Kellogg as Jack Welch
- Frank Wilcox as Sam Sterling
- Virginia Mullen as Abby Cummings
- Margaret Field as Mary Morrell
- William Reynolds as Frank Morrell
- Carlos Rivero as Ramon Castillo
- I. Stanford Jolley as Mountain Jim Ferris
References
External links
- The Raiders at IMDb
- The Raiders at AllMovie
- The Raiders at the TCM Movie Database
- The Raiders at the American Film Institute Catalog