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The Painted Desert

Name: The Painted Desert
Genre: Western
Released: 1931-01-18
Cast: William Boyd, Helen Twelvetrees, William Farnum, J. Farrell MacDonald, Clark Gable

1931 | 79 min | Western

Monday Morning Maybeearly rating

Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe

With almost no lasting buzz and soft box office, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for most people. If you loved The Misfits, start here.
The mood: Easygoing.
The pace: Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 19 min.
What might put you off: Made in 1931: an older pace and style.

Western pardners Jeff and Cash find a baby boy in an otherwise deserted emigrants' camp, and clash over which is to be "father." They are still bitterly feuding years later when they own adjacent ranches. Bill, the foundling whom Cash has raised to young manhood, wants to end the feud and extends an olive branch toward Jeff, who now has a lovely daughter. But during a mining venture, the bitterness escalates. Is Bill to be set against his own adoptive father?

How it earned its rating

CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 5K people sought it out in the past year

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Cast & crew

Directed by Howard Higgin

William BoydBill Holbrook
Helen TwelvetreesMary Ellen Cameron
William FarnumCash Holbrook
J. Farrell MacDonaldJeff Cameron
Clark GableRance Brett
Charles SellonTonopah
Wade BotelerBob Carson
Will WallingKirby
Hugh AdamsDynamite
Edmund BreeseJudge Matthews