CLEARING THE RANGE (1931) Hoot Gibson, Sally Eilers & Hooper Atchley | Western | B&W

Clearing the Range is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film starring Hoot Gibson and his then wife Sally Eilers. Directed by Otto Brower, it was the first film released by the Poverty Row studio Allied Pictures. Gibson remade the film in 1933 as The Dude Bandit.

SYNOPSIS
Kildare kills Curt Fremont's brother Jim. When Curt arrives he poses as a coward in public but sneaks out unseen to become the daring El Capitan as he looks for the killer.

As with many of Gibson's starring roles in westerns, he pretends to be a clueless "peaceful man" in front of his friends, but when trouble starts—in this case, his Banker brother has been murdered by his assistant—he resorts to clever trickery without being seen or suspected to undo the villain. By going underground, so to speak, his efforts are more effective in uncovering the murderer than a run-and-gun approach. Inevitably, the female lead, as in this film, looks down her nose at Gibson's public persona, but admires his "other" self's deeds of daring and courage, not realizing it's the same man. Eventually, he relies on fists and guns to finish the job he started with trickery. This unusually complex dual-identity plot device is a hallmark of many of Gibson's films, something that set him apart from many other Western film heroes of the era (and afterwards) who were quick to draw their six shooter to settle disputes.

CAST & CREW
Hoot Gibson as Curt "El Capitan" Fremont
Sally Eilers as Mary Lou Moran
Hooper Atchley as Lafe Kildare
Robert Homans as "Dad" Moran
Edward Peil Sr. as Sheriff Jim
George Mendoza as Juan Conares
Edward Hearn as Jim Fremont
Maston Williams as George "Slim" Allen

Directed by Otto Brower
Written by Jack Cunningham
Screenplay by Jack Natteford
Produced by M.H. Hoffman Jr.
Cinematography Ernest Miller
Edited by Mildred Johnston
Production company Allied Pictures
Release date April 1, 1931
Running time 61 minutes
Country United States
Language English

NOTES
It was filmed in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, California.

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