Battle of Greed
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Howard Higgin
Tom Keene
Gwynne Shipman
James Bush
Jimmy Butler
Robert Fiske
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After lawyer John Storm lectures to a group of prospective miners in Indiana about the riches to be gained from mining the Comstock Lode in Nevada, he leads them on a week-long journey to Virginia City. However, when the men arrive they discover that the Caledonia Mining Company has dubiously acquired the mining rights to the land they were to work on. Though John takes the issue to court and argues correctly that the Caledonia Co. has no right to the claim, he loses because crooked Judge Albion presides over the case. John asks Mark Twain, a local newspaper editor, for advice, and Twain suggests that he ask for a retrial and seek out Jockey Brown, who fixed the original jury, and pay him to divulge his illicit activities. After John convinces Jockey to accept his horse in return for the information about the payments Hammond made to each jury member, Jockey skips town. An attempt at a second trial fails when a man named Bates bursts into the courtroom and demands that it be cleared. As a result, a petition is submitted to the governor to remove Judge Albion, after which Judge Avery, accompanied by his young daughter Linda, is sent to Virginia City to replace him. Soon after the Averys arrive, John's son Danny is shot by one of Hammond's men and lies paralized, and Linda takes care of him. Hammond swears he will take revenge on John after he is pushed into a water trough, and then tries unsuccessfully to blackmail the slowly recovering Danny into leaving town. Just as the case goes to trial before Judge Avery, some of Hammond's men abduct Linda, and Danny, who witnessed the abduction, hobbles over to the courthouse on crutches to get help. Hammond threatens the judge with Linda's life if he does not rule in their favor, but Avery refuses to be blackmailed and rules in favor of John. When Danny arrives in the courtroom, John and his men leave to rescue Linda. Hammond then holds a gun to Danny and is shot by Judge Avery. John finds Linda, saves her, and the two kiss and embrace.
Director
Howard Higgin
Cast
Tom Keene
Gwynne Shipman
James Bush
Jimmy Butler
Robert Fiske
Carl Stockdale
Rafael Bennett
William Worthington
Henry Roquemore
Bobby Callahan
Lloyd Ingraham
Bud Buster
Crew
Donald Barratt
E. B. Derr
Stephen Foster
Paul Ivano
Edward C. Jewell
Frank Melford
Abe Meyer
Bernard A. Moriarty
John T. Neville
Wallace Walker
Karl Zint
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film was one in series of E. B. Derr-produced historical westerns featuring Tom Keene. The first Derr/Keene western was the 1936 Crescent Pictures film The Glory Trail (see below). A Hollywood Reporter production chart credits director Howard Higgin with the original story. According to Hollywood Reporter, filming took place in Newhall, CA.
