Drums of Destiny
Cast & Crew
Ray Taylor
Tom Keene
Edna Lawrence
Budd Buster
Robert Fiske
Carlos De Valdez
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In the early 1800's, Captain Jerry Crawford, the commander of a platoon of U.S. Army militia in Mississippi, is sent to the Florida border to protect Americans endangered by Seminole and Cree Indians, who have been raiding their sparsely populated settlements and then escaping to Florida, which belongs to Spain. After a raid on a farmhouse, Crawford becomes convinced that someone is illegally supplying the Indians with guns. Crawford's younger brother, who is leading an ammunitions train to his brother's outpost, is ambushed by renegade Americans led by Holston, the provost marshal who is the power behind Spanish Governor Don Salvador Dominguez. After learning that his brother has been sentenced to death, Crawford crosses the border, thus disobeying orders, to rescue him. He comes across the governor's daughter, Rosa Maria, whose carriage has broken down, and helps her. In Potaluna, Florida, Crawford speaks with Don Salvador on his brother's behalf and receives a stay of execution, while he gets proof from Washington that Holston is a criminal. He is then allowed to set up camp outside the city. Holston arrests Don Salvador and orders Bill's immediate execution, but Crawford rescues his brother just before he is to be shot by a firing squad. Crawford's troops wipe out Holston's followers, as Crawford fights Halston and saves the governor. Crawford also wins the hand of Rosa Maria, with whom he has fallen in love.
Director
Ray Taylor
Cast
Tom Keene
Edna Lawrence
Budd Buster
Robert Fiske
Carlos De Valdez
David Sharpe
Raphael Bennett
John Merton
Aurora Navarro
William Hazlett
Crew
E. B. Derr
Theodore Joos
Arthur Martinelli
Frank Melford
Abe Meyer
Bernard A. Moriarty
John T. Neville
Finn Ulback
Roger Whately
Roger Whately
Karl Zint
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Reviews note that the film was based on fact and was one of a series of American history action films produced by E. B. Derr and starring Tom Keene. According to a Variety news item, in August 1936, E. B. Derr purchased an original story by John T. Neville entitled "Drums of Destiny" which dealt with the Louisiana Purchase; the film made from that story was called Old Louisiana and also starred Tom Keene (see below). Apparently Derr kept the title of that story for this later film. According to modern sources, Chief Flying Cloud was also in the cast.
