1946 film directed by Sam Newfield
Ghost of Hidden Valley is a 1946 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Ellen Coyle. The film stars Buster Crabbe, Al St. John, Jean Carlin, John Meredith, Charles King and Jimmy Aubrey. The film was released on June 5, 1946, by Producers Releasing Corporation.[1][2][3]
Plot
Ed Blackie Dawson (Charles King) and his gang of ne'er-do-well cattle rustlers are driving their heist across the abandoned Trenton ranch. When a stranger shows up at the ranch, Dawson kills him and blames the deed on the "ghost of Hidden Valley." Henry Trenton (John Meredith) then appears on the scene from England with the intent of inheriting the ranch, but Dawson is again determined to get rid of the gadfly and keep the "ghost ranch" legend alive. Good guys Billy Carson (Buster Crabbe) and his sidekick Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John), who were friends with Trenton's father, Dudley, save him from the initial attack. Although "Fuzzy" is superstitious and leery of a haunted ranch, the trio of Trenton, Carson, and Jones head to the Trenton ranch to spend the night. Dawson begins to have second thoughts about all the killings, but his boss, Arnold, has other ideas.
Arnold, aka Jim Slade, orders Dawson to kill Trenton. Carson and Fuzzy deduce that the abandoned ranch has been used to hide stolen cattle, and then recognize Arnold as a gang member that's been run out of Cheyenne when town members stood up to the gang. Arnold and Dawson kidnap Trenton, hoping to force him to sign over the ranch. Dawson pleads with Arnold to spare Trenton's life, but Arnold eventually just kills his former partner, Dawson. In the middle of the fray, Fuzzy distracts Arnold, and Carson rescues Trenton. Arnold then tries to blame Carson for Dawson's death, but the truth survives, the outlaws are captured, and the ranch is saved. All that's left is the romantic adventures of Trenton and Dawson's niece Kaye.
