The Painted Desert was an RKO film, released in 1931, marking the debut of Clark Gable in a sound picture. Gable's performance as Rance Brett, an unshaven former criminal who does not feel sorry about the crimes he has committed, made him an important supporting actor overnight as the result of an avalanche of unexpected fan mail and opened the door for him to become "The King of Hollywood" during the 1930s. Gable's extraordinarily powerful voice proved extremely effective for sound films. The low-budget western starred William Boyd in his pre-Hopalong Cassidy days as well as early sound starlet Helen Twelvetrees. Oddly, another actor with a powerful voice, Robert Mitchum, also started out playing a bearded villain in a William Boyd movie twelve years later. Both Gable and Mitchum drew so much fan mail that the studios had no choice but to take notice.
Faucett has obtained the deed to Banning's mine. Thinking the mine is worthless he sells it to Bob McVey. But when he learns the mine contains Tungsten, he sets out to get it back. Written by Maurice VanAuken
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? Written by Rod Crawford
