Frontier Gal

1945 film by Charles Lamont

December 14, 1945 (1945-12-14) (New York City)
December 21, 1945 (1945-12-21) (United States)

Running time

85 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

Frontier Gal is a 1945 American Western film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Yvonne De Carlo and Rod Cameron.

Plot

Johnny Hart heads for Red Gulch, looking for the mystery man who murdered his partner. He quickly meets Lorena Dumont, a beautiful barkeep who is loved by Blackie, a jealous crook who doesn't like her interest in Johnny one bit.

After he resists her seduction by saying he has another girl back home, Johnny is forced to wed an angry Lorena at gunpoint. She then turns him over to the sheriff after learning that Johnny is a wanted fugitive with a price on his head. He escapes, spends a night of passion with Lorena, then is recaptured by the law.

Six years in prison later, Johnny returns to Red Gulch seeking revenge. He now knows Blackie's the one who killed his partner. Johnny's former girlfriend is summoned to meet him, but it turns out he fathered a child with Lorena who's now five years old. Blackie takes the little girl hostage, but Johnny kills him and reunites a grateful Lorena with their little girl.

Cast

Yvonne De Carlo as Lorena Dumont
Rod Cameron as Johnny Hart
Sheldon Leonard as Blackie
Beverly Simmons as Mary Ann (as Beverly Sue Simmons)
Andy Devine as Big Ben
Fuzzy Knight as Fuzzy
Andrew Tombes as Judge Prescott
Clara Blandick as Abigail
Jan Wiley as Sheila Winthop
Frank Lackteen as Cherokee
Jack Overman as Buffalo

Production

The film was to have starred Maria Montez and Rod Cameron.^[1] In April 1945 Montez refused to play the role.^[2]

She was replaced by Yvonne De Carlo who had just played her first leading role in Salome, Where She Danced. De Carlo says Montez turned down the role because she did not want to work with Rod Cameron and did not want to play the mother of a young girl. De Carlo later wrote "the studio knew I would play opposite Rin Tin Tin if they told me to, and would gladly agree to be the mother of the seven dwarfs."^[3]

Filming started in April.^[4]

The main villain role was meant to be played by Peter Coe. He had just received a medical discharge for the Marine Corps, and Universal became worried he was not up to it, so the role was given to Alan Curtis.^[5] Then Curtis refused to play the role and he was replaced by Sheldon Leonard.^[6]

References

^ Schallert, Edwin (April 2, 1945). "Special Story to Star Finds Lorring and Dall". Los Angeles Times. p. A2.
^ "Fred MacMurray Set for 'Guerrilla in Philippines'-- Loew's Houses to Show Special Short V-E Day". New York Times. April 17, 1945. p. 32.
^ De Carlo, Yvonne; Warren, Doug (1987). Yvonne : an autobiography. St Martins Press. p. 102.
^ "SCREEN NEWS: TO AID ACTORS FUND". New York Times. April 19, 1945. p. 22.
^ "SCREEN NEWS: Olivia de Havilland to Be Star of 'Immortal Wife'". New York Times. May 4, 1945. p. 22.
^ Schallert, Edwin (May 11, 1945). "Broun's 'Sun Field' Will Be Screen Play". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.