Gold Raiders (1951)

Interesting facts

Gold Raiders is a 1951 comedy Western film starring George O'Brien and the Three Stooges. The film was O'Brien's final starring role and the only feature film released during Shemp Howard's 1947–1955 tenure with the Three Stooges.

Production

Gold Raiders was an attempt by independent producer Bernard Glasser to inaugurate a new Western series starring George O'Brien, an action star since John Ford's 1924 epic The Iron Horse and later a top attraction in Western and outdoor-adventure features.

The film marked the second and final feature film with Shemp Howard as part of the Three Stooges. The first had been the team's original screen appearance, Soup to Nuts (1930), featuring their original leader Ted Healy.

The straight plotline was written by B-picture specialist William Lively. Director Edward Bernds, who had directed Three Stooges shorts, enlisted the assistance of his frequent co-writer Elwood Ullman to insert special comedy material for the Stooges. Technically the film had excellent credentials, with veteran photographer Paul Ivano and longtime film editor Fred Allen contributing their talents.

The 31-year-old supporting actor Hugh Hooker was a professional stuntman for four decades, and doubled for George O'Brien in some scenes.

Gold Raiders was slated for a 12-day filming schedule, then feasible for budget productions, the project encountered financial problems from the start. The drain on Bernard Glasser's finances necessitated a shorter shooting schedule, being cut from 12 days to 10, then to eight, and finally to five: December 26 to December 30, 1950 (originally scheduled for the first week of January, 1951).

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