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Indians are constantly attacking a little village somewhere out West,
and newspaper editor Tom Kirby (a young Lon Chaney jr) has soon figured
out that it must be some white men that deliver weapons to them, so he
dons the costume of the Black Ghost (which is mainly an all black outfit,
a mustache and, for no apparent reason, a Mexican accent) and
investigates, sometimes helped by Betty (Dorothy Gulliver), who has for
some reason no idea that he is also the Black Ghost, even though he saves
her life in that disguise numerous times ...
Eventually, Tom finds out that the baddies behind the weapon shipments
to the Indians are honourable citizen Leige Morris (Richard Neill) and
Jeff Maitland (Ralph Bushman), who just came here with the last treck
which he abused to carry guns for the Indians, and whose lovely wife Rose
(Judith Barrie) - who for no reason at all has to pose as his sister - is
totally oblivious to her husband's evil schemes. Apparently the two want
to take possession of a goldminewhich is now in the settlers' hands and
which they want to take over with the help of the Indians.
But knowing something and proving it are two different things, and
before Tom can expose Morris and Maitland, they actually have him
arrested, and only out of sheer luck, Tom manages to get away and finally
turn the tables on Morris and Maitland.
Maitland has meanwhile second thoughts about what they are doing and
wants out, but Morris has other ideas and has him take part in a robbery
and injured during the heist so the law gets its hands on him ...
which Tom cn prevent when he sees Maitland's motives are genuine.
The finale has a big Indian attack, with the Indians only just being
defeated by the cavallery, and of the baddies only Morris gets away, in
the disguise of the Black Ghost. But Tom, also disguised as the Black
Ghost, ultimately tracks him down and overpowers him. Then he finally
reveals himself to Betty and the two confess their never-ending love to
each other.
Mary Jo Desmond plays Kirby's foster daughter, Slim Cole his bearded
sidekick, Frank Lackteen the local Indian chieftain, while William Desmond
as General Custer and Yakima Canutt as Wild Bill Hickok give the film some
historical background.
The Last Frontier is little more than a run-of-the-mill Western
serial with a plot that - despite its stupidly disguised hero - lacks
mystery and suspense and only features ery routine action, plus it leaves
a few too many questions open, like why is Kirby disguising himself as the
Black Ghost in the first place (and why is his disbuise quite so
ridiculous), why has Rose to pose as Maitland's sister rather than his
wife, how come Maitland turns into a good guy quite so suddenly, ... ?
Sure, serials are rarely ever good at narrative logic and such, but these
questions are somewhat overpowering.
By the way, this was Lon Chaney jr's first cinematic experience, and
while he might seem an odd choice for a Western hero judging from his
later work, at the time this was fiklmed, he fitted the role quite
perfectly, being handsome, tall, lean and wiry. Still, in The Last
Frontier his acting is rather mediocre (thanks mainly to his lack of
experience) ... but then the role he plays isn't all that good either.
In all, rather a waste of time, nothing more, and it's hardly
surprising that this remained the only serial ever to be released
by RKO.
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