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The Mystery Trooper
Trail of the Royal Mounted
USA 1931
produced by
Harry S. Webb, F.E. Douglas for Wonder Serials
directed by Stuart Paton, Harry S.Webb
starring Robert Frazer, Blanche Mehaffey, Buzz Barton, Al Ferguson, Charles King, William Bertram, Tom McGuire, Lafe McKee, Bill Nestell, Al Taylor, Robert Walker, Jay Wilsey, Henry Roquemore, Jack Perrin, Harry Beery, Dick Dickinson
story by F.E. Douglas, continuity and dialogue by Carl Krusada, assistant directors: Armand Schaefer, Raymond Hines, cinematography by Edward A. Kull, William Nobles
serial
review by
Mike Haberfelner
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Years ago, George Romero (Tom McGuire) and Frank Holt (Lafe McKee)
found an incredibly rich ore in their goldmine in Canada - but almost
immediately afterwards they fell out with each other, and their fight
ended in an explosion that caused their mine to cave in ...
Years later, Jack Logan (Robert Frazer) inherits the goldminde from his
uncle George - but he has only half of the map leading to the goldmine.
Once in Canada, Jack soon meets and befriends Helen (Blanche Mehaffey) and
Billy Holt (Buzz Barton), two kids who were orphaned when they were babies
but had Indian Chief Red Eagle (William Bertram) look after them while a
stranger called the Mystery Trooper regularly provides them with
gold and saves them from all perils. And then too, there's a mysterious
white stallion that every now and again shows up to help them.
And help is exactly what Helen and Billy and Jack need right now,
because a gang of baddies led by Jean (Al Ferguson) and his right hand man
Mack (Charles King) is after Frank's half of the map determined to find out
where the kids get their gold from - and thus the usual kidnappings,
escapes, attacks, fistfights, shoot-outs and chases ensue, with our heroes
always having the Mystery Trooper and the white stallion at their side.
Jack's half of the map changes hands rather rapidly, as does the other
half of the map (which is found attached to the stallion's mane), and
eventually it all leads to a showdown in the mine itself between Jack and
Jean, with the Mystery Trooper watching over the proceedings - and making
sure that Jack wins in the end ... because you see, the Trooper is really
George Romero, who has survived the cave-in years ago and now wants to see
to it that his nephew as well as Helen and Billy get their fair share of
the mine ...
And in the end, Jack marries Helen, and even the white stallion finds a
girl ...
As you might know, by and large I'm a sucker for cheap early sound
serials - but Mystery Trooper just doesn't cut it, the action is at
best sloppily directed, the sets are limited and rather unattractive, and
the plot is incredibly boring and totally predictable. Rather a waste of
time, really.
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