Yellow Dust (1936) - Once Upon a Time in a Western

Richard Dix is Bob Culpepper, a college-educated man from the East. He saves an old prospector named Solitary who’s under attack by claim jumpers.

While burying the claim jumper, they find a rich gold vein and become partners.

But their attempt to file the claim is interrupted by a meeting with a pretty young singer named Nellie Brian (Leila Hyams). The stage she’s aboard is robbed.

Culpepper and Solitary chase off the bandits, but not before the stage driver is wounded and the outlaws have made off with Nellie’s prized necklace.

Next stop: Gold Town, where saloon owner Jack Hanway also takes an interest in his new singer. Problem is, she’s smitten by Culpepper and his heroics during the stage robbery.

So Hanway has his henchmen stage a pretend holdup. This time, he’s the hero and Nellie’s stolen necklace is found in Culpepper’s pocket.

Oh, Hanway has another motive. He’s heard about the gold mine thanks to Solitary’s drunken ramblings, and he wouldn’t mind taking that off Culpepper’s hands, too.

Richard Dxi as Bob Culpepper, meeting Nellie Brian and thinking he’s struck gold twice in the same day in Yellow Dust (1936)

Leila Hyams as Nellie Brian, flashing Bob Culpepper a smile as her mother tries to hurry him along in Yellow Dust (1936)

Review:

A decent script and a couple got-the-wrong-person plot twists keep things interesting. A touch of humor helps, too, like when Culpepper convinces the wounded stage driver that blood poisoning could set in. It’s all a ploy so Culpepper can drive the stage and get to know Nellie better.

Later, when Culpepper escapes from jail, he discovers Nellie has filed on the gold claim. She did it to keep Hanway from filing on it first. But Culpepper jumps to the wrong conclusion and hauls her off in a straight-jacket.

All in all, the film dates better than many of Dix’s other Westerns. It marked the final film for Leila Hyams, who had appeared in more than four dozen during a 10-year career in Hollywood.

Onslow Stevens as Jack Hanley, awaiting the arrival of his new lady singer in Yellow Dust (1936)

Andy Clyde as ‘Solitary’ Carter, deciding solitary might not be the best route to take with a gold mine at stake in Yellow Dust (1936)

Directed by:
Wallace Fox

Cast:
Richard Dix … Bob Culpepper
Leila Hyams … Nellie Brian
Moroni Olsen … Missouri
Jessie Ralph … Mrs. Brian
Andy Clyde … “Solitary” Carter
Onslow Stevens … Jack Hanway
Robert McKenzie … Jailer
Art Mix … Stage driver

Runtime: 68 min.

Moroni Olsen as Missouri, less than thrill at the thought of going to jail for what was supposed to be a phony holdup in Yellow Dust (1936)

Jessie Ralph as Mrs. Brian, Nellie’s mom, caught in bed and horrified to learn she’ll remain under the watchful eye of ‘Solitary’ Carter in Yellow Dust (1936)

Memorable lines:

Culpepper: “How long you been diggin’ for paydirt?”
Solitary: “Nigh onto 25 years.”
Culpepper: “And Lady Luck never smiled on you in all that time?”
Solitary: “Never heard of no female never brought nobody no luck.”

Nellie Brian: “My life’s an open book.”
Bob Culpepper: “Any romance in it?”
Nellie: “No, I’m afraid not. It was written by my mother.”

Bartender, watching Nellie get off the stagecoach: “Ain’t she a daisy?”
Bar owner Jack Hanway: “She’s a whole bouquet.”

Solitary to Mrs. Brian, Nellie’s mom: “If you’re ornery and deceitful enough as much as to let out one female holler, dang me if I won’t blast the head off of yourn carcass.”

Nellie Brian to Culpepper: “You know, I’m never going to forgive you for that straightjacket.”
Culpepper: “Oh, yes you will. Won’t you?”
Nellie: “Well, it was so unbecoming.”