| Gold Raiders | |
| Director: | Edward Bernds |
| Producer: | Bernard Glasser Jack Schwarz |
| Starring: | George O'Brien Moe Howard Larry Fine Shemp Howard Sheila Ryan Lyle Talbot Clem Bevans Monte Blue John Merton Hugh Hooker |
| Music: | Alex Alexander June Starr |
| Cinematography: | Paul Ivano |
| Editing: | Fred Allen |
| Studio: | Jack Schwarz Productions |
| Distributor: | United Artists |
| Runtime: | 56 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $50,000 |
Gold Raiders is a 1951 comedy Western film starring George O'Brien and The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). The picture was O'Brien's last starring role and the only feature film released during Shemp Howard's 1947–55 tenure with the trio.
Set in the Old West, the Stooges are peddlers, traversing the terrain via a covered wagon. George O'Brien, previously engaged as a federal marshal, has transitioned his occupation to the burgeoning field of property insurance. O'Brien strategically recruits the Stooges to aid him in devising a plan to outmaneuver a notorious gang of outlaws, under the leadership of saloon proprietor Taggart, whose criminal activities involve the pilfering of precious gold-mine consignments.
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 Three Stooges (who consisted at that time of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Shemp Howard) appear with O'Brien.
O'Brien and the Stooges receive roughly equal screen time. Sheila Ryan co-stars as the granddaughter of alcoholic doctor Clem Bevans, while silent-film star Monte Blue enjoys a larger part than usual as a local mine owner. Some of the stunts were performed by Hugh Hooker, who also plays a juvenile role.
Gold Raiders marked the second and last feature film with Shemp Howard as part of the Stooges. The first had been the team's original screen appearance, Soup to Nuts (1930), featuring the Stooges' original leader Ted Healy.
The 56-minute film Gold Raiders directed by Edward Bernds, known for his work on Stooges' comedy shorts, employed an economical approach to filmmaking. Bernds enlisted the assistance of Elwood Ullman, a frequent collaborator in scripting Stooge shorts, to infuse comedic elements into William Lively's original western narrative. Originally slated for a 12-day filming schedule, deemed feasible for a production of modest means, the project encountered financial constraints early on. Producer Bernard Glasser's budgetary limitations necessitated two reductions in the shooting schedule, ultimately settling for a mere five-day window on December 26–30, 1950. Despite the truncated timeline, Bernds, initially disheartened by the constraints, persevered at Glasser's behest.[1]
Reflecting on the hurried production, Bernds lamented the suboptimal conditions under which the film was made: "I should have never made that picture. It was an ultra-quickie shot in five days at a cost of $50,000 ($ today), which, even then, was ridiculously low. I'm afraid the picture shows it!"[2] Nonetheless, the seasoned cast members and cinematographer Paul Ivano's expertise facilitated the filming process, minimizing the need for multiple takes.
Following the film's completion, Glasser's limited resources hampered promotional efforts, resulting in sparse publicity materials such as a modest pressbook and posters printed in only two colors, lacking the vibrancy of full-color marketing materials. Released by independent producer Jack Schwarz through United Artists in 1951, Gold Raiders marked a collaboration between George O'Brien and the Stooges. However, plans for a recurring O'Brien-Stooges series were abandoned as O'Brien and Glasser redirected their efforts towards independent production ventures in Europe.
Despite its initial reception, Gold Raiders received renewed attention when United Artists reissued the film in theaters in 1958. Additionally, television distributor Associated Artists Productions released two condensed versions of the film on 8mm home-movie reels during the 1960s.[3]
Out of circulation for years, Gold Raiders was released on DVD in 2006 by Warner Bros.