Topeka
1953Bill Elliot emulates his idol William S. Hart in the superior western Topeka. Elliot plays the archetypal Good Bad Man, hired to kick the crooked element out of a small town. A hard-drinking, hard-living man, Elliot entertains thoughts of taking over the town himself for the benefit of his own gang. After several reels of soul-searching, Elliot decides to honor his promise to clean up the town for its decent citizens. Evidently director Thomas Carr rented a camera crane for this Allied Artists production, since the camera performs remarkable calisthenics, the kind not normally seen in a medium-budget western.
Acted in
Bill Elliott
as Jim Levering
Phyllis Coates
as Marian Harrison
Rick Vallin
as Ray Hammond
Fuzzy Knight
as Pop Harrison
John James
as Marv Ronsom
Denver Pyle
as Jonas Bailey
Dick Crockett
as Will Peters
Harry Lauter
as Mack Wilson
Dale Van Sickel
as Henchman Jake Manning
Ted Mapes
as Henchman Cully
Henry Rowland
as Cheated Gambler
Edward Clark
as Banker Corley
I. Stanford Jolley
as Doc Mason
Bill Coontz
as Bill (uncredited)
George Sowards
as George (uncredited)
Michael Vallon
as Bartender (uncredited)
Stanley Price
as Bank Teller (uncredited)
Whitey Hughes
as Henchman (uncredited)
Leonard P. Geer
as Townsman (uncredited)