The Big Bonanza's primary photo
  • The Big Bonanza (1944)
  • Passed
    70 min | Western
The Big Bonanza (1944)
Passed
70 min | Western

Captain Jed Kelton (Richard Arlen), Union Army officer, unfairly tried for cowardice in battle during the Civil War, escapes from custody while being transported to Fort Leavenport in Kansas. After a brief visit home, Jed and his grizzled ...See moreCaptain Jed Kelton (Richard Arlen), Union Army officer, unfairly tried for cowardice in battle during the Civil War, escapes from custody while being transported to Fort Leavenport in Kansas. After a brief visit home, Jed and his grizzled old friend, Hap Shelby (George "Gabby" Hayes), go to Nevada Springs, Nevada, where Spud (Bobby Driscoll), the eight-year-old brother who idolizes Jed, is living with Sam Ballou (Robert Livingston), Jed's best friend in their early boyhood days, Jed finds that Sam is now owner of the Silver Queen saloon and dance hall. Sam is greedy for wealth and power, and not particular how he gets it, even at the expense of others. Chiquata McSweeney (Jane Frazee), beautiful singing star at the Silver Queen, and sweetheart of Sam, is sincerely fond of young Spud, but Jed thinks that a saloon is the wrong place to keep a child and he arranges for Spud to live at the home of Judy Parker (Lynne Roberts), the well-bred Sunday School teacher whose father, Adam Parker (Russell Simpson), is one of the upright and honest citizens that Sam is exploiting and ruining. Parker is the owner of the Big Bonanza mine. When Jed learns from Judy of the change in Sam's character, he takes up the cause of the miners and heads up the opposition to Sam. When one of Sam's henchmen kills Parker, Spud is an eye witness and is now a target to be eliminated. Written by Les Adams See less
Read more: Plot summary
Writers
Dorrell McGowan (screenplay) | Stuart E. McGowan (screenplay) (as Stuart McGowan) | Paul Gangelin (screenplay) | Leonard Praskins (original story) | Robert Presnell Sr. (original story) (as Robert Presnell)
Cinematographer
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Dec 30, 1944

Release date
Dec 30, 1944 (United States)

Contacts

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Cast

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53 cast members
Name Known for
Richard Arlen
Captain Jed Kilton Captain Jed Kilton   See fewer
Robert Livingston
Sam Ballou Sam Ballou   See fewer
Jane Frazee
Chiquita McSweeney Chiquita McSweeney   See fewer
George 'Gabby' Hayes
Hap Selby Hap Selby   See fewer
Lynne Roberts
Judy Parker Judy Parker   See fewer
Bobby Driscoll
Spud Kilton Spud Kilton   See fewer
J.M. Kerrigan
Judge Jasper Kincaid Judge Jasper Kincaid   See fewer
Russell Simpson
Adam Parker Adam Parker   See fewer
Frank Reicher
Dr. Ballou Dr. Ballou   See fewer
Cordell Hickman
Abraham Abraham   See fewer
Roy Barcroft
Sheriff Dan Pendleton Sheriff Dan Pendleton   See fewer
Fred Kohler Jr.
Henchman Roberts Henchman Roberts   See fewer
Monte Hale
Saloon Singer Saloon Singer   See fewer
George Bell
Henchman (uncredited) Henchman (uncredited)   See fewer
John Bose
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Rudy Bowman
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Buck Bucko
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Roy Bucko
Henchman (uncredited) Henchman (uncredited)   See fewer
Bob Burns
Deputy (uncredited) Deputy (uncredited)   See fewer
Lucille Byron
Dancer (uncredited) Dancer (uncredited)   See fewer
George M. Carleton
Doctor (uncredited) Doctor (uncredited)   See fewer
Horace B. Carpenter
Rancher (uncredited) Rancher (uncredited)   See fewer
Martha Carroll
Dancer (uncredited) Dancer (uncredited)   See fewer
Ed Cassidy
Rancher (uncredited) Rancher (uncredited)   See fewer
Jess Cavin
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Tommy Coats
Rancher (uncredited) Rancher (uncredited)   See fewer
Tom Coleman
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Francis Ford
Daley (uncredited) Daley (uncredited)   See fewer
Fred Graham
Tom's Brother - Burly Barroom Brawler (uncredited) Tom's Brother - Burly Barroom Brawler (uncredited)   See fewer
Herman Hack
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Harriette Haddon
Dancer (uncredited) Dancer (uncredited)   See fewer
Beatrice Hagen
Dancer (uncredited) Dancer (uncredited)   See fewer
Jack Kenny
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Charles King
Henchman Big Ben (uncredited) Henchman Big Ben (uncredited)   See fewer
Jack Kirk
Rancher (uncredited) Rancher (uncredited)   See fewer
Paul Kruger
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Jean MacMurray
Dancer (uncredited) Dancer (uncredited)   See fewer
Kansas Moehring
Rancher (uncredited) Rancher (uncredited)   See fewer
Jimmy Noel
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Frank O'Connor
Rancher Jenkins (uncredited) Rancher Jenkins (uncredited)   See fewer
Jack O'Shea
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Bob Reeves
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Robert Robinson
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Jack Rockwell
Rancher Boyce (uncredited) Rancher Boyce (uncredited)   See fewer
Matty Roubert
Henchman (uncredited) Henchman (uncredited)   See fewer
Tom Smith
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
George Sowards
Barfly (uncredited) Barfly (uncredited)   See fewer
Tom Steele
Tom, Slender Barroom Brawler (uncredited) Tom, Slender Barroom Brawler (uncredited)   See fewer
Dorothy Stevens
Dancer (uncredited) Dancer (uncredited)   See fewer
Dan White
Rancher Willis (uncredited) Rancher Willis (uncredited)   See fewer
Robert J. Wilke
Rancher (uncredited) Rancher (uncredited)   See fewer
Henry Wills
Deputy (uncredited) Deputy (uncredited)   See fewer
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