The Indians Are Coming

Infobox Film
name = The Indians Are Coming


image_size =
caption =
director = Henry MacRae
producer =
writer =
narrator =
starring = Tim McCoy
Allene Ray
Edmund Cobb
Francis Ford
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = 1930
runtime = 12 chapters
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross = Almost $1,000,000cite book
last = Stedman
first = Raymond William
title = Serials: Suspense and Drama By Installment
origyear = 1971
publisher = University of Oklahoma Press
isbn = 9780806109275
pages = pp. 58-59
chapter = 3. At This Theater Next Week ]
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:137813
imdb_id = 0020999

"The Indians Are Coming" (1930) is a Universal movie serial based on the book "The Great West That Was" by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The serial was the first "all-talking" (complete sound rather than a silent movie with occasional sound sections) film of its kind. It played at The Roxy Theatre and was responsible for saving the film serial format into the sound era.

Cast

* Tim McCoy as Jack Manning
* Allene Ray as Mary Woods
* Edmund Cobb as Bill Williams
* Francis Ford as George Woods / Tom Woods
* Wilbur McGaugh as Rance Carter
* Bud Osborne as Bull McGee
* Charles F. Royal as Uncle Amos
* Dynamite the Dog as Pal, the dog

Production

Along with "Battling with Buffalo Bill" (1931) this serial was based on "The Great West That Was" by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody.cite book
last = Cline
first = William C.
title = In the Nick of Time
origyear = 1984
publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc.
isbn = 078640471X
pages = pp. 9-10
chapter = 2. In Search of Ammunition ]

Release

Theatrical

The release of "The Indians Are Coming" was the first time a serial was given an "uptown" treatment. The serial played at The Roxy in New York City and had full runs across the country.

According to Stedman, "The Indians Are Coming" earned a profit on "near" $1M.

The success of the serial ended doom-mongering about the sound technology being the end of the serial format. In the words of William C. Cline, it is "credited with reviving interest in what seemed to be a dying form of entertainment" and proved that action could still be done with sound equipment.

Critical reception

Stedman compares Tim McCoy's delivery to that of Adam West in the Batman television series but declares it restrained compared to other stars. He goes on to comment that "Only the dog managed not to fall victim to the natural tendency of actors groomed in the silent film to overplay when thrust into a talkie."

Chapter titles

# Pals in Buckskin
# A Call to Arms
# A Furnace of Fear
# The Red Terror
# The Circle of Death
# Hate's Harvest
# Hostages of Fear
# The Dagger Duel
# The Blast of Death
# Redskin's Vengeance
# Frontiers Aflame
# The Trail's End_Source: [cite book
last = Cline
first = William C.
title = In the Nick of Time
origyear = 1984
publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc.
isbn = 078640471X
pages = pp. 202
chapter = Filmography ]

ee also

* List of film serials by year
* List of film serials by studio

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0020999|title=The Indians Are Coming
*amg title|id=1:137813

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Universal Serial
before=Terry of the Times (1930)
years=The Indians are Coming (1930)
after=Finger Prints (1931)