"Calling Wild Bill Elliot" opens with the preamble: "In that era when the west was still the last frontier, whole territories were sometimes left to govern themselves as best they could." Moments afterward, another forward appears: "Then it was that might made right, and men of power often seized the reins of government . . . denying the people—justice." Basically, what we have here is a variation on self-rule imposed by a single authority figure who sets himself as a Judge Roy Bean type. Unlike the historic judge, this fascist villain rules with an iron fist. This tyrannical individual, Governor Steve Nichols (Herbert Heyes of "Gambling in Souls"), commands a militia that dress like storm troopers in black. Nichols changes rules on a whim. Instead of giving ranchers 30 days to pay their taxes, he enforces a new rule that allows them only three days. He encounters trouble when he tries to take the Culver ranch away from its owners. Ranch owner John Culver ('Buzz' Henry) refuses to fold under pressure, like his feisty father, Cactus Jim Culver (Burr Caruth), and their Uncle Gabby (George 'Gabby' Hayes), especially after they rough up Culver's son Jimmy John (Fred Kohler) during a confrontation that ignites the action.
Grandpa advises his young grandson that the only way to do any job is the right way, and you should never commence anything you cannot finish. Captain Carson (Roy Barcroft of "Ghost of Zorro") and his men show up and serve notice on the Culvers to pay the taxes. Gabby gets the drop on Carson and his henchmen. "Anybody that would beat up a kid and an old man aren't to be trusted," Gabby complains as he removes the bullets from their revolvers before he returns them their shooting irons. "Now crawl out of here you rattlesnakes," Gabby orders. Grandpa is surprised his son is going to thwart Nichols' plan. Gabby stands up for John in front of his family. "Sure he is. John wouldn't miss no chance for trouble. Why went it comes to fighting, he is worse than Will Bill Elliot." John's son Jimmy John cannot believe Gabby knows Wild Bill. "Know him!" Gabby exclaims, "Bill and me was so close we just wore one hat for the two of us." Meantime, John says he wants to assemble a gang of vigilantes to prey on Nichols' rabble. Grandpa argues they need more law & order than bloodshed. The grandfather knows a Federal judge, Judge Richards (Forbes Murray) due to arrive in Eagle City. Cactus, his grandson, and Gabby travel by stagecoach to meet him. The joke is that Gabby and Wild Bill don't know each other until they meet in Eagle City. Nichols dispatches Carson and his minions to keep the elder Culver from contacting Richards. "How you do it is up to you," Nichols tells Carson.
Carson and his men are waiting for Gabby and the Culvers when they arrive in Eagle City. Jimmy Johnny meets Wild Bill (Wild Bill Elliot) after he tries to stop a potbellied drunk from torturing a bird with a smoldering cigar. The drunk assures Jimmy John that the bird will feel nothing and offers to give him a little demonstration. Wild Bill intervenes, and the drunk scrams. Meantime, Gabby gets sidetracked gambling, and our hero has to shoot up the place to get them out of trouble with Carson's henchmen. Gabby and Wild Bill act like they really know each other when this is the first time they have met. Cactus explains to Bill that he wants to straighten things up with the judge so Nichols cannot force them to sell their ranch. Carson runs off all the horses around the hotel, luring everybody outside, so he can break into Cactus's second-story room. Carson eludes Bill, but the so-called authorities discover a knife in Cactus' corpse and accuse Bill of stabbing him.
Later, Bill pays Nichols a visit, but he gets nowhere. Nichols accuses Bill of killing Cactus, and they put him in jail. Nichols plans to fuel John's wrath by letting it be known he has Cactus' murderer locked up. Ironically, John breaks Bill out after dark, but he doesn't get a chance to hang him. Bill escapes, but John catches up with him during a brief horse chase. Coincidentally, the stagecoach carrying Gabby and Jimmy John shows up, and Jimmy clears Bill of Cactus' murder. Meantime, Nichols meets Judge Richards (Forbes Murray) and his daughter Edith (Anne Jeffreys). Nichols tells the judge his services aren't needed. Later, Wild Bill slips into the Judge's room. "Governor Nichols is running this territory like a bandit," Bill explains, "he is not only taxing the people to ruin, he's also stealing their land. He has even turned the militia into his own gang of gunmen and killers."
While Bill is enlightening Judge Richards about the treacherous governor, Nichols opens a sally port in the door and shoots the Judge. This puts Wild Bill in a tight spot that he won't get out of. Later, John Culver assures Edith that Wild Bill didn't shoot the judge. Of course, Wild Bill cannot turn himself in to the authorities. They arrest John and hold him for the judge's murder. Wild Bill saves the day when the villainous Nichols tries to hang John Culver with Culver's wife watching. Our hero swings into action like a swashbuckler and disrupts the hanging.
"Calling Wild Bill Elliot" qualifies as a brisk, snappy little oater with above-average production values and a cavalry rides to the rescue finale with every guy slinging lead with his six-shooter! This marked the first time that Wild Bill and Gabby collaborated in a film.
Grandpa advises his young grandson that the only way to do any job is the right way, and you should never commence anything you cannot finish. Captain Carson (Roy Barcroft of "Ghost of Zorro") and his men show up and serve notice on the Culvers to pay the taxes. Gabby gets the drop on Carson and his henchmen. "Anybody that would beat up a kid and an old man aren't to be trusted," Gabby complains as he removes the bullets from their revolvers before he returns them their shooting irons. "Now crawl out of here you rattlesnakes," Gabby orders. Grandpa is surprised his son is going to thwart Nichols' plan. Gabby stands up for John in front of his family. "Sure he is. John wouldn't miss no chance for trouble. Why went it comes to fighting, he is worse than Will Bill Elliot." John's son Jimmy John cannot believe Gabby knows Wild Bill. "Know him!" Gabby exclaims, "Bill and me was so close we just wore one hat for the two of us." Meantime, John says he wants to assemble a gang of vigilantes to prey on Nichols' rabble. Grandpa argues they need more law & order than bloodshed. The grandfather knows a Federal judge, Judge Richards (Forbes Murray) due to arrive in Eagle City. Cactus, his grandson, and Gabby travel by stagecoach to meet him. The joke is that Gabby and Wild Bill don't know each other until they meet in Eagle City. Nichols dispatches Carson and his minions to keep the elder Culver from contacting Richards. "How you do it is up to you," Nichols tells Carson.
Carson and his men are waiting for Gabby and the Culvers when they arrive in Eagle City. Jimmy Johnny meets Wild Bill (Wild Bill Elliot) after he tries to stop a potbellied drunk from torturing a bird with a smoldering cigar. The drunk assures Jimmy John that the bird will feel nothing and offers to give him a little demonstration. Wild Bill intervenes, and the drunk scrams. Meantime, Gabby gets sidetracked gambling, and our hero has to shoot up the place to get them out of trouble with Carson's henchmen. Gabby and Wild Bill act like they really know each other when this is the first time they have met. Cactus explains to Bill that he wants to straighten things up with the judge so Nichols cannot force them to sell their ranch. Carson runs off all the horses around the hotel, luring everybody outside, so he can break into Cactus's second-story room. Carson eludes Bill, but the so-called authorities discover a knife in Cactus' corpse and accuse Bill of stabbing him.
Later, Bill pays Nichols a visit, but he gets nowhere. Nichols accuses Bill of killing Cactus, and they put him in jail. Nichols plans to fuel John's wrath by letting it be known he has Cactus' murderer locked up. Ironically, John breaks Bill out after dark, but he doesn't get a chance to hang him. Bill escapes, but John catches up with him during a brief horse chase. Coincidentally, the stagecoach carrying Gabby and Jimmy John shows up, and Jimmy clears Bill of Cactus' murder. Meantime, Nichols meets Judge Richards (Forbes Murray) and his daughter Edith (Anne Jeffreys). Nichols tells the judge his services aren't needed. Later, Wild Bill slips into the Judge's room. "Governor Nichols is running this territory like a bandit," Bill explains, "he is not only taxing the people to ruin, he's also stealing their land. He has even turned the militia into his own gang of gunmen and killers."
While Bill is enlightening Judge Richards about the treacherous governor, Nichols opens a sally port in the door and shoots the Judge. This puts Wild Bill in a tight spot that he won't get out of. Later, John Culver assures Edith that Wild Bill didn't shoot the judge. Of course, Wild Bill cannot turn himself in to the authorities. They arrest John and hold him for the judge's murder. Wild Bill saves the day when the villainous Nichols tries to hang John Culver with Culver's wife watching. Our hero swings into action like a swashbuckler and disrupts the hanging.
"Calling Wild Bill Elliot" qualifies as a brisk, snappy little oater with above-average production values and a cavalry rides to the rescue finale with every guy slinging lead with his six-shooter! This marked the first time that Wild Bill and Gabby collaborated in a film.