The Return of Wild Bill

"Drilling daylight through killers!"

1940 1h 0m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

⭐

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 1★7IMDB · 42

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When Matt Kilgore and his men frame and then hang an innocent man, Lige Saunders sends for his son Wild Bill Saunders who arrives to find his father shot by Matt's brother. When the brother is killed in his fight with Bill, Matt sends two fake Deputies to arrest Bill whom he then plans to hang. But Matt's sister, attracted to Bill, overhears the plan and rides for help.

“Drilling daylight through killers!”

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Cast

Bill Elliott
Wild Bill Saunders
Iris Meredith
Sammy Lou Griffin
George Lloyd
Matt Kilgore
Luana Walters
Kate Kilgore
Edward LeSaint
Lige Saunders
Frank LaRue
Ole Mitch
Chuck Morrison
Henchman Bart
Dub Taylor
Cannonball

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Writers: Robert Lee Johnson, Fred Myton, Walter J. Coburn
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 60-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Wild Bill Saunders Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis, shot by George Meehan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Fantl shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bill Elliott and Iris Meredith and George Lloyd carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Drilling daylight through killers!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joseph H. Lewis directs. George Meehan behind the camera. Richard Fantl cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 60-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
286 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Wild Bill Saunders Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Joseph H. Lewis, shot by George Meehan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Richard Fantl shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Bill Elliott and Iris Meredith and George Lloyd carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Drilling daylight through killers!".
9IMDB entry: tt0032984 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.