Monday Oaters - The Fargo Kid (1940)

Ah, the classic case of mistaken identity. I suppose it's been a staple of storytelling ever since there have been stories. The classic greek play Oedipus Rex hinges on a tragic case of mistaken identity, as does Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona. Today's police procedurals and soap operas alike take full advantage of look-alikes and evil twins. And classsic westerns were no stranger to the formula either, though today's film does put an interesting kink in the idea. In The Fargo Kid, though our protagonist is mistaken for a well-known gunman, it's not so much because he looks like the bad guy, but because he is riding a horse that he won from him in a duel.

Tim Holt, the star of today's feature, was a mainstay in westerns from is first appearance in 1928's The Vanishing Pioneer until his last in 1952's Desert Passage. In all, he racked up, according to IMDB some 75 credits, including the role he is probably best known for, starring opposite Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

In The Fargo Kid, Holt plays, perhaps not surprisingly, The Fargo Kid, who wins a sorrel horse from gunslinger Deuce Mallory. Unfortunately for Fargo, not only does Deuce's reputation precede him but so does the look of his horse. When he arrives in Micaville, Fargo finds himself the center of a number of conspiracies. He is hired (as Deuce) to kill a prospector who is close to a gold strike. The local sherrif has also identified Fargo as Mallory and intends to arrest him. Then there is the real Mallory, who intends to not only kill Farogo but retrieve both the horse and $5000 that Fargo got with it.

Let's take a quick look at The Fargo Kid, shall we?


Oh, wait. That was the wrong Fargo, wasn't it? Alright, then, let's try this one:


Hrmmm... still the wrong Fargo. Darn this whole mistaken-identity thing. It can muck everything up. Ok, One more try:


Ah, the heck with it - let's just get on with the Skinny:
Title: The Fargo Kid
Release Date: 1940
Running Time: 63min
Black and White
Starring: Tim Holt
Directed by: Edward Killy
Produced by: Bert Gilroy
Released by: RKO Radio Pictures

The Fargo Kid can be watched or downloaded for free here.
It doesn't appear to be available on DVD at this time.

Until next time, Happy Treasure Hunting,
-Professor Damian