The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHoward Higgin
Bert Gilroy
Written byTom Buckingham
Howard Higgin
Produced byE. B. Derr
StarringWilliam Boyd
Helen Twelvetrees
William Farnum
CinematographyEdward Snyder
Edited byClarence Kolster
Music byFrancis Gromon
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • January 18, 1931 (1931-01-18) (US)
Running time
85 minutes
75 minutes (edited reissue)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Painted Desert is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film released by Pathé Exchange. Produced by E. B. Derr, it was directed by Howard Higgin, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Tom Buckingham. The picture stars low-budget Western stars William Boyd (in his pre-Hopalong Cassidy era) and Helen Twelvetrees, and most notably features an unshaven young Clark Gable in his talking film debut. The film was shot mostly on location in Arizona.