The Last of the Clintons (1935)

Directed by Harry L. Fraser and released by Ajax Pictures, The Last of the Clintons is a compact, 59-minute B-Western starring Harry Carey, one of the genre’s most iconic early stars. This film is notable not just for its story, but for its place in cinematic history—it was the first movie ever broadcast on British television, airing on August 23, 1937, with a repeat the following day.

Plot Summary
Carey plays Trigger Carson, a seasoned adventurer who stumbles upon Jed Clinton, a gold prospector and the last surviving member of the Clinton family. Jed is under threat from a gang of ruthless cattle rustlers led by Luke Todd (Tom London). Carson joins forces with Jed and a local vigilante committee to take down the gang and restore justice. Along the way, romance blooms between Edith Elkins (Betty Mack) and Marty Todd (Del Gordon), the villain’s brother, adding a layer of emotional tension to the action.

Cast Highlights

• Harry Carey as Trigger Carson
• Victor Potel as Jed Clinton — comic relief and titular “last Clinton”
• Betty Mack as Edith Elkins
• Del Gordon as Marty Todd
• Tom London as Luke Todd
• Slim Whitaker, Earl Dwire, and Lafe McKee in supporting roles

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

• The film was the final release from Ajax Pictures, a short-lived Poverty Row studio
• The usual Western gunfight occurs at the beginning, not the end—a rare structural twist for the genre
• Carey’s performance, as always, elevates the material with his quiet authority and fatherly presence
• The film aired on American television as early as 1948, with broadcasts in New York, Detroit, Fort Worth, and Los Angeles