The Ghost Rider (1943): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1943, The Ghost Rider is a western film directed by Wallace Fox, running about 58 minutes. “ACE OF ALL COWBOY HEROES! See him PROVE that at scrappin', fightin' and shootin' he can take on all comers and make 'em eat dust!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. The first of a long-running series of Monogram-produced westerns starring Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton that replaced the Rough Riders series following the death of Buck Jones in the Boston night club fire. Though the next three years featured Brown (as Nevada Jack McKenzie) and Hatton (in his Sandy Hopkins role from the Rough Riders series) as undercover marshals in some form or another, this initial entry had Brown as a lone rider seeking vengeance and he and Hatton's characters were unknown to each other through most of the film. Hopkins offer McKenzie a marshal's job at the end of the film, which the Brown character declined and rode off alone on his quest. This quest didn't take long as by the next film in the series Nevada Jack McKenzie was a full-fledged U. S. Marshal.

Who’s in it. The Ghost Rider stars Johnny Mack Brown as Nevada Jack McKenzie, Raymond Hatton as Marshal Sandy Hopkins, Harry Woods as Lash Edwards and Beverly Boyd as Julie Wilson, among others.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Philo. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Ghost Rider page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Ghost Rider tend to enjoy The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Django Unchained, Once Upon a Time in the West and For a Few Dollars More.