BrianRxm Coins in Movies 18/383
Bad Bascomb (1946)
Mormon wagon train is hideout for outlaws and a gold coin
Prev Back Next
The 1946 film "Bad Bascomb" is a Western film set in Wyoming after the Civil War. A better-than-average prop coin is used as a gold coin.
 
The film stars Wallace Beery as "Bad Bascomb", J. Carrol Naish as Bascomb's nasty partner, and Margaret O'Brien as Emmy, a little girl who becomes friends with Bascomb.
 
Two notorious outlaws, Zeb Bascomb and Bart Yancy, pursued by federal agents, join a Mormon wagon train headed to Utah.
 
Bascomb and Yancy discover that the wagon train is carrying a shipment of gold and intend to steal it. Bascomb is befriended by Emmy, a little girl travelling with her grandmother.
 
The Mormon religion does not enter into this film except for a scene where the wagonmaster tells Yancy to work for two women and he makes an incorrect assumption.
 
Bad Bascomb
1. Title
 
Bad Bascomb
2. Bascomb and Yancy watching the wagon train
The two pose as Mormon converts and join the train.
 
Bad Bascomb
3. Bascomb and Yancy introduce themselves
They are allowed to join and are assigned to assist unaccompanied women. They are told that as they are new members, they do not have to marry the women.
 
Bascomb is assigned to an elderly woman who has her granddaughter Emmy with her. Emmy is around nine years old and she attaches herself to Bascomb, following him around.
 
Bad Bascomb
4. Bascomb and Emmy
 
Bad Bascomb
5. Wagon train headed towards the mountains
The film was shot in Wyoming near the Grand Teton mountain range.
 
The two men casually search the wagons for the gold shipment, and finally Yancy finds it.
 
Bad Bascomb
6. Yancy shows a gold coin to Bascomb
The coin is then shown to the audience.
 
Bad Bascomb
7. The Coin
The prop coin appears to be a copy of a Charles Barber design without the legend. These designs were used for American silver coins in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
 
A United States Barber dime:
 
United States Barber Dime 1911-S
8. United States Barber Dime 1911-S (San Francisco)
The Barber dime was minted from 1892 to 1916.
 
Back to the film:
 
The wagon train gets too close to "Indian land" and the Indians attack the train. Bascomb rides to a US Army Cavalry fort and brings back the Cavalry. Unfortunately, a federal agent is at the fort and joins the soldiers.
 
Bad Bascomb
9. Wagon train and Indians circled by Cavalry
The Cavalry chases the Indians off, Yancy and Bascomb fight with Bascomb the winner, and the federal agent recognizes Bascomb. Bascomb agrees to accompany the agent and leave the train. He gets a tearful goodbye from Emmy.
 
Bad Bascomb
10. Bascomb and the agent ride away, followed by Emmy
Cast, Directors, Writers:
 
Wallace Beery as Zeb Bascomb
J. Carrol Naish as Bart Yancy
Margaret O'Brien as Emmy
 
Director: S. Sylvan Simon
Writers: D.A. Loxley, William Lipman, Grant Garret
Prev Back Next