Son of Paleface

Son of Paleface

Year: 1952

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: English

Director: Frank Tashlin

WesternComedy

Peter Potter Jr. returns to claim his father’s gold, which is nowhere to be found.

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Timeline & Setting – Son of Paleface (1952)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Son of Paleface (1952). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 20th century (1920s-1930s)

The action blends Western frontier sensibilities with modern elements, evidenced by a jalopy on the road and Harvard attire in a small western town. Characters move between a rowdy saloon, a desert road, and a ghost town, reflecting an era where new technology meets old-town bravado. The tone is playful, mixing frontier pursuit with contemporary humor and stage-like showmanship.

Location

Sawbuck Pass, Sterling City

Sawbuck Pass is a dusty frontier town where a Harvard-educated newcomer arrives in a jalopy, stirring up rumors of a hidden fortune. Sterling City is a nearby ghost town teased by locals as the resting place of wealth and danger, where Eb is found dead and the story pivots on a claimed treasure. The surrounding desert links these locales, offering remote landscapes for chases, disguises, and high-spirited showdowns. Across both places, the saloon, streets, and mineshaft settings frame a hybrid of Western myth and comic caper.

🏜️ Western town 🌵 Desert landscape 🎭 Saloon culture

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:48

Main Characters – Son of Paleface (1952)

Meet the key characters of Son of Paleface (1952), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Peter 'Junior' Potter (Bob Hope)

A Harvard graduate who heads west to claim his father’s fortune. He arrives in Sawbuck Pass in a comically flashy striped suit, using wit and bravado to stall the townsfolk while the truth about the fortune unfolds. His blend of confidence and vulnerability drives the humor and misdirection of the plot.

🎭 Comedy 🧭 Adventure 🧠 Clever

Mike 'The Torch' Delroy (Jane Russell)

A sexy saloon performer who fends off Junior and later leads her gang under the Torch persona. Her charm and cunning make her a formidable ally and antagonist at different moments, and she helps navigate the town’s schemes.

🎭 Drama 🧭 Deception 💃 Performer

Roy Barton (Roy Rogers)

A government agent who travels with a hidden revolver rifle inside his guitar case, posing as a singing cowboy. He pursues justice and helps oppose the Torch gang, guiding the action with grit and grit-and-grin bravado.

🛡️ Agent 🐴 Hero 🎶 Music

Trigger

Roy Rogers’ horse, a reliable companion in the desert chase and saloon escapes. Trigger offers steady presence and helps drive the physical comedy and action.

🐴 Animal 🤝 Companion

Ebenezer Hawkins (Paul E. Burns)

An old-timer who reveals the rumor of hidden treasure and guides Junior toward believing the gold exists. His skepticism and foreshadowing add a wrinkle of fate to the hunt for fortune.

🗣️ Old-Timey 🪙 Fortune 🧠 Wise

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:48

Major Themes – Son of Paleface (1952)

Explore the central themes of Son of Paleface (1952), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎭 Identity & Disguise

The plot pivots on masquerade and misdirection: Junior pretends wealth to stall townsfolk, while Mike adopts a dangerous persona as the Torch. Roy's undercover role as a government agent adds another layer of deception that complicates trust. Disguises drive momentum, create laughs, and force characters to confront who they really are.

💰 Greed & Treasure

A promised fortune behind his father's missing treasure drives the town's ambitions and schemes. The treasure chest acts as a MacGuffin; its apparent existence fuels jealousy, theft, and risk-taking. The moment of gold pouring out signals both payoff and consequence, tying wealth to motives and peril. The narrative uses treasure as a catalyst for action, not just reward.

🎶 Showmanship & Alliance

Music and performance are instruments of plot and disguise, with Mike and Roy performing in the saloon and fighting sideshow. Junior's Harvard bravado and Mike's Torch persona create a dynamic where spectacle conceals strategy. The trio's collaboration turns showmanship into weaponry against danger, blurring lines between entertainment and espionage.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:48

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Son of Paleface Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Son of Paleface, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Son of Paleface Summary

Son of Paleface Timeline

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Son of Paleface Timeline

More About Son of Paleface

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More About Son of Paleface

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