The Bride Came C.O.D.

Daughter of oil tycoon Lucius Winfield, Joan is a spirited, status-conscious young woman who initially seeks a romance that signals independence but is quickly swept into Steve's audacious plan. She challenges Steve’s deception and gradually discovers what she truly values. Her journey crosses from elopement fantasy to a mature choice about love and family approval.

Owner of a small air charter service, Steve is deeply in debt and ready to take extreme measures to solve his money problems. He concocts the C.O.D. kidnapping ruse to raise cash, but his feelings for Joan complicate the plan. Over the course of the story he shifts from schemer to hopeful suitor, seeking a future with Joan.

The lone resident of the ghost town of Bonanza, Pop becomes an unlikely ally who initially arrests Steve but ultimately helps guide the couple toward returning Joan to her father. He offers practical advice and a quirky, frontier wisdom that lightens the perilous situation.

Texas oil tycoon and Joan’s father, Lucius is determined to stop the elopement and protect his daughter’s fortune. He hires Collins to intercept the couple, creating the central conflict that drives the plot. His authority and pragmatism clash with the couple’s bold romance.

A famous band leader and Joan’s fiancé, Allen embodies the life of privilege and public image. He is the target of the elopement plot and represents the social status Joan is expected to marry for. His presence heightens the tension between genuine affection and social obligation.

A colorful supporting character who adds humor and streetwise observations to the caper. Peewee crosses paths with the main cast in the high desert, contributing to the film’s fast-paced banter and light suspense.

A Nevada judge who becomes involved in the entanglement when the couple’s marriage is briefly legalized by mistaken circumstances. His actions, occasionally blunt, add legal comedy to the farce and affect the outcome.

A supporting character portrayed by the same actor as Pop Tolliver, Tommy serves as extra ballast in the public-safety subplot. He contributes to the ensemble’s mix of humor and chaos.

The local lawman pursuing the defiant couple and enforcing order in the desert chase. His interactions with Steve and Joan add a sense of danger and consequence to the farce.

A supporting figure in the film’s publicizing, bartering, or minor capers. Hinkle contributes to the film’s comedic texture as a bustling character in the narrative’s back-and-forth.