Keep an eye out for a movie being relased December 13 by major motion picture distributor LIONSGATE. The movie title might not by itself push you to the theater, but HELL ON THE BORDER is the story about the real life exploits of what some have called “the real Lone Ranger,’ U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves.
The movie is set in the 1870s Indian Territory and follows the events of one of Bass Reeves’ most dangerous outlaw pursuits. What makes the story remarkable and worth seeing is that Bass Reeves was black, born a slave, and grew up tending and breaking horses and acting as a bodyguard and valet to William S. Reeves and later to his son, Colonel George R. Reeves.
Bass escaped his owners and made his way to Indian Territory, where he became friends with the tribes in Indian Territory. He learned to speak Chickasaw, Cherokee, Choctaw and Creek fluently. He wore two guns and was known to ride a big silver colored horse. His appointment as the first black U.S. Deputy Marshall did not go ever well with the other marshalls. None of them wanted to partner with him. So, he worked without a partner. He often worked with Indian companions and used disguises when hunting outlaws. For those who helped him locate and apprehend criminals, Reeves developed the practice of leaving a silver dollar to say thank you.
The similarities between Reeves’ real life character and the fictional “Lone Ranger” are many. Many feel the Lone Ranger character aired on TV with his sidekick ‘Tonto’ was pulled from Reeves’ storied life, and that Bass Reeves was the REAL Long Ranger.
Reeves was arguably the best of all the Old West lawmen. He survived more than four dozen gun battles, killed fourteen dangerous outlaws (in self-defense, of course) and brought in more than three thousand wanted criminals. Staggering numbers. He has been called “the greatest lawman of the Wild West.”
David Gyassi stars as Bass Reeves, and he is joined by a supporting cast of big screen veterans like Ron Perlman, Frank Zillo and Zahn McClarnon.
Bass Reeves’ finished out his service as a U.S. Marshall in the city of Muskogee, Oklahoma. He died and was buried there in 1910. Interstingly, Muskogee is also known as the place where more U.S. Deputy Marshals were killed in a fifty mile radius than any other city in the U.S.
The movie will premier Friday, November 15th at Muskogee’s Historic ROXY Theatre at 7pm.
Caption: Bass Reeves – first African-American US Deputy Marshal. Died 1910.
