 |  | The Best (and Worst) of the West! Reviews and Observations on B-Westerns by Boyd Magers Reviews of Western "Shorts" |
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Individual film reviews - as well as the complete The Best (and Worst) of the West! film review collection - is copyright ©2000-2008 by Boyd Magers. All rights reserved.
| The Ratings | Superior | Good | OK | Poor | A real dud ! |
ABOUT "SHORTS" - definition and info:
- Two-reeler = two reels of 35MM film which would have a running time not to exceed about 22 minutes, or about 11 minutes per reel (most serial episodes consisted of two reels of 35MM; and the Three Stooges escapades were "two-reelers").
- Three-reeler = three reels of 35MM film with a running time not to exceed about 33 minutes (about 11 minutes per reel).
- There were a variety of names given to these abbreviated westerns - they were called just plain "shorts" as well as "streamliners", "vestpocket westerns", etc.
THE SUNDAY ROUNDUP (1936 Warner Bros.)
Seldom seen, or even documented, Technicolor Warner Bros. two-reeler stars Dick Foran as a parson trying to increase his congregation by hiring some vaudeville acts to put on a show at the local saloon only to find himself opposed by saloon owner Ed Cobb. Linda Perry is the girl (she's also in CALIFORNIA MAIL and LAND BEYOND THE LAW with Foran) and the rest of the stellar cast includes Rocky Camron (Gene Alsace) and Jack Kirk harmonizing with Cobb; Steve Clemente with his lengthy knife throwing act tossing sharp weaponry at befuddled Glenn Strange; pre-stardom Jane Wyman as a saloon singer; Ben Corbett, Fred and Bob Burns, Morris Ankrum, Hank Mann, Kansas Moehring, Artie Ortego, Tex Palmer and the wild vaudeville dance team of Fritz and Jean Hubert. Producer Gordon Hollingshead (1892-1952) was an assistant director from 1916-1934. He was an uncredited associate producer on several of Foran's WB B-westerns as well as producer on several of the Robert Shayne two-reelers and WELLS FARGO DAYS with Dennis Moore plus some musical quickies with Bob Wills and Spade Cooley. From the mid '40s til the early '50s Hollingshead was producer of the popular Joe McDoakes SO YOU WANNA ... one-reelers at Warner Bros. SUNDAY ROUNDUP is a real gem ... search it out.
THE GOLDSEEKER (1956 Argus)
Odd little 38 minute western is essentially a one man show as prospector John Dehner wanders into his old hometown - now completely deserted. Unknown to him, a mysterious killer (George Renner) is stalking him to steal his cache of gold. The direction is compelling and the photography by John Young is starkly beautiful. THE GOLDSEEKER was filmed entirely in the California ghost town of Bodie, and may have been made simply for historical preservation, as nearly every building in Bodie is elegantly photographed with a quiet, serene beauty.
THE RAY WHITLEY SHORTS (1937-1942 RKO)
Ray Whitley is well remembered as writer of Gene Autry's theme song "Back In the Saddle Again" (as well as many other western favorites) and singing co-star to George O'Brien, Tim Holt and Rod Cameron. Later on, he was Jimmy Wakely's manager. Why RKO or Universal never elevated him to his own feature series remains a mystery. Whitley had a pleasing personality and was one of the most natural western singers. That he never had a feature length series is our loss. Instead, RKO starred Ray in 18 hybrid two-reel western/comedy musical shorts (with his Six-Bar Cowboys, whose personnel varied a bit from film to film (sometimes featuring actors playing like musicians) but usually included the Phelps Brothers. The theme song "El Capitan" opened each 17-19 minute short. Following are the 18 Whitley RKO shorts, several of which are unavailable for viewing:
PRAIRIE PAPAS (1938 RKO) - unavailable for viewing. Again with Willie Best.
BAR BUCKAROOS (1940 RKO) - unavailable for viewing.
PRAIRIE SPOONERS (1941 RKO) - unavailable for viewing.
THE TEX WILLIAMS UNIVERSAL SHORTS
Cheyenne (Tex Williams) gets a job on the Blue River Ranch being managed by Stanley Andrews and his daughter Lina Romay. Actually, Tex is the owner of the Blue River having inherited the ranch from his father. He's now come west incognito to discover who is rustling cattle on the spread - turns out to be tophand Riley Hill. More music than thrills with four songs by Tex and his Western Caravan including Smokey Rogers and Deuce Spriggens. This is the second of Tex's 17 vestpocket westerns.
Sheriff Tex Williams helps honest homesteaders when crooked Terry Frost tries to stir up a range war to grab off all the land for himself, all in 23 minutes. Nate Watt directed the first three of Williams' vestpocket musical westerns, including this one. Producer Will Cowan took over and saved even more money on all the rest.
Ex-Marshal Tex Williams comes to town with his two pals Smokey Rogers and Deuce Spriggens, rounds up a gang of rustlers (Lane Bradford, Judd Holdren, Kenne Duncan), sings three songs and wins the heart of Donna Martell - all in a swift 25 minute remake of Kirby Grant's RUSTLER'S ROUNDUP ('46).
Tex Williams 30min. remake of Bob Baker's GHOST TOWN RIDERS with liberal uses of stock footage from that 1938 Universal oater. Tex made 17 of these 30 min. featurettes in '49-'50, all using stock footage from earlier Universal westerns. The main thing that was new were the songs from Tex and pals Deuce Spriggens and Smokey Rogers.
While Tex Williams and his singing-cowboy pals, Deuce Spriggens and Smokey Rogers, are on a cattle drive for two weeks, an Eastern lady veterinarian, Lina Romay, and her friend, Patricia Alphin, move onto Tex's Six Bar Ranch (6-) believing it to be the Bar 9 (-9), which is actually a broken-down place they've bought sight unseen. You see, the wind tipped the Ranch sign topsy-turvy. Not a remake like most of Williams' vestpocket 25 minute westerns, but an original from Luci Ward who scripted loads of B-westerns for Dick Foran, 3 Mesquiteers, Gene Autry, Bill Elliott, Charles Starrett and Randolph Scott. No outstanding music and no action make it the tamest of Williams' 17 short-B's.
Ace western in compact 25 min. form. A remake of RIDERS OF THE SANTA FE ('44) with Tex Williams, Smokey Rogers, Donna Martell, Norman Jolley, Marshall Reed and Eddie Parker replacing Rod Cameron, Fuzzy Knight, Jennifer Holt, Eddie Dew, George Douglas and Lane Chandler. 4 songs. Although Donna Martell could sing, she tells me her voice was dubbed in these short westerns she did with Tex. Producer/director Will Cowan turned out 17 of these vestpocket B's from '49-'50 all of them remakes (with liberal doses of stock footage) of Bob Baker, Johnny Mack Brown, Rod Cameron or Kirby Grant Universal B's. To further maximize profits, Cowan strung 8 of them together to make four 'features' (2 shorts apiece) - called TALES OF THE WEST #1, #2, #3, #4, all released in '50 and '51.
Speedy 25 minute vest-pocket B has Tex Williams and pal Smokey Rogers trying to clear their name when Tex is mistaken for outlaw Judd Holdren. Severely truncated remake of Bob Baker's BORDER WOLVES ('38) written by Norton S. Parker ... rescripted by Joseph O'Donnell. Incorporates much Baker stock footage. Donna Martell is the girl. Some nice music including "Waltz of the West" and "High Tailin' Along to Glory".
Best of the Tex Williams mini-westerns, FARGO PHANTOM is a remake of Bob Baker's PHANTOM STAGE ('39). Tex and his pals, Smoky Rogers and Deuce Spriggins, save Shirlee Allard's stageline from bankruptcy when crooked Forrest Taylor robs the gold shipments by placing a small man inside a specially designed trunk on top of the stage, stealing the gold while the stage is enroute. When the stage arrives, Taylor and his men remove the trunk - and the gold. Couple of good tunes from Tex and the boys.
JACK PERRIN AND WALLY WALES SHORTS
Reliable got its start in 1933 with GIRL TROUBLE, the first of eight Bud 'n' Ben 30 minute featurettes, of which this is one. Ben was always played by Ben Corbett (as he had been in silents where this series originated). Bud is played here by former silent star Fred Humes. (In silents Bud was Pee Wee Holmes. In other talkies Bud was Jack Perrin, Wally Wales or Dennis Moore - apparently whomever was available!) Low budget screenwriter Harry Samuels (a pseudonym for director/writer/producer Harry S. Webb) apparently was trying to spell 'reverie' in the title, as I cannot find 'revier' in my Funk and Wagnalls. Reverie fits as the boys get mixed up in a romantic plan to cheat Bud out of his rightful inheritance. Rock bottom of the barrel budget stuff like this is good only for seeing cowboys like onetime silent star Fred Humes in a talkie situation. Problem is, the no budget restrictions don't allow you to see Humes (or anyone else) at his best. Other silent range riders Franklyn Farnum, Wally Wales (billed as Walt Williams), Ed Cobb and heavies George Chesebro and Lew Meehan also pop up.
The wretched of the wretched! Not unlike a Bud 'n' Ben short, Buck and Bill (Buck Owens - no not the country singer, the rodeo rider - and Ben Corbett) encounter swindler Buffalo Bill Jr. (top-billed for some odd reason) who is after fiancée Victoria Vinton's money. Impoverished, cheap, amateurish 30 minute short "scripted" by Robert Emmett (Tansey) and directed (or is aimed?) by silent stuntman/serial star Charles Hutchison. Financed (for about $20 I'd guess) by William Pizor, who founded Imperial Dist. Corp. in '31 to release foreign imports and documentaries and distribute the cheapest of the cheap westerns with Robert Frazer, Lane Chandler, Al Lane, Ken Thomson and Jack Donovan. Pizor teamed with Tansey in '34 for a series of seven 18-30 minute westerns starring Wally Wales, which, over time, have turned out to be Imperial's best remembered product.
A couple of dopey down-on-their-luck would-be bandits, Ben Corbett and Harry Myers, rob Wally Wales (oddly billed as Walt Williams) of a much needed $500 he's just sold his horse to obtain so he could start a herd and marry Josephine Hall. Then real crooks Robert Walker and George Chesebro steal the money from the two saddlebums. This Bud 'n' Ben three-reeler strays from the formula as the pair don't even know each other at the start. Ben teams up with noted silent actor Harry Myers who'd starred in the MASKED RIDER serial for Arrow in 1919 as well as some two-reelers for that company. A handsome leading man, Myers made his debut in 1908 and appeared in well over 100 silent films and a few talkies through 1937. Not well known in westerns, he's best remembered as the millionaire drunkard in Charlie Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS. Myers, who died of pneumonia on Christmas day 1938, is also in Bud 'n' Ben's RIDIN' GENTS ('34). His last appearance was a bit in comedian Bob Burns' I'M FROM MISSOURI, released after Myers death in '39.
Silly yarn has Bud (Jack Perrin) and Ben (Ben Corbett) saving stubborn, contrary Virginia Brown Faire's Sanitarium Ranch from the clutches of evil Ethan Laidlaw. Several absolutely ludicrous plot devices destroy this 27 minute short western.
Minor three reeler has Rangers Bud and Ben (Jack Perrin and Ben Corbett) run afoul of crooks posing as archeologists (Al Ferguson, Jimmy Aubrey) who are smuggling aliens across the Mexican border as ancient mummies. Now there's a new twist! They're helped by Starlight, the horse of another ranger who's been murdered by Ferguson. In reality, Starlight was Perrin's horse. More action oriented than many Bud 'n' Ben shorts that were often played for their comedy elements. This one's pretty much all Jack Perrin and very little Ben Corbett with so many story elements and, by the way it plays, it feels more like a feature that was edited down to a short subject.
An oft used marital mix-up plot makes this Bud 'n' Ben 30 minute featurette simply a comedy short in a western setting. Bud is Jack Perrin and Ben is Ben Corbett. This one disappoints, but may be your only chance to see Jack Perrin in drag - if you really care to.
Rawbone B. B. Ray abbreviated (30m) filmmaking with Bud (Dennis Moore) and Ben (Ben Corbett). Ray began his film career after college in 1911 as a lab tech. He learned his trade as a cameraman, editor, assistant director and special-effects man before sound arrived. In the '30s he partnered with lowbudget director Harry S. Webb to form Reliable, which churned out westerns from '33-'37 with Jack Perrin, Tom Tyler, Bob Custer and Bud 'n' Ben, the misadventures of two ramblin' cowpoke pals with Ben Corbett always as Ben and Bud portrayed, it seems, by whomever was available at the time - Wally Wales, Fred Humes, Jack Perrin or Dennis Moore. Their studio, at Sunset and Beachwood Dr., long survived Reliable, being used later on by Monogram, the Alexander Brothers and even Columbia. Franklyn Farnum, hero of the silent screen, is the heavy here.
Owing gambling debts to rustler George Chesebro, cowboy Wally Wales (using the screen name Walt Williams for whatever reason) is forced to help Chesebro in a plot to rustle rancher Lafe McKee's cattle. Wally's cow-puncher pals Bud (Fred Humes - looking like a western Harry Langdon) and Ben (Ben Corbett) straighten things out. Ben even plays cupid for Bud with Lafe's daughter Frances Morris in this 28 minute B. B. Ray directed short western. Cheap, but Chesebro's chewing of the scenery is always a kick.
In 1934 director/writer Robert Emmett (Tansey) and producer William Pizor turned out seven 20-27 minute western shorts all starring Wally Wales, all made under the same production setup at the same time. In this one Wally helps a very young Fay McKenzie (daughter of old time character actor Robert McKenzie in her first screen role) with her sheep who are trespassing on his Dad's (Fred Parker) ranch. Les Adams in his Yesterday's Saturdays #16 ('80) summed up these vest pocket westerns quite well, "The photography of Brydon Baker borders on great, the editing of Arthur Cohen crosses the line of atrocity, and the (employing the term loosely) direction of Tansey barely qualifies to keep him one notch above Robert J. Horner (see: APACHE KID ESCAPES and BORDER GUNS) as the all-time worst. The naturalness of Wales and the riding and stunting of Yakima Canutt (he was in 3 of them but not SUNDOWN TRAIL) combine to make these shorts fascinating." To be absolutely fair, this was at the beginning of Tansey's career; he did get better. You'd have to with the amount of film he churned out in the next 17 years.
Swindlers Franklyn Farnum and Jim Sheridan (aka Sherry Tansey) sell old man Fred Parker and his daughter Merla Bratton a salted gold mine, then try to steal it back when real gold is found. Wally Wales stops them. Muddled ending. Not as good as other Wales low-rent two-reelers.
One of Wally Wales' lesser 18 minute two-reel westerns. Peggy Djarling inherits her uncle's run-down ranch, but Yakima Canutt and his boys (Al Hoxie, Franklyn Farnum) claim to have won it in a card game. Boo Boo: At the start Peggy is talking to James Sheridan (aka Sherry Tansey) and they are close together. In the next shot they are 10 feet apart! There's also a sloppily filmed moment at the end when Yak runs to escape but can't mount his horse. Credit writer/director Robert Emmett (Tansey) for this fiasco.
Through a series of robberies, co-conspirators Franklyn Farnum and Yakima Canutt plot to grab Fred Parker's mail contract away from him. Government agent Wally Wales breaks up the plot and gets the girl, Parker's daughter, Peggy Djarling. Al Hoxie (brother of Jack), who had a minor career in silent westerns, is the stage (actually a car) driver. Wally looks terrific in this 20 minute vestpocket western but the script (by Robert Emmett Tansey), acting, fights and direction (Tansey again) are all third rate. Why, at one point, you can quickly see all the principals on their marks ready to go as you hear Tansey say "fight!" and everyone lunges into an old fashioned push and shove match.
Wally Wales is framed by Sherry Tansey for a bank robbery he didn't commit. Weaker entry among Wales' vestpocket 18 minute westerns. Judging from her thespian skills, it's no wonder we never heard anymore from leading lady Karla Cowan. (She'd actually made two earlier for director Bob Tansey - RIDERS OF THE RIO ['31] w/Lane Chandler and GALLOPING KID ['32] w/Al Lane.) Boo Boo: As Wally removes the gun laying on dead Jack Kirk's chest, watch closely as Jack's right hand moves. Trivia: Wally calls his horse Dan.
Apparently intended as the first of a two-reeler series to star Wally Wales and Victor Adamson (billed as Al Mix; he also directed), many low-budget aficionados consider this awful piece of celluloid among their guilty pleasures. Photographed part silent with an appalling music track added (including the "William Tell Overture") to try and cover up its deficiencies, this shoestring affair still has a certain rustic charm, much like viewing a terrible car accident as you drive by. This was the first film project of 25 year old Richard L. Bare who later created the Joe McDoakes "So You Wanna -" comedies at Warner Bros. and directed such features as SHOOTOUT AT MEDICINE BEND and TV fare like GREEN ACRES. Buffalo Bill Jr. plays one of the heavies. This film has no connection to Jack Perrin's TEXAS JACK released the same year.
ROBERT SHAYNE/SANTA FE TRAIL SERIES AND OTHER SHORTS FROM WARNERS
Twenty minute streamliner in which young Bill Cody (George Reeves) makes a historic ride to inform the west of Lincoln's election as President. Southern sympathizers (Joseph King, Addison Richards) don't want the news conveyed by pony express to California before a vote on secession is held so all the gold will go to the South.
This Warner Bros. 20 minute color western starring Dennis Moore was released as a segment of their "Santa Fe Trail" two-reeler series, but it is actually an outside product produced circa 1940 for Cinecolor, Inc. as MAN FROM TASCOSA and only picked up by WB to tie in with the Robert Shayne historical group and make it an even eight. Non theatrical distributors carried this short in their rental catalogs under its original title before the WB pickup. Therefore, unlike the Shaynes, this Mack V. Wright directed short is all original Cinecolor footage. Louise Stanley makes lawless Dennis Moore promise to stay on the right side of the law, which he finds difficult when he loses his money to crooked gambler Karl Hackett.
Warner Bros. released seven short westerns with Robert Shayne, deeming them the "Santa Fe Trail" series. This one is a full throttle, stock footage filled remake of James Cagney's OKLAHOMA KID. It's the opening of the Cherokee Strip amid the taming of Tulsa when gambler Warner Anderson kills Robert Shayne's Mayoral father (Erville Alderson). These 20 minute B-westerns from WB are pure enjoyment. For Presidential watchers - the back of Grover Cleveland's head is shown.
In this compact 20 minute western a youngster grows to manhood as Robert Shayne seeking the robber and killer (Charles Middleton) of his father. Nina Foch is the girl.
? GUN TO GUN (1944 Warner Bros.)
This seems to be the lost Robert Shayne two-reeler, therefore we cannot evaluate it along with the others in the group. Too bad because the supporting cast is one of the best in the series - Harry Woods, Lupita Tovar, Pedro De Cordoba and Tom Tyler.
Ranchers and farmers fight hydraulic mining in 1877 California. Another Robert Shayne justice-in-20-minutes mini-movie based on stock footage from GOLD IS WHERE YOU FIND IT ('38). Watch for a very young Mark Stevens - still billed as Stephen Richards.
Unscrupulous timber-hog (Warner Anderson) tries to strip the forest of Robert Shayne's magnificent redwoods in this WB featurette. Cheryl Walker is the girl matching stock footage of Claire Trevor from Wayne Morris' VALLEY OF THE GIANTS ('38).
Only 20 minutes long but as well made as Warner Bros. features with more story and action than most B-westerns. Framed and found guilty of the murder of a brother officer, Robert Shayne is commandeered out of the Cavalry. Eight years later, still searching for the renegade (Trevor Bardette) who framed him, Shayne saves a young girl (Angela Greene) from death after the stage they are in is attacked by renegades (Bardette and Norman Willis) posing as Indians. They're found wandering in the desert by Cavalry officer Warren Douglas who, over a 2 year period, falls in love with Greene as she grows to womanhood. Eventually, Shayne finds Bardette on the day of Custer's massacre at the Little Big Horn and, after turning Bardette over to Douglas (and uttering a few surprises), he joins Custer in "victorious defeat". Hang on, it moves rapid fire and includes stock footage from THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON.
Marshal Robert Shayne meets lady Sheriff Dorothy Malone as she seeks the killer of her father ... the same gang Shayne is after. The only one of these vest-pocket Shayne two-reelers in Technicolor utilizes much footage from DODGE CITY ('39) including the spectacular saloon brawl.
Best of the Technicolor two reel Warner Bros. featurettes under the banner of their 'Santa Fe Trail' westerns uses lots of stock from DODGE CITY and other Warner westerns. Robert Shayne romances Dorothy Malone and tracks down poacher Rory Mallison. Others in the fast paced series with Shayne were LAW OF THE BADLANDS, ROARING GUNS, TRIAL BY TRIGGER, GUN TO GUN, WAGON WHEELS WEST and OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS. All are composed of stock from prior Maynard, Foran and A-budget WB westerns.
NOAH BEERY, JR. AND JIMMY ROGERS STREAMLINERS
Two drifting cowboys (Noah 'Pidge' Beery and Jimmy Rogers) hire on at a dude ranch where Pidge falls head over saddle in love with dude-girl Marjorie Woodworth. Cute. Pleasant 45 minute "Streamliner Comedy" from Hal Roach Jr., nothing more. Filmed at Lone Pine, CA.
Itinerant cowpokes Jim and Pidge (Jimmy Rogers and Noah Beery Jr.) run afoul of public enemy #1 - Marc Lawrence in this 45 minute comedy western streamliner from Hal Roach.
45 minute Hal Roach comedy streamliner has our itinerant cowpokes Jim and Pidge (Jimmy Rogers and Noah Beery Jr.) getting mixed up with an eccentric eastern cattle owner (Jack Norton), a bevy of dude girls (Marjorie Woodworth, Rosemary La Planche, Noel Neill, Mary Ann Deighton) and rustlers (Joe Sawyer, Frank Faylen). Probably the best of the Rogers/Beery pairings.
MISC SHORTS
In this Technicolor very abbreviated two-reeler remake of Tom Mix's MY PAL THE KING, music is king as singing rodeo stars John Payne and Cliff Edwards encounter boy king Scotty Beckett and rescue him from evil kidnappers. It all winds up with an elaborate, patriotic musical extravaganza.
No-budget E. B. Derr produced 20 minute "western" is actually a comedy short with a horse-race background affording wide-eyed Mona Ray an opportunity to mug for the camera. It's also an excuse for some singers, ropers and trick riders to strut their stuff. Titular lead Tom Tyler stands around with his hands in his pockets.
Western singer Red River Dave and the Texas Tophands stage a rodeo to pay off Dad's mortgage when the mortgage money is stolen by bandits. It's a 30 minute vestpocket western to be viewed strictly as a curio. Produced and directed by William Forest Crouch who made the black musical REET, PETITE AND GONE. He offers absolutely no imaginative direction at all. It's on a par with Spade Cooley's attempts and Sunset Carson's Yucca pictures, bordering on home movies. They made one other, now "lost", HIDDEN VALLEY OUTLAWS. David 'Red River Dave' McEnery, 88, died 1/15/02 in his native San Antonio. His career spanned seven decades writing and performing patriotic, topical and sentimental songs. He's also seen in SWING IN THE SADDLE ('44).