The Best (and Worst) of the West! Reviews and Observations on B-Westerns by Boyd Magers Review Archives

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Printing this webpage: I would suggest you do NOT attempt to print this.  When last I checked, this would require a bunch of pages to print.  Plus the reviews are not in any particular order, so it would be difficult to wade through all those pages looking for a film title, western hero, etc.  If you wish to have this information locally on your PC, I would recommend you click on "File" and then do a "save as" in Internet Explorer or Netscape. And save this page on your hard drive (as an .htm or .html file type).  If you also want Boyd's picture, the red stars and garbage can, put your mouse pointer on each image, click with your right mouse button, and do a "save image or picture as" to the same area on your hard drive where the main page will be saved.  The Search/Find function noted above will work on webpages saved to your hard disk.

Individual film reviews - as well as the complete The Best (and Worst) of the West! film review collection - is copyright ©2000-2007 by Boyd Magers. All rights reserved.

The Ratings

Superior

Good

OK

Poor

A real dud !

 HANDS ACROSS THE ROCKIES (1941 Columbia)
Paul Franklin came up with a few new angles in this one as Bill Elliott accompanies ole pal Cannonball Taylor to Independence to find the killer who dry gulched Cannonball's Dad. Meanwhile, the killer, Kenneth MacDonald, is making a cash deal to marry the only witness to the murder, young Mary Daily (in her only western of only two films total), with her family of brutal backwoods hillbillies (Uncle Frank LaRue --- in a nasty as nails part completely unlike the kindly, elderly gentleman he usually plays --- and his two sons Donald Curtis and Tom Moray). Naturally, sweet Mary is against the slimy plot as she loves headstrong young Stanley Brown. This otherwise good Elliott bogs down terribly at the midway point with a prolonged courtroom trial presided over by a cantankerous judge (Eddy Waller) and abetted by a objecting lawyer (Harrison Greene). Although he usually played heavies, as in this one, Donald Curtis (1915-1997) later became an ordained minister.

 BORDERLAND (1937 Paramount)
Hopalong Cassidy 'turns outlaw' in order to capture the mysterious Fox, a notorious border rustler. In doing so, we witness the nastiest, meanest Hoppy you'll ever see on screen, even yelling at crippled children. As the Fox, Stephen Morris (Ankrum) is superb as he delineates the most memorable villain in any Hoppy western, disguising himself as a half-wit among the townsfolk. The film at 82 minutes is not only the longest Cassidy title, but also the longest B-western ever made. The build-up is gradual and deliberate with all the action coming in the last 10 minutes, an exciting showdown among the desert Joshua trees of the Mojave. One unintentionally humorous scene is of a fiesta in supposedly warm Mexico. No one is dressed warmly but it is quite evidently cold as you can see everyone's breath very plainly. After making 8 of the first 9 Hopalong Cassidy films as Johnny Nelson, Jimmy Ellison was scheduled to get his own series based on Rex Beach's Alaskan adventure stories. Alas that didn't pan out and this was the last of Ellison's Hoppys.

 SIX GUN GOLD (1941 RKO)
One of the best of the pre-war Tim Holt westerns, due in large part to David Howard's direction. Howard, a frequent O'Brien collaborator, took over this one from usual director Edward Killy. When Holt, with his pals Ray Whitley and Lee (Lasses) White, arrive in Placer City to visit his brother, they find a stranger (LeRoy Mason) posing as his brother (Lane Chandler) who is actually being held prisoner by gold shipment thieves. Tim reveals his identity to mine owner Eddy Waller and his daughter Jan Clayton and helps them get their gold through, expose the outlaws and save his brother. Emmett Lynn, who had been Tim's sidekick in the first four Holts (replaced by Lasses) is a drunken stage driver in this one.

 MYSTERY RANGE (1937 Victory)
Fast paced better than average Tom Tyler B with strong suspense and mystery elements as badman Roger Williams employs underage Jerry Bergh's uncle, Lafe McKee (in a role completely opposite of his normal kindly old gentleman parts), to persuade her to sell her ranch as the railroad is coming through. (So much for originality.) Our Tom, working for the Cattleman's Protective Association, arrives with his pal Milburn Morante (see NORTH OF THE BORDER) to help the spunky young girl. Tom impersonates nasty heavy Dick Alexander who is on the way to help Williams and McKee strongarm Bergh into selling the valuable property. Includes an unknown music group singing "Home On the Range" to fit the film in with the singing cowboy trend of the day. Bergh's only other film was Tex Ritter's HITTIN' THE TRAIL.

 SIX GUN MAN (1946 PRC)
There's plenty of gun blazing fast action when U.S. Marshals Bob Steele and Syd Saylor (of the bobbing Adam's apple when he's scared) go after trail rustling range rats (I. Stanford Jolley, Bud Osborne, Budd Buster, Brooke Temple). This is one of 18 westerns that featured one of B-westerndom's worst actors, Jimmie Martin. He plays leading lady Jean Carlin's fiancé. After starring in various B-western series at Syndicate, Tiffany, World Wide, Monogram, Supreme, PRC, Republic and Metropolitan since sound came in, this was Bob Steele's final series. From here on he concentrated on character roles in films like THE BIG SLEEP, SOUTH OF ST. LOUIS, SAVAGE HORDE, SAN ANTONE, GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN and many others, including TV's F-TROOP. Writer/director Harry Fraser's story is borrowed quite noticeably from Buster Crabbe's CATTLE STAMPEDE ('43) written by Joseph O'Donnell. There seemed to be 'no shame' amongst B-western writers and directors, borrowing (swiping) stories from one another. I reckon they figured it all evened out in the end.

 PONY POST (1940 Universal)
Thin story line has a buckskin clad Johnny Mack Brown becoming embroiled in the problems of a pony express company owned by Tom Chatterton and his daughter Dorothy Short. Brown fires loutish manager Stanley Blystone who continues to cause problems for the company with his range rat cohorts Jack Rockwell and Ray Teal, especially when they steal horses from one station and murder Nell O'Day's father. Jimmy Wakely and Johnny Bond sing three songs midway to pad out the running time and Fuzzy Knight sings "As A Cowboy I'm a Bum". We couldn't agree more! Far too much of his unfunny pratfalls and silliness in this oater. Watch for Iron Eyes Cody as one of the Indians. Cody (1904-1999) reached fame years later as the crying Indian in Clean Up America public service announcements. In reality, Cody was born of Italian and Sicilian parents in Gueydan, LA, in 1904. Real name Espara De Corti. He came to Hollywood during the late silent period proclaiming to be Indian. In fairness, although not Indian, he truly loved and respected the Indian way and did much to promote Native-American rights. Ray Teal (1902-1976) later became a semi-regular on TV's BONANZA as Sheriff Roy Coffee of Virginia City. Besides his many westerns, Blystone (1894-1956) is well remembered as a comic foil to the 3 Stooges and others.

 WHEN THE DALTONS RODE (1940 Universal)
Historical inaccuracies abound in this 'biopic' about four of the Dalton brothers (Broderick Crawford, Stuart Erwin, Brian Donlevy and Frank Albertson). Supposedly based on Emmett Dalton's book, this slick but inaccurate 'true story' even gets one of the brother's names wrong! Filled with great action, the highpoint may be Yakima Canutt's leap to horseback from a moving train! The fanciful, good natured story has the four good ol' farmboys forced into outlawry and completely whitewashes their real life misdeeds. Randolph Scott's role as a very unheroic lawyer trying to help the boys is secondary, although he's billed first. Scott and Kay Francis, who is supposed to marry Crawford, fall hopelessly in love derailing all hopes of the brothers going straight. Watch for father and daughter Robert and Fay McKenzie as well as Roy Rogers leading lady Sally Payne. And a Universal A western wouldn't be complete without Andy Devine providing a few yuks as the Dalton's best friend.

 SWIFTY (1935 Diversion)
Hoot Gibson (riding Jack Perrin's wonder horse Starlight so he can do some of his tricks) and Sheriff George (pre-Gabby) Hayes unravel a neat little murder mystery as Hoot is blamed for the murder of rancher Ralph Lewis, the father of June Gale (see RAINBOW'S END) and Wally Wales. Good support from Lafe McKee, William Gould, Bob Kortman and Art Mix. Some great Kernville photography by Art Reed under Alan James' direction. Gibson, who had been a major western star in silents, was on his last legs with this low budget Walter Futter produced series. The only thing left down the trail were a couple of co-starring roles with old pal Harry Carey and the Trail Blazer series.

 MEN WITHOUT LAW (1930 Columbia)
In 1929 Buck Jones lost his entire fortune in a wild west show venture that collapsed when a dishonest employee absconded with the show's receipts after never paying the show's accumulated bills. Bankruptcy was avoided when Buck convinced his creditors he'd made good on his debts. To do this, Buck took an offer from Sol Lesser to star in a series of 8 westerns to be released through Columbia. Buck was paid $300 a week where he'd been making $3,000 a week at the close of his silent career. He eventually repaid every dime he owed. In MEN WITHOUT LAW, the third in the series, Buck returns from WWI to find the sister (Carmelita Geraghty --- real life daughter of noted screenwriter Tom Geraghty) of his friend who was killed in the war kidnapped by an outlaw gang (Harry Woods and cohorts) with whom Buck's young, naive brother (Tommy Carr --- later a noted screen director) is running. The film includes a familiar sight that Jones fans loved --- and still do: Buck astride Silver, standing still on a hill or open field with Buck twisted slightly sideways in the saddle gazing intently into the horizon as he thinks about what to do next. Born into the business, Carmelita Geraghty (1901-1966) started as a continuity clerk until a director put her before the cameras in 1922 much to her father's chagrin. Her last film was PHANTOM OF SANTA FE in 1937 after she married MGM film writer/producer Carey Wilson.

 ARIZONA TRAILS (1935 Superior/Art Mix Prod.)
Young Wallace Pindell gets into deep trouble when he gambles away $1,000 he doesn't have. After threatening to tell the kid's father, the gambler (Tom Camden --- who also wrote the story) is bushwhacked and killed. The kid is blamed and it takes former silent star Bill Patton (complete with eye makeup!) in his only starring talkie (watch and you'll see why) and his saddlepal Art Mix (producer Victor Adamson under his screen name) to find the real killer. Relentlessly dull with woeful direction from Al(an) James who could certainly do better when he had a budget and 'actors' who could actually perform.

 APACHE UPRISING (1966 PARAMOUNT)
The best of the A. C. Lyles produced B+ all star westerns of the '60s, a so-called last gasp to the glory days. In the middle of hostile Apache country, crooked Butterfield stageline businessman Robert H. Harris and cunning badman (especially effective) John Russell with his two cohorts --- DeForest Kelly (fabulous to watch as a paranoid crazy killer) and Gene Evans --- are thwarted by Rory Calhoun and sidekick Arthur Hunnicutt in their plans to rob a relay station. Great supporting cast: a very portly Johnny Mack Brown as a lecherous sheriff hot to trot with lady of ill repute Corinne Calvet, Army Capt. Richard Arlen, stage agent George Chandler, old lady busybody Jean Parker, Indian scout Rodd Redwing, townsman Dan White, talkative bartender Don Barry and Army sergeant Roy Jenson. Stuntman Reg Parton doubles Calhoun and plays a small role.

 BRANDED MEN (1931 Tiffany)
Rod (Ken Maynard), Ramrod (Irving Bacon) and Half-a-Rod (Billy Bletcher) become Sheriffs in tandem as Ken promises his new love (June Clyde) he'll save her weak willed brother (Donald Keith) from the clutches of crooked gambler (Hooper Atchley) and his henchman Charlie King. This is another one of an elite group of B-westerns where a sidekick dies (you'll have to watch to see which one). Others with this unusual aspect include HOPALONG CASSIDY ENTERS, GOD'S COUNTRY AND THE MAN, BRANDED A COWARD and OKLAHOMA FRONTIER. BRANDED MEN contains one very brutal scene of Charlie King whipping Ken's horse, Tarzan, with a quirt. Rest assured Tarzan exacts his revenge. Diminutive Billy Bletcher was the 'voice' of the Lone Ranger in the 1938 Republic serial.

 LAWLESS RANGE (1935 Republic)
Amidst the Alabama Hills of Lone Pine, there's non-stop action as John Wayne comes to help his Dad's old friend, Uncle Hank (Wally Howe) and finds him missing. Undercover, John helps the Uncle's niece, Sheila Manners (aka Bromley, Mannors) and the other ranchers in their fight against banker Frank McGlynn Jr. and his outlaws (Yakima Canutt, Glenn Strange, Slim Whitaker, etc.) who are trying to drive them out for the gold they know is on their land. John 'sings' two songs in this one --- actually performed by Jack Kirk who, with his group, The Wranglers (Kirk, Strange, Charley Sargent and Chuck Baldra), sing one other song. Kirk also appears as one of the outlaws. One of the songs, a mournful one about an outlaw 'drinkin' his drinks with the dead' is the same song used in RIDERS OF DESTINY ('33), the one and only Singin' Sandy Wayne western. Obviously, director Robert N. Bradbury (Bob Steele's pop) liked the idea and reused it here, again with Wayne riding alone across the desert. Previously, though, the song was warbled by Bradbury's son, Bill.

 COWBOY HOLIDAY (1934 Beacon)
Watching Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as the hero of a B-western is a little like watching a loveable country bumpkin sidekick in the lead. Big, as he was referred to by Will Rogers and other polo playing friends, was physically better suited to saddle pard roles (opposite Roy Rogers, Rod Cameron etc.) and character roles. Although Big had starred in a few late silents, the reasons stated are no doubt why he didn't star in but six lowbudget talkies. For this lesser entry, falsely accused of a murder by leading lady Janet Chandler, Big has to track down the real killer, Dick Alexander, masquerading as the Juarez Kid (Julian Rivero) who is really an old pard of Big's. Partly filmed around Lone Pine, CA. Whenever a kind elderly gent was needed, it was more often than not either John Elliott, Lafe McKee, Frank LaRue or, later, Steve Clark. In this one, Elliott (1876-1950) is Big's longtime Sheriff friend. Directed by Bob Hill and written by him as well under his Roc Hawke alias.

 BORDERTOWN TRAIL (1944 Republic)
A few unscrupulous men opposing annexation of Texas to the U.S. employed nefarious methods to influence the election. Smuggling contraband across the long, loosely patrolled border was one of them. Texas border patrol agents Smiley Burnette and Sunset Carson battle a criminal organization led by Addison Richards who, along with Weldon Heyburn and his gang (Jack Kirk, John James), attempt to smuggle half a million dollars in gold into Texas where it will be used to buy votes. Bob Williams and Jesse Duffy's screenplay has some unusually cruel and vicious scenes for a B-western. On the other hand, there's some unusually silly scenes between Sgt. Rex Lease and old maidish Ellen Lowe. Republic must not have liked the tenor of Jack Luden's voice as Lt. Carson (Sunset's brother) because it's dubbed for every scene he's in by a deeper more resonate voice. It was the only Republic film Luden ever appeared in. One time silent star Neal Hart has a bit role as one of the outlaws.

 BENEATH WESTERN SKIES (1944 Republic)
School teacher Effie Laird is infuriated by the way toughs LeRoy Mason, Kenne Duncan, Bud Geary and Frank Jacquet are terrorizing the town. When one of Effie's old pupils, John Paul Revere (Bob Livingston), arrives, she and Revere's old schoolmate Smiley Burnette appeal to him for help in cleaning up the outlaw element. He's doing fine until a whack on the head gives Johnny a severe case of amnesia and the outlaws convince him he's one of their gang! This was the fourth and final film in the four film John Paul Revere series that started out with Eddie Dew and switched to Livingston after two with Dew. My God! As if Smiley Burnette as Frog Millhouse weren't enuf, here we have Joe Strauch Jr. as Tadpole (as he was in the Gene Autry features) and --- enough already --- a dummy called Toad dressed just like Frog and Tadpole!! But with a very mean look.

 DALTONS RIDE AGAIN (1945 Universal)
This is strictly B-western land grab stuff in typically inaccurate historical A-western clothing as the Dalton brothers, Emmett (Alan Curtis), Bob (Kent Taylor), Grat (Lon Chaney Jr.) and Ben (Noah Beery Jr.) try to go straight heading for the Argentine but getting involved in saving the old homestead for the daughter of the newspaper publisher Martha O'Driscoll (whom Emmett falls for) and Virginia Brissac, the widow of an old friend of their father's. Then the real badmen of this piece, Thomas Gomez, Walter Sande and Milburn Stone, blame their crimes on the Daltons --- you see they're really the good guys here. Or are they? Towards the end, the plot takes a jarring 'we-need-some-reality-here' left turn as the Daltons decide to hold up a bank in Coffeyville and are killed (except Emmett) making the film, as a whole, totally unsatisfying. You can't have it both ways!

 JESSE JAMES VS. THE DALTONS (1954 Columbia)
Pure historical hokum as the "son" of Jesse James (Brett King) meets up with the Dalton Gang (James Griffith, John Cliff, William Phipps, William Tannen) in his search for his father whom he believes is still alive-and-$100,000 in hidden loot. It all culminates in Coffeyville with the famous double bank robbery, as all Dalton movies must. Originally filmed for 3-D so some of the 'at the audience' shots look odd in 2-D. Director William Castle started in 1937 but didn't gain prominence until the late '50s with his horror exploitation flicks such as HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, 13 GHOSTS and THE TINGLER. Meantime, he directed more westerns than one usually imagines, 13, including FORT TI, LAW VS BILLY THE KID and MASTERSON OF KANSAS.

 FRONTIER TOWN (1937 Grand National)
For whatever reason, there never was a good B-western with a rodeo background and this is no exception as rodeo rider Tex Ritter and his silly-billy pals Horace Murphy and Snub Pollard round up some crooked gamblers and counterfeiters (Karl Hackett, Charlie King, Lynton Brent) and help leading lady Ann Evers' kid brother Don Marion get clear of these thieves. Murphy and Pollard would never make anybody's Top 10 list of sidekicks but they're even goofier, wimpier and harder to stomach than usual in this one. Underdeveloped plot points, boring rodeo footage and pedestrian direction from Ray Taylor bring this one down with Tex's "Streets of Laredo" being the high point. Jimmy Wakely's Saddle Pals back up Tex on a couple of songs but Gus Peterson's camera work is so bad you can't even see the group.

 BILLY THE KID TRAPPED (1942 PRC)
It's a frame up as three outlaws (Budd Buster, Wally West, Kenne Duncan) dressed like Billy the Kid (Buster Crabbe), Fuzzy (Al St. John) and Jeff Walker (Bud McTaggart) commit a series of robberies and murders. The brains behind the masqueraders are Glenn Strange, Jack Ingram and Milt Kibbee. In her first role, a young, stiff inexperienced Anne Jeffreys is the ingenue. The 'trio of heroes' in the Billy the Kid films began with the six Bob Steele made in '40-'41 with Carleton Young usually playing Jeff (except for one fill-in by Rex Lease). The idea was continued for the next six when Crabbe took over the role with Dave O'Brien playing Jeff in four of those. Carleton Young filled in on one as did McTaggart for this entry. After the first six with Crabbe, PRC unceremoniously dropped the trio idea leaving all the heroics to Buster and Fuzzy.

 TWO FISTED STRANGER (1946 Columbia)
The black-masked mystery man of the plains, the Durango Kid, breaks up a gang of range ravagers (Lane Chandler, Ted Mapes, Herman Hack, George Chesebro) who salt Davison Clark's ranch with diamonds in order to sell phony shares in a diamond mine. Leading lady Doris Houck is completely unnecessary except for Chandler to hold hostage at the end. Badman Mapes did double duty --- literally --- he's Starrett's Durango double also. Musical guest Zeke Clements (1911-1994) had been with WLS, Chicago, WSM, Nashville and the Hollywood Barn Dance before answering a call from Walt Disney to be the voice of Bashful in SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS in '37. This was his only western. He sings two good 'uns --- "You're Free Again" and "Will You Meet Me Little Darlin'". At only 50 minutes, this is the shortest Durango Kid feature made, and the only one scripted by Robert Lee Johnson who'd earlier written three of the Elliott/Ritter series including the excellent DEVIL'S TRAIL.

 GUN JUSTICE (1933 Universal)
Wonderful Universal horror elements at the start as rancher Ed Coxen is murdered in an old dark house during a ferocious storm. Coxen's will leaves his property to his nephew, Ken Maynard, and his adopted daughter, Cecilia Parker --- if Ken can make a go of the property for a year. Otherwise, it reverts to tricky Hooper Atchley and Walter Miller. After the reading of the will, Atchley brings in a phony nephew (Fred McKaye) to impersonate Ken who has not been in the Valley for several years. This is one of Maynard's own productions for Universal but not up to par with FIDDLIN' BUCKAROO, TRAIL DRIVE, STRAWBERRY ROAN, the best in the series. Bit of a quick, weak resolution as Sheriff Jack Richardson, not Maynard, actually guns down Atchley at the end.

 THUNDER RIVER FEUD (1942 Monogram)
It's a merry mix-up as the Range Busters, in order to become acquainted with ranch owner Jan Wiley, switch identities and become involved in the age old Harrison (Wiley and father, Jack M. Holmes)-Pembroke (Carleton Young and father, Rick Anderson) feud which is really being caused by George Chesebro, Ted Mapes, Carl Mathews and their crew. Crash Corrigan becomes an eastern dude book writer while John 'Dusty' King masquerades as Crash. Max 'Alibi' Terhune is the steadying influence in this one. Bit different concept with some witty exchanges from scripter Earle Snell. Bit light in the action department til the finale. Nevertheless, a prime example of what made the Range Busters a successful series at Monogram for 24 films. Listen closely --- to save a buck, Crash is the unseen rodeo announcer in the first scene.

 LIGHTNING BILL (1934 Superior)
Barrel scraping B-western from director Victor Adamson (aka Denver Dixon as well as at times Art Mix, Al Mix, Art James). After outlaw Bud Osborne kills rancher Lafe McKee, he spends the rest of the film trying to find the money old Lafe hid before he was murdered. Lafe's brother Bill McCall and his daughter Alma Rayford (her only other film was LAW AND LAWLESS with Jack Hoxie) take over the ranch and elicit the help of two wandering cowpokes, Buffalo Bill Jr. and always hungry Nelson McDowell. Not only does B-western regular Robert McKenzie appear, so does his wife Eva McKenzie (as the ranch cook). They're the real life parents of Fay McKenzie who became a well known B-western leading lady. Somebody couldn't spell --- the title card reads 'Lighting Bill'.

 FINGER ON THE TRIGGER (1965 Allied Artists)
Boring spaghetti oater filmed in Spain. The Civil War over, a band of Union soldiers led by Rory Calhoun are forced to join forces with a group of diehard Confederate soldiers (led by James Philbrook) to fight a common enemy, the Indians. But first there's reels and reels of postulating over some hidden rebel gold. Uprooted American producer Sidney Pink also took on scripting and directing chores for this waste of celluloid. Your finger will be on the trigger alright --- of the fast forward button.

 HAUNTED TRAILS (1949 Monogram)
Without a doubt the best of Whip Wilson's B-westerns as he sets out on the revenge trail to track down the five bank bandits who killed his brother in a hold-up --- Carl Mathews, Lee Roberts, Myron Healey, I. Stanford Jolley and Dennis Moore. Whip enlists the aid of grizzled old outlaw Andy Clyde and gets involved in saving Reno Browne and Mary Gordon's ranch from slick banker William Ruhl. Grand opera voice trained, Whip briefly sings acapella and uses his bullwhip three times --- once on a rattlesnake to save Clyde and once to spectacularly come crashing through a storefront window. This is a remake of Jack Randall's MEXICALI KID ('38).

 LONE STAR LAW MEN (1941 Monogram)
When bandits terrorize border towns, the government sends in Marshal Gene Alsace (later Rocky Camron) whom the outlaws bushwhack. Alsace is saved by Tom Keene and his saddle-kick Frank Yaconelli. To confuse the crooks (Charlie King, Stanley Price, Reed Howes and Sherry Tansey), Tom has himself appointed a Sheriff who the gang thinks is working with them. Secretly, Tom enlists the aid of expert horsewoman Betty Miles and her sister, pint-sized Sugar Dawn, to roundup the gang. Typical with director Bob Tansey, the windup is an all-over-town gunbattle showdown backed by exciting Frank Sanucci music. Production manager Fred Hoose does double duty as he also plays Marshal James in the first scene. There's one unbelievable scene where Tom, Betty and Sugar ride hell bent for leather to catch Yaconelli on a runaway bicycle. 'T'ain't funny McGee!' It was style that made Keene a larger than life B-western hero during his Monogram years. That broad confident grin, his sassy self-assured attitude, the backwards gunbelt, the fearless bravado swagger and snap-fire gunplay were all a part of his unlike-any-other-cowboy-star demeanor.

 GUN PLAY (aka LUCKY BOOTS) (1935 Beacon)
Unique plot as the secret to a Mexican revolutionary leader's hidden treasure is concealed in a pair of boots which Big Boy Williams comes across in strange fashion. Big and his pal, Frank Yaconelli, are working on just-come-west-easterners Marion Shilling and her brother Wally Wales' ranch. The treasure, hidden on their ranch is sought by crooked lawyer Tom London and his henchie, Roger Williams --- via the boots. Interesting is Big Boy's 'singing' of "Home On the Range". Not sure if they were parodying singing cowboys or --- they certainly weren't trying to outdo Autry, not with Big's voice! Early on, a shot of a head-on horse fall is quite obviously stock footage and not Frank Yaconelli.

 LOSER'S END (1935 Reliable)
Typical of the "you mean its only half over?" B. B. Ray/Harry S. Webb school of poverty row westerns. Rambling, unfocused, meagerly plotted (William Gould smuggling contraband) Jack Perrin western with plenty of action but of the badly staged, push and shove variety. Typically unimaginative photography from J. Henry Kruse (who worked a lot for Ray and Webb) and static direction from Ray himself. Too much nonsense with potbellied sidekick Frank Rice, forlorn-faced Fern Emmett and wise-acre blonde Rosemary Joy (in her only film, thank God!). There are even references to Sherlock Holmes and Amos and Andy so we must assume this takes place in the 'modern day' west.

 RIDERS OF THE LONE STAR (1947 Columbia)
Old outlaw Dusty Morton hid his loot from a stagecoach robbery in an abandoned mine which is about to be reopened. The key to where it's hidden lies with young Mike (Mark Dennis), Dusty's son, who believes his long gone father is still alive and wasn't really an owlhoot. Meanwhile, an outlaw gang (Ted Mapes, Ed Cobb, Lane Bradford, Peter Perkins) led by a rifle toting masked outlaw (Steve Darrell) with the ability to fire a rifle from his hip, is after the hidden loot --- but they're foiled at every turn by Charles Starrett, the Durango Kid. In the showdown, Mike's father (George Chesebro, in one of his best roles) shows his true colors and saves Mike from certain death. Solid and different story but lighter on action than usual plus there's too much of magician Smiley Burnette's idiocy while the musical group, Curly Williams and his Georgia Peach Pickers, is weak. The tradepaper, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, reported in late '46 this was to be the last Durango Kid, but fortunately the series was given a reprieve and continued for five more years.

 GUNNERS AND GUNS (aka RACKETEER ROUND-UP) (1935 Beaumont)
A real dog. This tiresome, actionless affair was first released as RACKETEER ROUND-UP by Aywon in 1934. The 'producers' managed to pawn it off a year later on Mitchell Leichter's newly established Beaumont Pictures who added seven minutes of new footage featuring the horse, Black King. Listed as 'supervisor' is onetime silent serial star, Charles Hutchinson, known as Daredevil Hutch because of his reckless action sequences. At any rate, the added footage was no remedy and the film helped sink Beaumont (after four nearly as poor Conway Tearle cowboy epics) within less than a year. For the record, Edmund Cobb (billed as Edward Cobb) is the male lead and Edna Aselin (who never rose above bargain basement flicks) is the femme lead.

 REPRISAL (1956 Columbia)
Torn between his red blood and his white blood, Guy Madison tries to pass for white and own land in a bigoted cowtown. Madison finally finds his way 'as a man' --- neither red nor white --- in this often overlooked, fine Technicolor A that makes a strong indictment against racial prejudice. Directed by former B-helmer, George Sherman. One of the contributing screenwriters is David Dortort, later creator of TV's BONANZA and HIGH CHAPARRAL. The story is based on a novel set in the American South of the '50s, with Indians substituted for Negroes and the time period altered. Good Old Tucson and Arizona photography from Henry Freulich which, unfortunately, contains some 3-D effects which only look silly in 2-D on TV. Most of the stunts were done by Republic alumni Eddie Parker and Ken Terrell. Madison's younger brother, Wayne Mallory, is one of the heavies.

 HILLS OF OLD WYOMING (1937 Paramount)
This was the first Hopalong Cassidy film for Russell Hayden as Lucky, taking over from Jimmy Ellison after nine films (actually 8 for Ellison, he wasn't in HOPALONG CASSIDY RETURNS) and director Nate Watt gives he (and George Hayes as Windy) plenty of screen time at the start of the film (15 minutes) to establish his character before Hoppy ever comes on screen. Hayden filled in the role perhaps even better than had Ellison and remained for four years and 27 consecutive films. The plot is a simple one, deputy Indian Agent Stephen Morris (later Morris Ankrum) and his gang (George Chesebro chief among them) are rustling cattle from Hoppy and his pals' Bar 3 Ranch and blaming it on the Indians. The story is strongly sympathetic to the Indians, in fact Chief Big Tree and his braves assist Hoppy in the roundup at the end. This is another Cassidy film with a slow buildup, lots of character development and a rousing finale. An unidentified choral group sings the title song midway through the film. It's an odd moment that doesn't quite seem to fit.

 GUNPLAY (1951 RKO)
Working for rancher Joan Dixon, Tim Holt and Chito (Richard Martin) aid a young boy (Harper Carter) whose father (Robert Bice) has been brutally hung by Bob Wilke, Marshall Reed and Leo McMahon under orders from crooked banker Mauritz Hugo who swindled Bice years ago in Arizona City. Several implausible events that follow and a weak ending keep this from being one of Holt's better efforts.

 PRAIRIE SCHOONERS (1940 Columbia)
The peaceable man, Wild Bill Elliott, comes to the assistance of farmers (Bob Burns, Evelyn Young, Dub Taylor, etc.) in battling banker Kenneth Harlan and profiteer Ray Teal who are taking advantage of a drought in Kansas to stage a land grab. Wild Bill leads the pioneers 1,000 miles on a wagon train to Colorado, fraught with floods, Indian raids and a heap more dangers. The film suffers from a weak ending. Watch for Indian sports star Jim Thorpe as Chief of the Pawnees. The familiar, oft used scene of Indians crossing the Wind River (from Tim McCoy's WAR PAINT '26) turns up again here for the umpteenth time. Director Sam Nelson helmed about 20 B-westerns at Columbia with Charles Starrett and Bill Elliott before he became a first assistant on A films such as A WALK IN THE SUN, DOOLINS OF OKLAHOMA and WALKING HILLS. Following the Great Depression, there was an anti-banker trend in the hinterlands of the U.S. and B-westerns, appealing to those who'd been hurt when the banks failed, traded on that theme quite often as in PRAIRIE SCHOONERS where banker Harlan goes to any length to cheat honest homesteaders.

 A DEMON FOR TROUBLE (1934 Supreme)
Walter McGrail buys a ranch from Gloria Shea and her brother Nick Stuart, then kills Stuart to regain the money blaming it on Texas drifter Bob Steele. Terrific fight and stunt sequence midway. Great use of Lone Pine locations, including the 'Hoppy cabin'. Canadian born (1896) director Bob Hill began working in 1919 with THE GREAT RADIUM MYSTERY serial. He was also active as a screenwriter, often under aliases such as Rock Hawley. It's been said a problem with alcohol toppled this simple but competent director from studios like Universal and RKO in the early '30s to independent fare at Victory, Colony, Spectrum etc. in the mid '30s. In the late '30s he seemed to find a home at Monogram until 1941, when at only 45, he left film work. He died in 1966.

 WANDERER OF THE WASTELAND (1945 RKO)
A winning Zane Grey-based story of murder, revenge and love is James Warren's first of three RKO westerns replacing Robert Mitchum (who replaced Tim Holt --- who returned from the war and replaced Warren). It's a strong story well told with an unusual ending but the lack of physical action holds it back from being even better. Richard Martin (in his first as Chito) is Warren's sidekick. We even get a chance to meet Chito's Irish father (Harry Brown) and Mexican mother (Minerva Urecal). Also with Harry Woods, Audrey Long, Robert Barrat, Robert Clarke, Harry McKim (Warren as a child) and Tommy Cook (Martin as a child). Watch for Myrna Dell in a bit as a girl on the street meeting with Chito.

 BRIMSTONE (1949 Republic)
Rod Cameron stars but it's Walter Brennan's show all the way as grizzled old Brimstone Courteen, outlaw father of three sons --- favored and eldest Jim Davis, dimwitted Jack Lambert and youngest and most honest James Brown, in love with settler Adrian Booth. Brennan creates one of the most memorable badmen in western screen history, even meaner and nastier than he was in MY DARLING CLEMENTINE. (Brennan seemed to have the copyright on the outlaw patriarch role.) BRIMSTONE is terribly well written by Thames Williamson (from a Norman S. Hall story) with subtle nuances added to the script not usually found in a routine western. Veteran Joe Kane directs as Marshal Rod Cameron appears in the renegade plagued community masquerading as an outlaw 'Ghost' himself, stealing from Brimstone's gang right after they've just pulled a job. Naturally, it's just a ploy to track down the inside man who turns out to be crooked Sheriff Forrest Tucker. Tucker's deputy, Big Boy Williams, is charged with the titular role of 'comic relief' primarily relying on his hunger as many 'sidekicks' often did. Of the veterans in the cast, Jack Holt as a Marshal is wasted but Hal Taliaferro (Wally Wales) fares better as a later cohort of Brennan's. Medium budget, color 90 minute westerns like this were A films in Oklahoma but relegated to B's in New York and Boston.

 SPOOK TOWN (1944 PRC)
One of the best of the Dave O'Brien/James Newill/Guy Wilkerson Texas Rangers series with a good mystery villain, a ghost town, gunplay (including a joust-like gun duel on horseback in the streets of ghost town), fistfights and plenty of hard riding action. The Rangers are fired after they lose a strong box filled with cash borrowed from businessman Robert Barron which was to be used to build a dam in the valley. The Rangers have to tangle with Charlie King, John Cason and Dick Alexander to retrieve the money. Also with Dick Curtis, Mady Lawrence, Harry Harvey, Ed Cassidy, John Elliott. Dick Curtis must have been hungry in 1944, this is the only time the former resident Columbia badman slipped to the ranks of PRC for a western.

 ROLLING DOWN THE GREAT DIVIDE (1942 PRC)
With WWII, there's a stepped up demand for horses for the U.S. Cavalry on the march alongside of modern tanks and trucks. But with that demand comes the renewed activities of those jackals of the plains --- horse thieves. As the Frontier Marshals (Lee Powell, Bill Boyd and Art Davis) investigate, there's a lot of prolonged stuff about a short wave set in a traveling recording studio operated by the rustlers (Glenn Strange, Jack Ingram, Ted Adams, George Chesebro, Dennis Moore). Some interesting ideas that aren't very well executed and, even with a fair amount of action, the film seems to drag on and on under Peter Stewart's (aka Sam Newfield) mundane direction. Even by PRC standards, the Frontier Marshals series seems cheap, especially with the sound recording where things like gunfights, hoofbeats, fistfights and even songs sound extremely tinny. Oddly, for westerns, Boyd and Davis' songs tend to be more country than western --- but hey, that's what type of singers and musicians they really were. For more on patriotic war-themed B-westerns see ARIZONA GANGBUSTERS.

 THE OKLAHOMAN (1957 Allied Artists)
Doctor Joel McCrea settles in a small western town after his wife dies giving birth on the trail. Over the ensuing years he makes enemies of the town toughs (Brad Dexter, Douglas Dick, Sheb Wooley) while protecting Indian Michael Pate and his daughter Gloria Talbott (who fawns over McCrea like a school girl even though McCrea's attentions are obviously for widow Barbara Hale). Basically, it's a B-western land grab (oil on Indian land) plot dressed up with A-western racial and sexual overtones. Bit slow but interesting for smaller parts fleshed out by Harry Lauter, John Pickard, I. Stanford Jolley, Kermit Maynard, Anthony Caruso, Ray Teal, Earle Hodgins and Verna Felton. No vigor instilled from director Francis D. Lyon.

 SONG OF TEXAS (1943 Republic)
Nice blend of thrilling wagon races, fires, romance, horse stampedes, Mexican fiestas, and great songs ("Mexicali Rose", "Cielito Lindo", "Rainbow Over the Range") all well handled by director Joe Kane. Oft used plot of a down-on-his-luck old-timer (Harry Shannon) who lets his eastern daughter (Sheila Ryan) think he's a big ranch owner. When she heads west, Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers help him by letting her think the ranch is half his. Trouble comes when Ryan 'sells' her Dad's 'half' of the ranch he really doesn't own to Roy's bitterest enemy, Barton MacLane. In the first scenes, Roy puts Trigger through his tricks at a children's hospital. Leading lady Sheila Ryan was later married to Pat Buttram, Gene Autry's latter day sidekick.

 BILLY THE KID IN SANTA FE (1941 PRC)
A remake, sometimes line for line, of Tim McCoy's LIGHTNIN' BILL CARSON ('36). Arthur Durlan wrote the original story for the McCoy on which Joseph O'Donnell was story editor, here credited with the screenplay. Bob (Billy the Kid) Steele and his saddle pards, Fuzzy St. John and Rex Lease (as Jeff), come to Santa Fe to clean up the outlaw element. Believing crooked gambler Dave O'Brien guilty of the murder of a deputy, a posse wrongfully hangs O'Brien before Steele discovers the real killers are Charlie King and Karl Hackett. Things get sticky for Steele when O'Brien's brother, quiet bookworm Dennis Moore, begins to exact revenge on each member of the illegal posse. The characters here are certainly not as fully developed as in the McCoy version, nevertheless, story wise, it's a notch above much other PRC product. Note that Rex Lease is in both films, playing completely different characters. In the former he had the pivotal crooked gambler role played here by Dave O'Brien. Cowboy cancer alert --- Fuzzy St. John smokes a cigarette early in the film.

 BORDER LAW (1931 Columbia)
Texas Ranger Buck Jones (and his pal Frank Rice) head south of the border to avenge the bank robbery murder of Buck's ranger brother (Don Chapman) at the hands of outlaw James Mason. (No relation to the '50s English actor.) Meanwhile, Buck romances pretty dancing senorita Lupita Tovar. Buck has a noteworthy stripped-to-the-waist barroom brawl with brawny Spanish actor Louis (aka Luis) Hickus, whose only English speaking film this is. Remade by Columbia in 1934 as FIGHTING RANGER with Buck and Frank Rice retaining their screen names of Jim Houston and Thunder. There are also elements of the story in Bob Allen's RIO GRANDE RANGER (Columbia '37).

 TRAIL DRIVE (1933 Universal)
It's a slow buildup as Honest John (William Gould) and his gang (Al Bridge, Hank Bell, Wally Wales, Bob Kortman) hatch an elaborate plan to swindle Texas cattlemen. But hold on-at the 36 minute mark all hell breaks loose with 20 minutes of continuous wild action and harrowing stunts to the end as Ken Maynard fights the whole gang. In the midst of the film, Ken manages to make love to Cecilia Parker, pluck his banjo and sing a song in his usual nasal tone. One of the best looking Maynard westerns of the period, written and directed by Alan James. Maynard seemed to be enjoying his free production reins at Universal and many of his films (STRAWBERRY ROAN, FIDDLIN' BUCKAROO, WHEELS OF DESTINY) harken back and are as good as his silent epics. Former silent star Bob Reeves has an (unbilled) small but material part as a New Mexico lawman near the end.

 COURTIN' TROUBLE (1948 Monogram)
Routine, mediocre later Jimmy Wakely B as the singing cowboy and his pal, peddler Dub Taylor, bring saloon boss Leonard Penn and his range rats (Marshall Reed, Boyd Stockman, House Peters Jr., Bob Woodward) to justice after they frame rancher Steve Clark for the murder of attorney Virginia Belmont's father, Judge Frank LaRue. Stuntman/actor Stockman is not only one of the heavies but doubles for Jimmy in fight scenes.

 CALIFORNIA (1963 American International)
Uninvolving early California western. Not up to Jock Mahoney's abilities with very little stuntwork so associated with Jocko. One fistfight and one dull sword duel. Made in the period when he was moving from stuntwork to pure acting. Allegedly based on the 1946 Ray Milland film of the same name, this programmer bears little resemblence to it unless you consider the idea that the people of California want to break free of Mexico and join the Union --- but that conception is true of nearly all early California based titles. With Michael Pate, Faith Domergue.

 TWILIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE (1944 Universal)
Silly and simple plotline, of some New Yorker radio cowboys (Johnny Downs, Jack Teagarden, Jimmy Dodd, Connie Haines, Eddie Quillan) headed west to make a shoot 'em up (for Mammoth studio producer Milburn Stone and director Dennis Moore) but becoming stranded on Leon Errol and Vivian Austin's Texas cattle ranch, is nothing but an excuse for a dozen forgettable songs. Highlight is Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage (unidentified except in the credits) singing "No Letter Today".

 LAST OF THE WARRENS (1936 Supreme)
Opening with stock footage of WWI, wounded in action pilot Bob Steele returns home to find his father (Charles French) and his girlfriend (Margaret Marquis) have believed him dead for over a year even though Bob wrote to them. His letters have been held by sneaky postmaster Charlie King who is in love (or lust) with Marquis and has rustled all of French's cattle. When Bob returns, Charlie brings his nefarious plans out in the open. This is no routine Bob Steele, with director Robert North Bradbury's (Bob's real life Pop) script and direction taking several unique plot twists. Squinty Oklahoma badman Blackie Whiteford (1889-1956) has one of the best roles of his long career.

 MAN FROM TUMBLEWEEDS (1940 Columbia)
The law comes to Gunsight when 'peaceable man' Wild Bill Elliott is sent by Governor Don Beddoe to clean out Ray Bennett and his outlaw gang (Francis Walker, Richard Fiske). Bennett has just killed spunky Iris Meredith's father (Edward Le Saint) when Dub 'Cannonball' Taylor sends for his old pal, Wild Bill, who, with the Governor's help, brings along Al Hill, Ernie Adams and other pardoned prison inmates to act as state rangers. The idea had been mined before, but the beauty here is in the execution by director 'Wagon Wheel' Joe Lewis (who, true to his nickname, begins the first shot in the movie through wagon wheel spokes). Inventive camera angles, not a wasted frame and action packed from the git-go. Tough, lean and mean, this is the stuff the best Elliott B's were cut from.

 RIO RATTLER (1935 Reliable)
After Tom Tyler's new friend, Marshal Tom London, is brutally killed from ambush, Tom and his saddle pal, New Yorker Eddie Gribbon, ride into Rio where Tom is mistaken for the new Marshal (who weirdly switches to being called a Ranger midway through the movie). Tom lets the town believe he is the Marshal so he may catch London's killers (Slim 'Rattler' Whitaker in cahoots with banker William Gould) but complications set in when London's sister (Marion Shilling) arrives in Rio. Reliable-ly cheap but several notches above the average for producer/director B. B. Ray (working under the pseudonym Franklin Shamray --- maybe he used that name when he did better work.) Much of the plot line was reused in Whip Wilson's CRASHING THRU ('49).

 BADMAN FROM RED BUTTE (1940 Universal)
Two Johnny Mack Browns for the price of one. Twin brothers --- one good, one bad. The problem arises when the town believes the good Brown is the outlaw Brown. When the outlaw Brown is killed by the town gang (Norman Willis, Earle Hodgins, Roy Barcroft) the good Brown helps elect his singing lawyer pal, Bob Baker, justice of the peace as they bring gun law and fisticuff order to the town. Anne Gwynne's the girl and Texas Jim Lewis (1909-1990) and his Lone Star Cowboys provide some music. This was Lewis' second film after appearing in CAROLINA MOON with Gene Autry. He and his group went on to make three with Charles Starrett. Lewis made his home in Seattle after 1950, hosting SAFETY JUNCTION, a popular children's TV show. His "Squaws Along the Yukon" in '44 was later a big hit for Hank Thompson in '58.

 RAIDERS OF SUNSET PASS (1943 Republic)
Eddie Dew was Republic's only failed cowboy star. He'd been around Republic playing bit parts for five years in serials and features when Herbert J. Yates elevated him to stardom for the newly created John Paul Revere series. Smiley Burnette, at liberty due to Gene Autry in the service, was partnered with Dew for marquee value. The pairing simply didn't click and Dew just wasn't strong enough to carry the lead. He left (or was let go) after only two films (this was the second) and wound up a year later playing second fiddle to Rod Cameron. (Sunset Carson was waiting in the wings at Republic.) Dew later fashioned a decent career as a pedestrian director (SGT. PRESTON OF THE YUKON and many religious TVers). Bob Livingston finished out the failed John Paul Revere series. RAIDERS ... has an intriguing WWII theme: ranchers use Jennifer Holt and other cowgirls to round up the dogies and fight rustlers Le Roy Mason and Roy Barcroft during the manpower shortage. They're termed WAPS, Women's Army of the Plains. Among the ladies is Maxine Doyle, director William Witney's actress wife.

 TWO GUN SHERIFF (1941 Republic)
Nearly every B-western star essayed at least one dual role. Don Barry did it more than once. He proves his versatility and ability here, looking and acting quite creditable (and different) in both the good and bad brother roles. Actually, the bad brother, the Sundown Kid, receives the lion's share of screen time as he joins and breaks up a secret gang of cattle rustlers run by Jay Novello and Fred Kohler Jr. who kidnap good brother Barry, a sheriff, and replace him with his outlaw twin. In two roles, Barry gets two leading ladies to contend with, Lynn Merrick (often his co-star) and Mexican actress Lupita Tovar. Credit director George Sherman with another top-drawer B. Cowboy cancer alert --- as the Sundown Kid, Don smokes cigarettes. Republic must have liked the Sundown Kid moniker, as they used it for the title of another Barry western a year later, with no relation to this film.

 RUSTLERS OF DEVIL'S CANYON (1947 Republic)
Following the Spanish-American War, there's gun trouble when nesters plan to settle in Lava Basin, a haven for rustlers (led by Pierce Lyden), against Red Ryder's (Allan Lane) warnings. The nesters are led by 'unreasonable filly' Peggy Stewart and the rustlers' leading citizen boss is, no surprise to B-western watchers, the seemingly kindly doctor (well played by Arthur Space). This one is an action lover's delight! Note: Watch for the Harding Transportation sign left over from Sunset Carson's RIO GRANDE RAIDERS ('46).

 FIGHTING GRINGO (1939 RKO)
There really isn't a 'bad' George O'Brien among the RKOs he made, it's just that this plot-heavy entry isn't quite up to par with some of the others. Gunfighting troubleshooters George O'Brien and his pals (Slim Whitaker, Cactus Mack and about nine others) save the rancho for Lupita Tovar and her father, Lucio Villegar, from land grant land grabbers William Royle, Glenn Strange and Le Roy Mason. This was former minor-league cowboy star Bill Cody's last decent role (as the gray-templed sheriff). On the other hand, watch for a quite young Ben Johnson as a Mexican in the cantina. This is certainly one of his very earliest roles ... he was probably involved in the stuntwork for this title also.

 GAY CAVALIER (1946 Monogram)
There's more style and character than action in this first Gilbert Roland Cisco Kid western as the dashing Roland solidly establishes himself as the colorful, romantic rogue who would rather make love to Ramsay Ames than fight. But he's prompted to action when Americanos Tris Coffin and John Merton steal the money designated to build a church and lay the blame on Cisco. Ends with a rousing good sword fight between Coffin and Cisco. Roland's guerrilla band does little else in the Roland Ciscos but sing, "Ride Amigos, ride ..." the song is similar to the theme for the ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION serial ('39). No wonder --- Eddie Cherkose wrote both of them. The male chorus belting it out is 'too good' and 'too Anglo' to be taken seriously.

 RETURN OF THE LASH (1947 PRC)
Lash LaRue and Fuzzy St. John come to the aid of ranchers Mary Maynard and brother Brad Slaven to round up a land grabbing gang (Lane Bradford, George Chesebro, Rohn Gibson, Slim Whitaker) who know the railroad is coming through. So much for originality! There's a mystery villain boss we won't reveal, but you'll no doubt figure it out pretty quickly. Lash uses his whip three times. Screenwriter Joseph O'Donnell recycled the amnesia elements from his WOLVES OF THE RANGE ('43) with Bob Livingston into this script.

 SILVER CITY RAIDERS (1943 Columbia)
It's the old phony Spanish land grant scheme as Russell Hayden and his pals Sheriff Bob Wills (and the Texas Playboys) and Dub 'Cannonball' Taylor fight a running battle with land grabbers Paul Sutton and his gang (Jack Ingram, Ed Cobb, Art Mix). Four good Cindy Walker penned songs. Ends with one of the wildest free-for-alls of the whole Hayden/Wills series, which contained some dandies. When you think about it, Hayden (1912-1981), often relegated to the also-rans of cowboy heroes, had a most enduring and re-inventive screen life. First as Hoppy's pal Lucky from '37-'41, while also starring in several well made Zane Grey stories at Paramount, then as co-star to Charles Starrett at Columbia ('41-'42), inheriting his own series at Columbia a year later ('42-'44), meanwhile managing to star in a couple at Universal. In '46-'47 he was a Mountie in the 45 minute under-rated streamliners at Screen Guild. In '48-'49 he co-starred in features such as ALBUQUERQUE and DEPUTY MARSHAL before teaming up with Jimmy Ellison for their berated Lippert series of six. After a few roles in Gene Autry features, Hayden turned to TV production, starring in and producing COWBOY G-MEN ('52-'53) followed by JUDGE ROY BEAN ('55-'56) producing and occasionally acting, and finally producing 26 MEN with Tris Coffin and Kelo Henderson ('58-'59). Quite an impressive and distinguished career for a star some refer to as a second-stringer.

 THE KANSAN (1943 United Artists)
Vastly entertaining minor A (or B-plus) western, as all the Harry 'Pop' Sherman produced Richard Dix starrers were. THE KANSAN is dressed up with a more interesting script than most (by Harold Shumate who'd earlier turned out good scripts for Buck Jones, Tom Keene, Randolph Scott and Tim McCoy and later wrote ABILENE TOWN, BLOOD ON THE MOON, LITTLE BIG HORN, SADDLE TRAMP etc.). Sports a great cast --- Victor Jory, Albert Dekker, Jane Wyatt, Eugene Pallette, Robert Armstrong and Douglas Fowley. Be sure to catch the smaller roles from Rod Cameron, George Reeves (small non-speaking part as one of the James Gang at the start) and future Monogram leading lady Beatrice Gray as one of the dance hall girls. It also features the wildest free for all saloon brawl outside of DODGE CITY. Jane Wyatt's heroine could be a filmic role model for women's libbers --- aggressive and independent, she owns and operates the town's hotel and restaurant, stands up for herself on various occasions and even announces their impending marriage to Dix at the end.

 BAD MEN OF THE BORDER (1945 Universal)
U.S. Marshals Kirby Grant and Fuzzy Knight work their way into a Bordertown counterfeiting gang run by John Eldredge, Edward M. Howard and Barbara Sears. Unbeknownst to them, also on the outlaws' trail from the Mexican side of the border are (unlikely) Mexican undercover agent Armida and Mexican Ruales Captain Francis McDonald. This, the first of six Kirby Grant B-westerns (replacing Rod Cameron who Universal elevated to A status), unfortunately is quite slow, unexciting and talky, getting Grant's series off to a weak start from which it never fully recovered. He did better at Monogram as a Mountie with a dog named Chinook and even better on TV as SKY KING. Villainess Barbara 'Bobo' Sears' offscreen life proved more interesting than her brief onscreen career. Born Jievute Paulekiute in Oakdale, PA, in 1917, she was married for six years (1948-1954) to millionaire Winthrop Rockefeller (later Gov. of Arkansas).

 SUNDOWN VALLEY (1944 Columbia)
Charles Starrett made three WWII related B-westerns in 1944, this is one of them. Plenty of fine western music and five untamed brawls highlight this patriotic roundup for victory. Starrett and sidekick Dub 'Cannonball' Taylor must lick the Axis efforts of saboteur Wheeler Oakman who puts in a gambling joint to entice the local hard working patriotic farmers (and their dough) away from the local gunsight manufacturing plant as worker absenteeism will disrupt production. You'll be absolutely astounded at what Starrett and the workers accomplish in a matter of days (despite hardships --- and a picnic!?) at their war plant. Music from Jimmy Wakely, Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage and The Tennessee Ramblers.

 DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (1946 United Artists)
The last 12 Hopalong Cassidy adventures, the ones William Boyd produced himself, are a mixed lot. There's a couple of them that harken back to the Pop Sherman productions, several real dead skunks in the middle of the celluloid with the rest falling somewhere in between, such as DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND, the first of the new batch. Director George Archainbaud (who helmed all 12) opened up the screen to the magnificent vistas of the Alabama Hills of Lone Pine as well as any other western has ever done. He also included a few Hoppy film veterans in the cast like Francis McDonald and Earle Hodgins. But William Boyd was now handling the purse strings, and he was keeping them well cinched up, severely limiting Archainbaud's abilities. It almost seems, when watching all 12, if one production went $100 over budget, Boyd would make it up on the next production. The basic plot of this one has Hoppy and his pals Andy Clyde and Rand Brooks helping Elaine Riley elude Robert Elliott, Francis MacDonald and Everett Shields who are after hidden loot Riley's outlaw husband (Ned Young) is trying to return to the bank. There's one genuine laff with the look on Clyde's face when he drinks some medicine meant for Hoppy.

 BORDER TREASURE (1950 RKO)
Guns blaze at Lone Pine when a Spanish Senorita (Inez Cooper) attempts to help earthquake victims in Mexico by bringing a mule train load of diamonds and jewels to them in relief. Bandits John Doucette, House Peters Jr., Tom Monroe and their gang plan to rob Cooper until Tim Holt and Richard (Chito) Martin come along. Simple plot extremely well written by Norman Houston and directed by George Archainbaud features one of Tim's best bar room brawls (w/ John Doucette). Jane Nigh is allowed two songs as the saloon girl cohort of Doucette.

 SILVER CITY KID (1944 Republic)
After the discovery of molybdenum, a rare ore vital in hardening steel, crooked lawyer Harry Woods (and his henchmen Glenn Strange, Tom Steele, Bud Geary) kill ranch owner Lane Chandler (under whose ranch they have tunneled to get the rare deposits), murder Woods' partner, banker Frank Jacquet, and frame Chandler's sister Peggy Stewart --- all to accomplish their greedy plans. Although there's as much action per square foot of film as there is in any western, the film comes to a grinding halt twice with the misplaced and awful humor of Wally Vernon (an acquired taste in sidekicks) and precocious Twinkle Watts. This brief six picture Allan Lane series, of which this is the first, was Republic's continuation of the defunct Don Barry B's earlier in the year. Wally Vernon and Twinkle Watts were holdovers from the Barry films although Vernon was gone after two, being replaced in the next four by various actors. The director of SILVER CITY KID, John English, had worked with Lane on three serials, had a passionate dislike for him, and never again directed him.

 FIGHTING TO LIVE (1934 Principal)
Dog story notable only as the first screen appearance of Reb Russell (as a mailman!) just months prior to starring in a group for Willis Kent. Inadequate direction blamed on Edward F. Cline who must have been slumming --- later he directed MY LITTLE CHICKADEE, BANK DICK, CRAZY HOUSE etc. Inferior photography, poor script, illogical time frames and atrocious acting --- even from pros like Marion Shilling and Eddie Phillips. To their credit, they had nothing whatsoever to work with. The only actor remaining unscathed is Lloyd Ingraham as the Judge. For the record, the dogs are Captain and Lady.

 WAGONS WESTWARD (1940 Republic)
Two things come to mind as you watch this medium budget B. One --- how close it is to the type of plotlines used in Don Barry's B's and how much better it could have been with Barry in the Chester Morris role (also odd how closely Morris is wardrobed like Barry). Second --- how badly miscast Buck Jones is as a crooked Sheriff. It just doesn't work! As for the story, two brothers, although identical in looks (Chester Morris in a dual role) are otherwise completely different. One is ruthless and cold blooded, the other is law abiding. After the outlaw brother is jailed, the good brother takes his place to exact justice from the rest of the outlaw element (Jones, Big Boy Williams, Doug Fowley). Things go awry when his outlaw twin breaks jail. Notable for being the only Republic film Buck Jones appeared in.

 FLAMING GUNS (1932 Universal)
Split between light comedy/romance and western action, as many of Tom Mix's silents had been, this misfire ends up being neither. All the action, such as it is, is over midway through the film after Tom captures rustler Duke Lee. Leading lady Ruth Hall left films early and married noted cinematographer Lee Garmes. Ranch owner William Farnum gets as much screen time --- if not more --- than Mix. This is a remake of Hoot Gibson's BUCKAROO KID ('26) based on a Peter B. Kyne story. Although Pee Wee Holmes is listed as playing Gabe, Tom calls him Pee Wee in the first scenes.

 GUNMEN FROM LAREDO (1959 Columbia)
Trite script, boring acting and uninspired direction badly hamper this color Wallace MacDonald produced and directed affair. Walter Coy's the saloon owner/rustler who's killed Robert Knapp's wife in a rustling raid. Knapp's out for revenge but is sent to prison on a trumped up charge by Coy, then helped by an Indian girl (badly played by Jana Davi) and a sheriff (Paul Birch). Knapp told authors Tom and Jim Goldrup (FEATURE PLAYERS VOL. 3) it was the worst experience of his life. "The director (MacDonald) was a producer at Columbia and was trying to save his spot, because Columbia was cutting back on everything. He thought he'd show them he could direct. He was the worst director I had ever worked for in my life. He would not let me deviate from what he said. He would cut and we'd do it again until I did it the way he wanted it, which was absolutely wrong. We ended up with a complete mishmash." MacDonald (1891-1978) began his career in the mid-teens as a romantic lead before turning to westerns in the '20s. Following WWI he returned to the screen and starred in several silent westerns at Pathe. The coming of sound found him playing second leads to Buck Jones (BRANDED, HELLO TROUBLE), Ken Maynard (BETWEEN FIGHTING MEN), Tim McCoy (DARING DANGER, TEXAS CYCLONE) and others. Meanwhile, he'd turned to stories and scripting (IN OLD SANTA FE, PHANTOM EMPIRE) eventually becoming a producer, particularly at Columbia (WHITE SQUAW, PHANTOM STAGECOACH, FURY AT GUNSIGHT PASS.)

 SUNSET ON THE DESERT (1942 Republic)
Two Roy Rogers for the price of one. One good; one bad (named Sloane) who is in the employ of crooked attorney Douglas Fowley who is forcing old time ranchers off their property. When the good Rogers shows up to help an old family friend, Judge Frank M. Thomas, Sloane's girlfriend (Beryl Wallace) believes it is Sloane, putting Roy in a compromising position with the girl he'd really like to court, Thomas' niece, Lynne Carver. Heavy Roy Barcroft makes the most of a small role as one of Fowley's henchmen. How terminology changes: Gabby Hayes talks about doing a little gambling in the barn to pick up some 'soft money'. Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers are along for the songs with Bob at odds over Carver for most of the film. Tall and haughty, Carver had been a convincing villainess earlier in Roy's MAN FROM CHEYENNE ('42). Nice change of pace here. Note that the final shootout takes place in the OK Corral --- but we're not in Tombstone. Some sort of in-joke, or?

 LIGHTNIN' BILL CARSON (1936 Puritan)
Somber, calculated, adult in context story from Arthur Durlan. Believing gambler Rex Lease to be the murderer of deputy Ed Cobb, Sheriff Jack Rockwell and a posse hang Lease. U.S. Marshal Tim McCoy (as Lightnin' Bill Carson) learns of Lease's innocence too late, the real killers are stage robbers John Merton and Karl Hackett. Meanwhile, Lease's otherwise timid bookeeper, Harry Worth, begins to exact his revenge on each and every member of the posse guilty of the unlawful and mistaken hanging which eventually brings Tim gun to gun with Worth. At 72 min. and with an obvious few dollars more in the budget than usual for Sam and Sig Newfeld (Newfield), judging by the strong, well written story and cast which includes dozens of extras milling around, Sig and Sam were apparently aspiring to something a bit better even though the budget was an estimated $10,000-$12,000. When McCoy left Puritan after a year and a half (10 films), the company was unable to fill the gap in loss of revenue and capitulated. McCoy was without a studio affiliation before signing with Monogram a year and a half later (Jan. '38). Story editor Joseph O'Donnell purloined Durlan's original plot and reused it in 1941 for Bob Steele's BILLY THE KID IN SANTA FE.

 RIO GRANDE RAIDERS (1946 Republic)
Sunset Carson's last film for Republic is an action lover's treat with Bob Steele taking top acting honors as Sunset's hot-headed ex-con brother who is once again falling in with bad company (Tris Coffin and his boys --- Kenne Duncan, Jack O'Shea). Directed by Thomas Carr, the plot revolves around the rivalry between the Harding Stage Line (Linda Stirling, Ed Cobb) and the crooked Redmond Transportation Company (Coffin). Carr handles the conflict between Sunset and Steele quite well, even though, due to their opposing sizes, they don't look like they could ever be brothers. Sunset, an extremely popular cowboy, left Republic a winner. Had not John Barleycorn got the best of him at such a young age, he possibly would have lasted another 10 years to the end of the B-western era. Even as it is, Carson left us with some of the most action packed B-westerns ever made. And yes, the narrator is none other than perennial badman, LeRoy Mason (unbilled).

 BLACK EAGLE (1948 Columbia)
A cowboy hobo, William Bishop, who just wants to be left alone, becomes involved in intrigue and murder in a small Texas horse raising town. Convoluted plot has the horse, Black Eagle, taking revenge on the man (Edmund MacDonald) who murdered his owner. Good cast includes Virginia Patton, Gordon Jones, Trevor Bardette, Will Wright, James Bell, Paul Burns and Ted Mapes, but somehow never seems to hold your interest. Based on an O. Henry short story.

 WILD HORSE CANYON (1938 Monogram)
Jack Randall rides the vengeance trail with his pal Frank Yaconelli (easier to take here than usual as he's not so 'broad') and finds his quarry (Warner Richmond, Walter Long, Charlie King) working on --- and rustling the horses of --- Ed Cassidy and daughter Dorothy Short's ranch. Plot points are poorly developed and there's a tame first half with a lackluster windup to Jack's long manhunt. Also some terrible over acting by Dennis Moore when he 'wants out' of the gang. Short married Dave O'Brien in 1936 but after 15 years and two children, the marriage broke up. In court, Dorothy told the judge that O'Brien would rather give up his home and family than his yacht, the White Cloud. Under the property settlement, O'Brien kept the boat and a car. Dorothy got $10,000 cash, 15% of Dave's earnings (which were said to be nearly $50,000 a year at that point as he was working for Red Skelton as well as having done the Pete Smith shorts) and a home in Hollywood.

 CRASHIN' BROADWAY (1933 Monogram)
The Rex Bell Monograms had the unique premise of starting in the East and winding up out west. In this one, Rex --- "The Clever Cowboy, A Breath Of The West" --- as he's billed while a vaudeville rope spinner, joins a down and out troupe of Broadway hams who wind up in Cactus Gulch where they run afoul of Charlie King who just coincidentally happens to have been the visiting-New-York-westerner that trouper Doris Hill conned out of $400 so the vaudevillians could go west. George (Gabby) Hayes plays two roles, one as a Shakespearean actor (sporting a horrible Beatles-like fright wig) and the other as a resident of Cactus Gulch. This is possibly the most 'unusual' B-western you'll ever see! Give Bell, director John P. McCarthy and writer Wellyn Totman credit for trying something different --- unfortunately, Vaudeville died some time ago and this 'western' went with it. Leading lady Hill, born in Roswell, NM, began her film career in 1926 and was selected as a Wampus Baby Star in 1929. After some 15 westerns opposite Tom Tyler, Ken Maynard, Tim McCoy, Buck Jones, Hoot Gibson, Bob Steele and others, she married and retired in 1934. She died in 1976.

 BADMAN/S TERRITORY (1946 RKO)
Much like Universal had grouped their monsters in HOUSE OF DRACULA and HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN in '44 and '45, RKO, in a move to enliven their westerns, tossed the James Brothers (Lawrence Tierney, Tom Tyler), the Daltons (Steve Brodie, Phil Warren, William Moss), Belle Star (Isabel Jewell) and Sam Bass (Nestor Paiva) all into one film and put them up against Marshal Randolph Scott and his brother James Warren as they invade the outlaw haven of the wild Oklahoma strip. The Nat Holt production is history gone awry but makes for a highly entertaining western, the first of the 'outlaw westerns' which was extremely successful at the boxoffice, paving the way for successors such as BELLE STARR'S DAUGHTER, RETURN OF THE BADMEN, YOUNGER BROTHERS, KID FROM TEXAS, AL JENNINGS OF OKLAHOMA, GREAT MISSOURI RAID etc. Clever, intelligent script by Jack Natteford and Luci Ward is a bit episodic due to all the name-brand outlaws but spirited entertainment. Director Tim Whelan was the husband of Miriam Seegar who co-starred with Buck Jones in DAWN TRAIL.

 LIGHTNING RAIDERS (1946 PRC)
Upright citizen and shrewd crook Steve Darrell and his gang (I. Stanford Jolley, John Cason, Frank Ellis) rob the mail, read the letters and cash in on people's hard times-like buying the hotel of Henry Hall and daughter Mady Lawrence when their money doesn't come through, and altering an assay report Karl Hackett expected in order to report his ore samples were low grade instead of high grade so the crooks can buy the property cheap. Buster Crabbe breaks up their nefarious plot. The Sheriff is played by Budd Buster (1891-1965), veteran of hundreds of western pictures for over 30 years-1934 to the mid '60s TV era. In addition to a stage career before films, Budd Buster was a makeup artist. His makeup tricks gave him wide latitude in portraying various characters and kept him in demand by national ad agencies who used him on national billboards for Studebaker, Eastside Beer and others. Buster Crabbe wears a new looking plaid shirt and he passes what sounds like an inside joke about Fuzzy St. John's new pants --- they may well have been. After all his screen pratfalls, it was high time for some new wardrobe.

 LAW OF THE GOLDEN WEST (1949 Republic)
In this remake of their own DARK COMMAND, Republic casts Monte Hale as Buffalo Bill with John Holland in the 'Quantrell' role, posing as a leader of the Confederate Underground, but actually heading up a band of men including Roy Barcroft and Lane Bradford who are involved in plain robbery and murder. Giving this modest B-western a bigger look is the liberal use of stock from its parent, DARK COMMAND.

 INDIAN UPRISING (1951 Columbia)
Cavalry Captain George Montgomery fights to keep peace in Arizona between famed Indian Chief Geronimo (Miguel Inclan) and local white settlers. The Indian reservation contains rich gold deposits bad guys Hugh Sanders, Douglas Kennedy and Robert Griffin scheme to get. Between their misdeeds and Washington, D.C., bungling, you can be sure Geronimo heeds the title of this pretty typical '50s cavalry/Indians B-plus Cinecolor adventure. However, no color prints seem to survive. Directed with his usual eye for action (and stock footage) by Ray Nazarro. Kennedy, nearly always bad in movies, finally got his chance at leads on his own TV series, STEVE DONOVAN, WESTERN MARSHAL with sidekick Eddy Waller, who plays a miner in this western. Kenneth Gamet and Richard Schayer's story was rewritten by Charles B. Smith for Audie Murphy's APACHE RIFLES in '64.

 SOUTH OF THE BORDER (1939 Republic)
The pivotal turning point film in Gene Autry's career as well as his most romantic. Certainly one of his best remembered, if not the most remembered film in his illustrious career. The title song is also his most fondly recalled next to "Back In the Saddle". There are 10 tunes in the film and, besides "South of the Border", the standout is Gene's absolutely beautiful duet with Mary Lee (in her first of 9 films with Gene) on "Goodbye, Little Darlin'". The impending war in Europe theme prevails here as Gene and Smiley Burnette are government agents sent to the Latin country of Palermo to discern the identity of foreign agents attempting to overthrow the existing government and build a submarine refueling base, causing a breakdown of the Pan American Neutrality Act. Gene has fallen for Lupita Tovar but her brother, Duncan Renaldo, has shamed the family's upstanding name by becoming involved with the foreign agents. When Renaldo is killed as the threat of revolution is ended, Gene returns to his sweetheart only to poignantly discover (via William Farnum in a nicely underplayed role as a priest) Lupita has become a Nun to atone for her brother's sins. It's a sad yet joyous moment --- one of the best ever lensed for a B-western --- as Gene must ride away alone singing the title tune. With no reservations, one of an elite group of truly classic B-westerns.

 TRAIL TO SAN ANTONE (1947 Republic)
Gene Autry's five post-war Republics feel like they're caught in an odd lame duck timewarp between his pre-war 'fantasy' titles (which belong to a nicer era that had passed us by after the war) and his soon to be harder edged, more mature Columbia pictures. Those five Republics belong to neither category. The plot of this one is all human interest, with no real outlaws or rustlers, just an unlikable Tris Coffin as an unscrupulous horse trainer for breeder Peggy Stewart. It's a race against time as Gene tries to help a young jockey (Johnny Duncan) get back his 'heart' to ride after Coffin caused an accident that left Duncan with a bum leg. Gene sings Spade Cooley's big hit, "Shame On You" and the Cass County Boys perform Cindy Walker's "Cowboy Blues". For Gene, after four years away from the screen, with a new comedy relief (Sterling Holloway) and a new music group (Cass County Boys), the old Autry feeling just wasn't there. Gene wanted 'out' of Republic and was just finishing up his contract so he could really begin to make his 'own' pictures at Columbia and for TV.

 TWO GUN TROUBADOUR (1939 Spectrum)
This is Fred Scott's contribution to the dual-role western. Seems every B-western cowboy did it at least once. Gray-haired, Fred plays his own father who is murdered by his brother, Carl Mathews (1899-1959) in the biggest role of his lengthy career, to cover up his rustling activities. Twenty-two years later, Fred returns as the son, ready to avenge his father's death. Masquerading as the Two Gun Troubadour (wearing a black outfit, black cape, dime store Lone Ranger mask, sporting a silly black mustache and affecting a sorry Mexican accent) he spoils the rustling efforts of Mathews (made to look older by not wearing his toupee) and cohort John Merton. Harry Harvey is the nominal comic relief while his son Harry Harvey Jr. plays John Merton as a child and Billy Lenhart is Fred as a 9 year old. This is the notorious Scott film that contains the no-retakes muddled line as Fred stammers, "I'd rather see men, uh, boys grow up to be men that folks (pause) want rather than wanted men." Fred reprises his popular "Ridin' Down the Trail to Albuquerque" song used earlier in MELODY OF THE PLAINS ('34). The screenplay is by Richard L. Bare. (See ADVENTURES OF TEXAS JACK.)

 RIDIN' THE TRAIL (1940 Spectrum)
The second adventure of the Two Gun Troubadour finds Fred Scott investigating why the Government Remount Service is not receiving its contracted quota of horses. Cheaply, the opening action is told in a written prologue getting this western off to a crawl from which it never recovers. Released the same year as Charles Starrett's DURANGO KID ... while masquerading as the Two Gun Troubadour, Fred wears a black outfit with flowing cape, a Lone Rangerish eye mask, a silly thin mustache and affects a very bad Spanish accent. In other scenes, Fred is duded up in the whitest costume in B-western history! Where was Al St. John? Fuzzy Jones is played by Harry Harvey in a ludicrous fake mustache and fright wig. Even considering director Raymond K. Johnson (1901-1977) was no John Ford, even he should look back in shame on this travesty. The print carries the Spectrum logo but was released by Arthur Ziehm after Spectrum had folded its tent. In all probability made at the same time as TWO GUN TROUBADOUR, Spectrum's last official release in July '39. Fred sings "Back In the Saddle" over the credits, a song that bears no connection to the Ray Whitley composition used as the themesong for Gene Autry.

 FORBIDDEN TRAILS (1941 Monogram)
In the well remembered but short lived eight film Rough Riders series, Buck Jones was Buck Roberts, a true fighting man and one to steer clear of when he was chewing gum. Tim McCoy played Col. Tim McCall, another U. S. Marshal who favored brains over brawn (usually undercover as a preacher, gambler, Mexican, whatever) but could handle himself when the chips were down. Raymond Hatton was Sandy Hopkins, the grizzled old pro of the trio. Hard to say how much the rousing Rough Riders themesong contributed to the success of this popular series, but it is immensely well remembered today. FORBIDDEN TRAILS, one of the best of the series, gets the action rolling at the outset, placing Buck in a burning shack besieged by gunmen (Charles King, Glenn Strange). Town boss Tris Coffin is trying to force young Dave O'Brien into hauling high grade ore. The Rough Riders ride again!

 WILDFIRE (1945 Action/Screen Guild)
Pretty typical producer/director Bob Tansey stuff as horse traders Bob Steele and Sterling Holloway aid (bad actress) Virginia Maples and the law, Sheriff Eddie Dean and Judge William Farnum, to bring horse thieves John Miljan, Rocky Camron, wrestler Wee Willie Davis, Hal Price, Frank Ellis and Al Ferguson to justice. John Ford's brother, Francis, is given the female gender-bender spelling of 'Frances' in the credits. Dean's role, and his vocalizing of "On the Banks of the Sunny San Juan" possibly influenced WILDFIRE director Bob Tansey to star Dean in his own series less than six months later. In 1945, Robert L. Lippert headed up Action Pictures with releases through Screen Guild, a new firm for which Lippert served as executive vice president. In 1949, Lippert reorganized Screen Guild, assumed the post of president, and by summer was releasing films under the company's new name, Lippert. WILDFIRE was the first film released by Action Pictures. It's in Cinecolor.

 BRANDED A COWARD (1935 Supreme)
After witnessing his parent's deaths at the hands of a notorious outlaw, the Cat, as well as being separated from his brother by the outlaws, Johnny Mack Brown grows up hiding his fear of guns and violence. He regains himself when he rescues Billie Seward from stagecoach bandits and is made town marshal only to find the Cat is the outlaw terrorizing the region --- but surprise, this is a new Cat. But that's not the end of the surprises in this superior B-western. Not to be missed. Mickey Rentschler and Rex Downing play Brown and his brother at a younger age. Yakima Canutt, doubling for Brown, performs his fall from the six-up, under the stage, grab-the-back-end stunt. Remade in 1950 as FAST ON THE DRAW with Jimmy Ellison and Russell Hayden.

 STARS OVER TEXAS (1946 PRC)
I could listen to Eddie Dean sing all day. That alone prejudices me and overcomes certain deficiencies in his PRC series. As STARS OVER TEXAS begins, Eddie and the Sunshine Boys are riding along warbling the upbeat, rolling rhythms of the title song which puts you on Eddie's side right from the get-go. Jack O'Shea's gang is trying to take over Shirley Patterson and brother Lee Roberts' ranch. Lee's old friends, Eddie, Roscoe Ates and Lee Bennett (who is an exact double for the ranch foreman) join Shirley and Lee to round up O'Shea and the other second-stringer outlaws (Carl Mathews, Matty Roubert and crooked judge William Fawcett) with gunplay and fireworks. Frances Kavanaugh's script is a remake of her (and Bob Tansey's) DRIFTIN' KID with Tom Keene in '41. Cast as a peddler is Hal Smith who became well known as Otis Campbell, the Mayberry town drunk on the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW ('61-'66).

 COWBOY COMMANDOS (1943 Monogram)
Pretty much non-stop excitement as the Range Busters (Ray 'Crash' Corrigan, Denny Moore, Max Terhune) battle a lowdown bunch of Nazi saboteurs (John Merton, Frank Ellis, Bud Osborne, George Chesebro, Budd Buster) that are raiding local magnacite shipments and have killed leading lady Evelyn Finley's brother. Deputy Johnny Bond, helping out, cutely sings "I'll Get Der Feuher Sure as Shootin' ". Even with all the action, there's time for Evelyn to show off some trick riding and for Terhune to exhibit his expertise with a deck of cards. Was Elmer, Terhune's dummy, on strike for better wages? Elmer is oddly nowhere in sight in this one.

 DESERT PURSUIT (1952 Allied Artists)
Prologue: "In 1856, Jefferson Davis, Sec. Of War, organized the American Camel Corps of the U.S. Army which mapped the southern route across the plains and deserts from Texas to California. The building of the transcontinental railroad ended the usefulness of the Camel Corps and the animals were sold to private enterprise or escaped into the Southwestern desert where camels were still seen by lonely prospectors more than a decade later." It's a hot, dry, sandy trek as three renegade Arabs on camels (Anthony Caruso, John Doucette , George Tobias) pursue Wayne Morris, Virginia Grey and the gold across the deserts and rocks of Lone Pine (standing in for nearby Death Valley). Somewhat original concept has a Christmas message to it.

 STAND AT APACHE RIVER (1953 Universal International)
At a way station on the river, a group of stranded strangers bare their Technicolor lives and psyches as they wait for the Apaches to attack in Arthur Ross' overblown script. Fits into the 'They won't attack til the drums stop' western genre of the '50s. Stars Stephen McNally (the Sheriff), Russell Johnson (his outlaw prisoner), intended fiancé Julia Adams, Hugh Marlowe (an Indian hating Cavalry Colonel), Jack Kelly (a drifter), Hugh O'Brian (the way station operator), Jaclynne Greene (O'Brian's dissatisfied wife) and Forest Lewis (an old timer). Not sure what accent Edgar Barrier as the Indian Chief is trying to affect, but it sure ain't Apache. Directed by Lee ('Rrrrroll 'Em') Sholem, who later directed dozens of TV westerns at Warner Bros. Watch for Frankie Darro as an Indian at a window. Although McNally, with his hard-bitten demeanor, is good in the few U-I western leads he played, he was far better suited to heavies opposite Audie Murphy, James Stewart and others.

 RAIDERS OF OLD CALIFORNIA (1957 Republic)
Gunplunderer Jim Davis obtains California land grants by force at the end of the Mexican War. To hold their illegal claims he must find and kill a priest (Larry Dobkin), the rightful owner. Young Marshal Faron Young and his judge father (Louis Jean Heydt) bring justice to the terror stricken land. With Lee Van Cleef (in one of his classic nasty gunfighter roles), Marty Robbins, Harry Lauter, Douglas Fowley, Rick Vallin. Oddly, even with Young and Robbins in the cast, there are no songs. Released by Republic, but produced and directed independently by Albert Gannaway (see BADGE OF MARSHAL BRENNAN) with plenty of action. Faron Young --- the Singing Sheriff as he was known in music circles --- could have made a good new singing B-western star but he never got the chance, all his films were ultra low budget and producer Gannaway stupidly didn't let him sing. Also, by the time Young arrived, B-westerns were all but over.

 SHOWDOWN (1963 Universal-International)
Brutal, tough Audie Murphy western was lensed in back and white for budgetary reasons, but nevertheless, with its script about double-crosses, the black and white photography lends to its film noirish aspect. Anyone who disputes Audie's acting ability should watch SHOWDOWN. Audie and (off screen personal friend) Charles Drake are mistakenly chained to an Iron Maypole prison along with Harold J. Stone and his gang, then forced to escape with them. Drake attempts to buy their freedom with some stolen securities but double crosses the gang by giving the money to his so-thought girlfriend, Kathleen Crowley. Murphy recovers the money, deals with the two-timing Crowley and ultimately destroys the outlaw gang. Incidentally, the Iron Maypole was historically accurate and a nice touch by scripter Bronson Howitzer. Good support from Strother Martin, Skip Homeier, L. Q. Jones, Henry Wills, Dabbs Greer, Harry Lauter, Bob Steele, Bill Phipps.

 COLORADO SUNSET (1939 Republic)
Entertainment is what the movies are all about and this Gene Autry/Smiley Burnette film offers just that-in spades. Perfect blend of action, comedy and music (eight songs including Patsy Montana's classic "I Want to Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart" and Gene's "Seven Years With the Wrong Woman"). When Gene, Smiley and the CBS-KMPC Texas Rangers buy a milk cow ranch thinking it's a cattle ranch, they're thrust into the middle of a dairy war with farmer's trucks being hijacked and destroyed in an attempt to drive them out of business. Racketeer 'Doc' Robert Barratt and his men, Buster Crabbe (still sporting his Paramount mustache) and Jack Ingram are operating the old protection racket. It all comes to a head when Gene runs for Sheriff against Crabbe. With June Storey, Barbara Pepper, Kermit Maynard and William Farnum. Talented Betty Burbridge and Stanley Roberts wrote the screenplay. Usual fine direction from George Sherman. This was the first Autry film produced by proficient William Berke who had previously done the same on westerns with Harry Carey, Fred Kohler Jr. and Jack Perrin before joining Republic in '38 to head up the 3 Mesquiteers production unit. By '41 he had moved over to Columbia.

 TEXAS MARSHAL (1941 PRC)
Using patriotism (the League of Patriots) to cover up his secret plans to buy out all the local ranchers in order to gain control of rich tin ore deposits, Karl Hackett and his partners, Charlie King and Budd Buster, murder local rancher John Elliott who threatens to expose them. That's when another rancher, Edward Peil Sr., sends for Marshal 'Trigger' Tim McCoy. Peil's daughter is Kay Leslie who is in love with foreman Art Davis, for whom this co-star role is really a showcase for his singing, fiddle playing and dramatics in advance of his starring PRC series with Lee Powell and Bill Boyd six months later. Third lead Dave O'Brien's exuberance as Art's radio agent is a bit over the top. With its patriotic theme anticipating WWII, Art sings "The West Is Always Ready If It Comes". For other WWII westerns see ARIZONA GANGBUSTERS.

 CROOKED TRAIL (1936 Supreme)
Most of Johnny Mack Brown's Supreme titles were a bit more adult in approach and story content and this tale of murder, love and reformation is no exception as Brown befriends killer John Merton in his gold mining claim. But both of them need to watch out for that doublecrossing snake in black, gambler Charlie King, who is engaged to Lucile Browne although she ends up marrying Johnny Mack midway when King is exposed as a crook. With fine direction by S. Roy Luby (1899-1976) and a taut script by George Plympton, CROOKED TRAIL proves what could be accomplished within the confines of a B-western. Truly, A-western material in the 60 minute B-western format. Rare chance to see veteran heavy Dick Curtis on the right side of the law as a miner.

 SUNSET TRAIL (1939 Paramount)
A pure delight! Splendidly directed --- credit director Lesley Selander with a real gem as William Boyd, with evident enjoyment, gets a chance to play Hopalong Cassidy as a dude, allowing Norman Houston's clever script to poke fun at Boyd's true aversions to horses and stuntwork. Hoppy thwarts smooth saloon owner Robert Fiske's plan to steal a guest ranch from Charlotte Wynters and Jan(e) Clayton. There's some very clever wordplay acting between Boyd and Fiske; in fact everyone in the cast is at the top of their game --- Wynters in particular. Hoppy saddlepal Russell Hayden and Clayton were married and you can see the affection in their faces. Not to be missed.

 ON THE GREAT WHITE TRAIL (1938 Grand National)
James Newill as Renfrew of the Northwest Mounted Police and his dog Silver King investigate a murder in which the father (Robert Frazer) of the girl he's sweet on (Terry Walker) is suspected of the murder of Frazer's partner and another Mountie. But --- there are others to be considered --- Richard Alexander, Charles King, Philo McCullough and Walter McGrail. There's a lot of bland light comedy mixed in with the exciting moments on the trail. Bob Terry is Mountie Kelly, a part built up and taken over by Dave O'Brien later in the series.

 SONGS AND SADDLES (1938 Road Show Prod./Colony)
The producing team of Max and Arthur Alexander had completed six westerns with Rex Bell ('36-'37) and were waiting to start a new series with Ken Maynard when they made this one-time only western starring famed crooner Gene Austin. Possibly hoping to mimic the success of Gene Autry, the brothers relied on Austin's personality and singing abilities in an attempt to compensate for his lack of acting and fighting abilities. Austin, a huge star in the '20s, had sold over 80 million records for Victor (including "My Blue Heaven") but was now in a bit of a career slump. Billed as a Road Show Production, the film was shown town to town, theatre to theatre, primarily in the South, and was booked along with Austin's stage show which included comedienne Joan Brooks (who is in the film as comic relief) and Gene's accompanists, Candy Hall and Coco Heimel, both also in the film. Gene composed and sang five tunes in the film --- but for some odd reason, did not perform "My Blue Heaven". Directed by low budget vet Harry Fraser, Gene portrays a radio singer on the way home who lands in the middle of a standard land grab plot by Karl Hackett, John Merton and Charlie King. With vets like these, the production, filmed around Sonora, CA, is competent enough and Austin's adequate when singing or romancing the gal (Lynne Barkley), but his lack of ability in the action department is painfully obvious, with no thrills coming til the last 5 minutes or so. Whether the brothers Alexander intended more and weren't satisfied with results is unknown, but I suspect SONGS AND SADDLES was made specifically for Austin to take on the road with his live stage show as no regular theatrical bookings can be traced.

 HARD MAN (1957 Columbia)
Tense, taught script by Leo Katcher (based on his own novel) catches the middle ground between old fashioned B's and the adult westerns of the '50s with a few elements of film noir thrown in. Although it's not Guy Madison's best known western, it may be his best work in a western with a terrific showdown scene in the hotel between Madison and Rudy Bond. Story has too-quick-on-the-trigger lawman Madison opposing tyrannical town boss Lorne Greene (later star of TV's BONANZA) and his double-crossing, greedy wife Valerie French following the framing and death of Madison's friend Myron Healey. Produced by Wallace MacDonald and well directed by George Sherman. Important unbilled cameo by B-western vet John Cason.

 WEST OF DODGE CITY (1947 Columbia)
Unscrupulous land schemer Henry Hardison (Fred Sears --- later a director on the Durango Kid series himself) and his gunnies (Zon Murray, Marshall Reed, I. Stanford Jolley, Bob Wilke) kill rancher Nolan Leary so they can grab his ranch and promote a phony reservoir for a power project. Surveyor Charles Starrett smells a rat and, as the Durango Kid, with the help of newspaperman Smiley Burnette and Leary's daughter, Nancy Saunders, brings trigger law to the crooked coyotes. For a bit of an unusual ending, Hardison and his men are trapped when they dynamite the river and flood the valley. Two tubby hillbilly musicians, Mustard and Gravy (Frank Rice and Ernest Stokes) aid Smiley's silliness by frequently interrupting the six gun action directed by Ray Nazarro. BONANZA TOWN ('51) is a direct sequel to this film. Boo Boo: after Fred Sears leaves town at about the 45 minute mark, Starrett has a conversation with Smiley in front of a store window. Watch for the reflection of a completely out of western garb T-shirted man walking by. Undoubtedly a grip or some other technician.

 BONANZA TOWN (1951 Columbia)
Should be watched as a double feature as it's a direct sequel to WEST OF DODGE CITY ('47) with about a third of this one devoted to Charles Starrett relating past events (with footage from the previous film) to the Judge (Luther Crockett) who is the blackmailed and intimidated brother of Henry Hardison (Fred Sears) who did not drown in the flood at the end of WEST OF DODGE CITY. The Durango Kid seeks Hardison and $30,000 in stolen Dodge City loot. Running the gang in Bonanza Town are Myron Healey and his dumbulb henchie, Charles Horvath (who in one hilarious scene tries to 'kill' a rock thrown through Healey's window). Paul McGuire plays federal Marshal Reed. Then the actor, Marshall Reed, shows up in stock footage. Inside joke? Probably not intended, but ... oh yeah, Smiley Burnette is here, all too much, as a barber singing with Slim Duncan and coping with customer Vernon Dent (a regular 3 Stooges comic foil).

 STARLIGHT OVER TEXAS (1938 Monogram)
U. S. Marshal Tex Ritter, and his pals Ananias (Horace Murphy) and Pee Wee (Snub Pollard) bring border bandits Earle Dwire and Charlie King to justice. Oddly, Tex gets in a walloping bar fight with Charlie King over drinking only buttermilk and five minutes later at a Mexican fiesta, Tex is singing the praises of Tequila!?! To escape the collapsing corporate world of Grand National, who'd been releasing Ritter's westerns, producer Edward Finney moved over to Monogram for Tex's next 20 films, this being the first distributed by Monogram. Unfortunately, Finney also brought along slapdash director Al Herman (1887-1967) who'd helmed Tex's last two at Grand National. Although Herman had been at it since Mickey McGuire silent shorts, his main concern seemed to be to just get an image on film. Continuity and technicalities, such as the incongruity of the above mentioned buttermilk/tequila affair, be damned. STARLIGHT OVER TEXAS is unevenly paced by Herman, bogging down midway for a 12 minute Mexican fiesta and a bad song by the duded-up Northwesterners. Sadly, Finney kept Herman on til the end, only occasionally spelling him with the more talented Spencer Gordon Bennet, and the difference in the 4 Bennet directed opposed to the 16 Herman did is quite evident. Occasionally, as with Ritter's TAKE ME BACK TO OKLAHOMA, Herman became inspired to do better work; or maybe Bob Wills' toe-tapping music in that one got his juices flowing. It's too bad, as well liked as Tex was, that his films of this period are hampered by a director who didn't seem to care much about his work.

 RUSTLER'S PARADISE (1935 Ajax)
Cheyenne Harry (Carey) rides headlong into a rustler's paradise to end his long search for his daughter (Gertrude Messinger) and wife who ran off with outlaw Ted Lorch. In retribution, when Harry finds him, he lets Lorch feel the sting of his bullwhip in a rather sadistic scene for a hero in a B-western. Harry uses the whip proficiently here long before Lash LaRue and Whip Wilson. Slim Whitaker sports one of the worst Mexican accents ever heard in a western. At 57, Harry Carey was the oldest man ever to star in a series of B-westerns.

 SHADOW VALLEY (1947 PRC)
Low energy Eddie Dean B-western as he and sidekick Roscoe 'Soapy' Ates foil a scheme by suave lawyer George Chesebro and henchman Eddie Parker to grab Jennifer Holt's gold-rich land. Chesebro gets most of the screen time and looks as if he's enjoying the villainy. Lane Bradford plays Jennifer's ranch foreman. Off screen she and Lane were quite an 'item'. Singers Andy Parker and the Plainsmen also play ranch hands and are wasted as they're only given a half a song to sing. Eddie calls Soapy his 'sidekick' --- a word you and I use but is seldom actually heard on screen.