John Merton and Lane Bradford

There were some big, burly actors who portrayed villains and heavies in the old B westerns and serials --- names that come to mind are Roy Barcroft, Harry Woods, Le Roy Mason ... and John Merton.

One of Merton's best remembered roles is that of one of the "dacoits" in the serial, DRUMS OF FU MANCHU (Republic, 1940) --- the photo at the top of this page shows a shaven (and long-toothed) Merton in that role, and on his left is Henry Brandon as Fu Manchu.

Merton began his cinema work during the early 1930s, and supposedly his first film role was a bit in a Laurel & Hardy film. But he quickly became typecast as a heavy, and for about twenty years, he menaced a variety of cowboy and serial heroes and heroines. His film credits at Republic from 1936 - 1949 number about 35, of which about one-third are serials with the remainder being westerns.

Lane Bradford was Merton's son and he began filmwork in the mid 1940s as the serial and B western were in decline. Generally portraying a heavy, Bradford worked at Republic, Monogram and PRC. When the movie work began to fade, Bradford migrated to TV and became a prolific performer in series such as BONANZA, GUNSMOKE, ANNIE OAKLEY, ZANE GREY THEATER, 26 MEN, WILD BILL HICKOK, BUFFALO BILL JR., more. Bradford has 32 film credits at Republic for the period 1943 - 1954, of which seven are serials and the rest are cowboy flicks.

Lane
Bradford

Above, Lane Bradford portraying an outlaw in one of countless post World War II B westerns.

Above is the treacherous trio from the serial DON DAREDEVIL RIDES AGAIN (Republic, 1951). From L-to-R are Lane Bradford (John Merton's son), the great Roy Barcroft and left handed John (Bob) Cason.

John
Merton

Above, from L-to-R are Stanley Andrews, George Cleveland, Lynn Roberts and Merton in a scene from the cliffhanger, THE LONE RANGER (Republic, 1938). Andrews was the head villain in the serial and Merton was the henchman.

Tidbits: George Cleveland was a screen veteran, but is probably best remembered as "Gramps" in the first TV series of LASSIE (with Tommy Rettig). Andrews also did TV work and is recalled as "the Old Ranger" who introduced the stories on DEATH VALLEY DAYS.

Above, Merton had a juicy role in the chapterplay, ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION (Republic, 1939). In the scene above in the council chambers, Merton (as Manuel) has just been accused of being the mysterious Don Del Oro. Reed Hadley, the star of the serial, is standing on the left.

Above, from L-to-R, are an unidentified player, Kermit Maynard and John Merton. This scene is from GALLOPING DYNAMITE (Ambassador/Conn, 1937), one of the series of low-budget mountie flicks and westerns that starred Kermit Maynard, a great stuntman and brother of Ken Maynard. Kerm's cayuse was named "Rocky".

Above, from L-to-R are Mary Hayes, star Kermit Maynard and John Merton in a scene from ROARING SIX GUNS (Ambassador/Conn, 1937).

Above, from L-to-R are Jack Rockwell, Karl Hackett, John Merton, Tim McCoy, Joe Girard and Lafe McKee in LIGHTNIN' BILL CARSON (Puritan, 1936).

Above, from L-to-R are Harry Strang, Lane Chandler, Tim McCoy (in his Mexican disguise), John Merton and Betty Compson in the McCoy oater, TWO GUN JUSTICE (Monogram, 1938).

From L-to-R are John Merton, Dave 'Tex' O'Brien, Buster Crabbe (seated), Lynton Brent and Curley Dresden in SHERIFF OF SAGE VALLEY (1942), one of the entries in Crabbe's long running series at PRC during the 1940s. Crabbe had a dual role in this oater, and "the other Crabbe" is facing him on the far left.

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Johnny Mack Brown, an older Jack Perrin, John Merton and Pierce Lyden in SHADOWS OF THE RANGE (Monogram, 1946).

(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above, from L-to-R are Myron Healey, Steve Clark, Marshall Reed, John Merton, Max Terhune, and on the far right wearing the suit is Hugh Prosser. From WESTERN RENEGADES (Monogram, 1949), an entry in the Johnny Mack Brown series.

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has film appearance information on John Merton and his son, Lane Bradford. Click below: