The Arizona Ranger (1948)

Starring: Tim Holt, Jack Holt

Director: John Rawlins

Studio: RKO Radio Pictures

PLOT SUMMARY:

After returning home from serving with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, Bob Morgan (Tim Holt) is enlisted to the Arizona Rangers. Morgan's father Rawhide (Jack Holt) is against his son leaving his ranch and becoming a law officer, seeing how the only law required in the territory is a rope and a tree. Morgan's first task as a lawman is to bring fiendish cattle rustler and robber Quirt Butler (Steve Brodie) to justice. Rawhide nearly does away with the no-good Butler through a hanging party after the murder of family friend Ol' Ben (Paul Hurst) but is stopped by his son so that he may bring the real killer to justice. This drives a wedge between father and son and it is not until Butler's wife (Nan Leslie) pleads with Rawhide to save his son from a trap set by Butler that the old man has a change of heart.

FILM REVIEW:

The Arizona Ranger is an absolute masterclass in "B" western filmmaking. Considered by many to be the greatest "B" western ever made, I'd be hard-pressed to disagree. The story, written by Norman Houston, is one of the most compelling ever composed for a picture of this type. This is a story that pits husband against wife and father against son. The breezy direction by John Rawlins is equally excellent with the action moving at a brisk pace and there is seldom a dull moment in the picture.

This film marked the only time Tim Holt ever starred alongside his famous father Jack who was a veteran actor dating back to the silent era and having made his greatest pictures for Columbia until studio head Harry Cohn demoted him to a serial in the 1940s, Holt of the Secret Service. The elder Holt worked with the greats such as John Ford and Frank Capra but was most well known for his crime dramas. As for Tim, he arrived to film in 1937 and starred in several low-budget westerns for RKO alongside such actors as Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards and was often paired with Richard Martin as his Mexican/Irish sidekick Chito. Holt's are among some of the best of their kind, with several of his westerns being recommended by "B" western scholars. 

Tim and Jack Holt play wonderfully off each other and gel so well that one wishes the two shared more screentime together. Sadly, this was among the elder Holt's last pictures as he would pass three years later at the age of sixty two. Steve Brodie is exquisitely sleazy and nasty as Quirt Butler, guffawing his way through the role with a smug expression that would make anyone's blood boil. The acting across the board is superb with Nan Leslie having a great showing as the emotionally conflicted wife of Brodie's Quirt Butler.

Overall, The Arizona Ranger is one of the greatest "B" westerns ever made. However, the biggest crime involving the picture concerns none of Quirt Butler's actions, it is the fact that the film has yet to receive an officially authorized DVD release from Warner Archive who has released all other Holt westerns as part of the RKO library. Indeed, the version I viewed was a television airing that was watchable enough but the film is begging for an upgrade. The film has shown up on Turner Classic Movies in a fine print, giving those of us that love these pictures more than a little curiosity as to why the film has yet to hit DVD or even Blu-Ray. A higher quality version would allow for greater appreciation of the film's great location photography as shot at famous Lone Pine, California. By the way, if you wish to visit Lone Pine, tell my friend Steve Latshaw that Geno "Sunset" Cuddy sent you and while there, please do visit the Museum of Western Film History (Museum Website).

I highly recommend The Arizona Ranger if you are able to secure yourself a copy of it. It is well worth your time and I can guarantee that you will love the picture. I stake my reputation on it. 

Until next time, pardners!

Westward Bound (1930)

Starring Buffalo Bill Jr., Buddy Roosevelt

Director: Harry S. Webb

Studio: Syndicate Pictures, Corp.

PLOT SUMMARY:

After engaging in yet another barroom brawl, Senator Lansing (William Marion) sends his rambunctious son Bob (Buffalo Bill, Jr.) and his friend Ben (Ben Corbett) out west to start life anew. Unfortunately for Bob and Ben, they are not only robbed of their motor vehicle but also their clothes by local ruffians. As it turns out, those ruffians are in cahoots with a cattle rustling ring led by Jim (Yakima Canutt) and they've been stealing cattle from Marge Holt's (Allene Ray) Bar "O" ranch. Ben and Bob, along with Holt's loyal ranch foreman Frank (Buddy Roosevelt) take charge after the rustlers and seek justice.

FILM REVIEW:

Westward Bound, released in 1930 by bottom-rung Syndicate Pictures, is more interesting due to its cast than its overall story. This early talkie is just as creaky and statically-shot as others produced at this time but that just adds to the overall charm of the picture. This film gives two of the screen's lesser known cowboy heroes an opportunity to team up, those being Buffalo Bill, Jr. (real name Jay Wilsey) and Buddy Roosevelt. Along for the ride you have the great Ben Corbett as Bill's saddlepal and the legendary Yakima Canutt as a gang leader.

Sadly, the charismatic Roosevelt is all but wasted in this picture. Indeed, even though he is second billed on publicity materials, he seldom factors in to the story, which is a shame as this was a golden opportunity for both Buffalo Bill, Jr. and Roosevelt to exact justice western-style. As for Buffalo Bill, Jr. himself, he is just going through his paces, his heart clearly not into putting its all into the film's production. He gets a few opportunities to exude charm but is mostly sleep-walking through the picture. The other actors are just as wooden and lifeless with only Allene Ray giving any energy to the proceedings. I simply love her making Buffalo Bill, Jr's life miserable and she is seemingly enjoying herself while doing so.

Buffalo Bill, Jr. was an enigma having been bestowed that moniker by enterprising low-budget producer Lester F. Scott, Jr. It should be noted that this Buffalo Bill, Jr. bears no relation to the more well known Buffalo Bill, Jr. as portrayed by Dickie Jones on television in the 1950's. Buffalo Bill, Jr. started in silent westerns and later held a distinction of starring in several low-budget westerns for Victor Adamson and Superior Talking Pictures including the infamous Lightning Bill (1934), a film so remarkably poor that even its opening title card is misspelled "Lighting Bill."

Although a later film, the sequences of Bill and Corbett frolicking through the countryside in their underwear gave me eerie flashbacks to the Robert J. Horner magnum opus The Phantom Cowboy (1935, Aywon). However, Corbett is ten times the talent that the hackneyed Jimmy Aubrey ever was.

Overall, Westward Bound is only of interest to those who are knee-deep into the "B" western genre and enjoy the work of the stars presented. Otherwise, it's probably best to skip this one.

Until next time, pardners!

Unseen Enemies (1925)

Starring: Al Hoxie

Director: J.P. McGowan

Studio: Anchor Film Distributors

PLOT SUMMARY:

Bordertown ranger Steve Halliday (Al Hoxie) goes undercover to uncover a cocaine smuggling plot led by shifty Bingo Strook (Bob Kortman). It is up to Halliday to find the cache of illegal drugs before he is outed as a lawman. Halliday must combat Strook's gang, his female accomplice (Catherine Craig) and secure law and order to the Davenport ranch and restore power to its rightful heirs, the Davenport boys (Bud & Clayton Gilderbrand).

FILM REVIEW:

I should note upfront that the print I viewed of Unseen Enemies was quite splicy, washed out and blurry and only clocked in at thirty seven minutes and looked to be missing quite a bit of footage, making for rough viewing. 

However, from what I was able to see of the film, I enjoyed. Al Hoxie, half-brother of the far more successful Jack Hoxie, makes for a decent western star and is the spitting image of his brother. Al Hoxie made a handful of films for independent producer Morris R. Schlank, with Unseen Enemies being among those produced. These films were to be produced by John Ford's older brother Francis but wound up being helmed by noted "hack" J.P. McGowan. Given McGowan's reputation, Unseen Enemies isn't half bad, with a great fight at the end showing prune-faced Bob Kortman and Hoxie rolling down a treacherous hill and duking it out at the same time. The Gilderbrand boys portraying the Davenports are as bratty as they come but prove effective in the film's climax.

Unseen Enemies is available from Alpha Video on a double bill with Hoxie's The Rustler's End (1928, Collwyn) which was helmed by Robert J. Horner and not McGowan as Alpha's back cover incorrectly states. It should be noted that Alpha's "score" for Unseen Enemies is comprised of selections from the 1939 Astor Pictures reissue of William S. Hart's Tumbleweeds, right down to the sound effects. However, I must applaud Alpha for releasing such obscurities on home video as these minor, "B" grade silent oaters would most certainly not sell under a larger label.

Unseen Enemies is a fun timewaster, with the great Bob Kortman given some time to shine.

Until nest time, pardners!

The Brand of Hate (1934)

Starring: Bob Steele

Director: Lewis D. Collins

Studio: Supreme Pictures Corporation

PLOT SUMMARY:

Young Rod Camp (Bob Steele) intends to marry pretty Margie Larkins (Lucile Browne) with the approval of both sets of parents. All goes well until Larkins' (William Farnum) sleazy half brother Bill (George "Gabby" Hayes) and his two sons show up to commence with cattle rustling. Unfortunately for Larkins, his half brother threatens to have him sent back to Kansas to serve a prison sentence for a prior arrest, in order to stay on the ranch and engage in the criminal activities. One day while attending to his cattle, Rod's father (Charles K. French) spots Bill Larkins' sons branding his cattle and is promptly shot for his trouble. Rod decides to leave the Larkins alone until his loyal dog Pardner is shot. Rod seeks justice as well as revenge. 

FILM REVIEW:

During the first quarter of the film, I was admittedly more than a little disinterested. However this all changed once Holt, played wonderfully by James Flavin, shoots French. Thereafter, I was hooked. This sequence is handled wonderfully with an enraged Bob Steele standing over his father's wounded body with that famously intense stare he was known for. The Brand of Hate was also quite a shocking film in that Bob Steele's dog is shot, a sequence that will likely still elicit gasps from audiences today. Steele sells this wonderfully when he clutches his four-legged friend's head to his chest and gives yet another intense look, letting the audience know that playtime is over.

George Hayes, years before he would portray Gabby in the Roy Rogers films and even before his days of playing Hopalong Cassidy's saddlepal Windy Halliday, deserves special mention as the film's grisly villain. Hayes is perfectly detestable as Bill Larkins, so much so that one is satisfied to see Steele nearly choke him to death near the close of the picture. We are not dealing with the kindly old codger of the later films, this is a terrible person with no redeemable qualities being completely nasty for his own amusement. 

Steele is quite good during the fighting scenes at the end of the picture and takes some hard decks to his chin, but still shows Flavin, Hayes and crew who's boss. Steele, born Robert Adrian Bradbury, was the son of prolific western producer Robert N. Bradbury and even worked alongside his father in some of his greatest pictures. Steele, with his wonderfully intense scowl and physicality, made him one of the premier heroes of the "B" western. Indeed, Steele's career was a long one and spans from the silent era to the early television era. He was simply one of the greats and it shows in this film. He handles the saccharine romantic scenes with Browne quite well, but it's his no-nonsense approach to heroism that makes him a memorable screen presence. All Steele had to do was give that look and you knew someone was going to get it!

This was one of the 32 films Steele made for A.W. Hackel's Supreme Pictures Corporation, one of the many small independents that produced these "B" grade oaters, and the picture is just okay. The dog shooting and Flavin's sexual harassment of Lucile Browne are the most startling aspects of the picture but other than that, it's just an average film only of note to those of us who love them. A middle of the road picture with some shocking elements that keep audience interest. Bob Steele has made better films, but this is far from his worst.

Until nest time, Pardners!

The Old Oregon Trail (1928)

Starring: Art Mix

Director: Victor Adamson

Studio: Art Mix Productions

PLOT SUMMARY:

After helping the Mercer family retrieve their horses from a horde of villains, drunken cowboy Calamity Joe (Art Mix) decides to stop his drinking so that he may get closer to Mercer's beautiful daughter (Delores Booth). Years pass, but the two never forgot each other. When Joe competes at a local rodeo, he is spotted by Mercer (F.C. Rose) and his daughter who kindly invite him to dinner. While at Mercer's ranch, Joe intervenes when a dispute occurs between Mercer and his workers. Joe wrangles his friends from Condon City to help finish the work but they are troubled by the embittered teamster (Sid Seals) who Joe scared off. Joe, having enough of these men, wrangles them all together and fights it out with the teamster once and for all.

FILM REVIEW:

I went into The Old Oregon Trail with hesitation considering it was directed by and stars the notorious Victor Adamson, whose output in the sound era ranges from mediocre to poor. I was actually pleasantly surprised to find a film that is actually well made and beautifully photographed. My friend, the great western film historian Ed Hulse who was involved in preserving The Old Oregon Trail for modern day reappraisal, considers the film to be a remarkable achievement considering how impoverished Adamson and his wife, who portrays the heroine in the film, were at this time. Add to this, the most recent lawsuit launched by Tom Mix against Adamson for copyright infringement in using the "Art Mix" name. The character of Art Mix was actually portrayed by three different people, Adamson, most famously George Kesterson and rodeo cowboy Bob Roberts after Kesterson and Adamson were in a salary dispute. Art Mix was clearly meant to capitalize on Tom Mix's popularity. 

There was no real "crew" to speak of on the movie and it was shot for $900 and 5,000 feet of film and shot on location at the actual John Day River which looked much the same as it did during the pioneer days. Paul Allen, the cameraman, utilized his own camera for the film. The only "interior" set, the bar where the brawl breaks out, was actually filmed outdoors using the sun as natural lighting and with a few tables and chairs. Given the limitations of the production of the movie, The Old Oregon Trail is nothing short of impressive. Indeed, the movie features excellent photography, elaborate authentic settings and decent performances. 

The Old Oregon Trail shows how shrewd and cunning of a filmmaker Adamson was, he managed to create a feature-length western for less than $1,000 which, even by the standards of the day, was ultra low budget. It is an impressive piece of work and, I believe, more representative of what Adamson was capable of than his later sound output, which were far more costly to produce due to the conditions of early sound filmmaking. Adamson also doesn't make for a bad screen presence, he portrays the hero quite well and you can tell he believed in this project. It's even amazing the film exists at all. The only reason it is extant today is due to piracy by David Horsely, who donated the 5,000ft of film to the project.

I highly recommend The Old Oregon Trail to anyone who enjoys silent films, especially silent westerns and I absolutely recommend it to film students to show them how to create something on a grand scale for an exceptionally low budget. 

Until next time, pardners!

Range Riders (1934)

 

Starring: Buddy Roosevelt

Director: Victor Adamson

Studio: Superior Talking Pictures

PLOT SUMMARY:

Gold mine owners Sutton (Horace B. Carpenter) and Waldron (Fred Parker) are being terrorized by a local gang of ruffians led by Bull Crawford (Lew Meehan). Sutton, tired of all of the harassment, sends for his son Dick (Buddy Roosevelt) to take care of the gang. When Dick arrives, he poses as a Mexican caballero to not only humiliate the gang but stay one step ahead of them. Dick, along with his sidekick Pedro (Merrill McCormick), round up the claim jumping gang and put an end to their reign of terror.

FILM REVIEW:

Range Riders is one of those great examples of when the star outshines the drab material he's been given. Indeed, Buddy Roosevelt appears to be genuinely enjoying himself as he constantly taunts and humiliates Meehan's gang. The story is as compelling as paint drying, but Roosevelt makes the proceedings enjoyable with his natural charisma. 

Roosevelt is a great example of someone who should have been a bigger star. He had a great look, was quite athletic and had an overall good screen presence. Indeed Roosevelt, who came from the silent era, was an almost who never was, losing out on the opportunity to portray the Cisco Kid in the all-talking 1928 western In Old Arizona due to a leg injury. Warner Baxter ultimately took over the role and won the Best Actor Oscar for his trouble.

Further compounding Roosevelt's plight was when his wife demanded he be given a better salary when he was selected as the star of a series of Monogram Pictures westerns that ultimately went to a young John Wayne. After these two missed opportunities, Roosevelt was relegated to working with ultra bottom-of-the-barrel producer and director Victor Adamson in a series of dirt cheap and poorly produced talking westerns for Superior. Range Riders is so low-budget that during one of the early scenes, one can clearly hear Adamson giving Roosevelt and his co-stars direction to "keep going." 

As stated, Roosevelt really outshines the material and mediocre direction. I quite liked his cocky attitude towards dealing with Meehan's gang and the sequence where he forces Meehan to eat soap is earnestly entertaining. Roosevelt deserved better than these productions but they did offer him one last chance at stardom. After this series of films for Adamson, Roosevelt would go on to play character parts, heavies and even provided stuntwork for a multitude of stars. Roosevelt would pass away in 1973, long forgotten. 

Range Riders is only worth seeking out if you are a Roosevelt fan, a fan of Victor Adamson's or just a fan of the ultra cheap low budget oaters being produced during the 1930s of which I am all three. 

Until next time, pardners!

 

The Unknown Ranger (1920)

 

Starring: Rex Ray

Director: Harris Gordon

Studio: Aywon Films Corporation

PLOT SUMMARY:

Local ranch-hand Buck Manning (Rex Ray) discovers author John Chandler (Ben Hill) stuck on a county road and decides to bring him and his vehicle back to his ranch close to the Mexican border. Manning knows he has seen Chandler's face before but cannot place the name. Chandler claims to be unfamiliar with this part of the country, however is strangely aware of the cliffside hideout of two Mexicans. As it turns out, Chandler is not an author at all and is the headman of an opium smuggling operation. One night while believing everyone is asleep, Chandler escapes to the hideout. Unbeknownst to him, Manning is on his trail. Manning gets the drop on the bandits and chases Chandler along the cliffs and trails him back to the ranch where he seeks medical attention from Jo (Marie Newell). Manning enters the scene and gives Jo the entire story of how he was an undercover ranger sent to track down Chandler. Chandler escapes and Manning is about to shoot before being convinced not to by Jo as Chandler swims across the border.

FILM REVIEW: 

I have never seen a western with a pacifistic bent and, though I'm a pacifist myself, I hope to never see another again. Manning is the first western "hero" I've ever seen who allows the culprit to escape just because his girlfriend told him to. This was the most unsatisfying ending I think I've ever seen, it was akin to watching this past Saturday Night's Main Event where the villainous Gunther overtook and defeated the heroic John Cena. That match did not "send the folks home happy" and I doubt The Unknown Ranger did either in 1920. 

The enigmatic Rex Ray certainly lives up to the film's title. There is virtually nothing known about the wide-mouthed western actor aside from the fact that he made at least three films for Nathan Hirsh's Aywon Film Corporation before seemingly falling off the face of the Earth. Indeed, my friend, the noted western film historian Ed Hulse, was stumped as to who Ray was when I told him of my plans to pen this review. Honestly, it is for the best that Ray dropped out of the movie scene as he certainly does not make for a convincing cowboy hero. Ending notwithstanding, Ray is a diminutive man who possesses the widest grin this side of Joe E. Brown. His face was built for comedy and I'm surprised he landed in westerns instead of appearing in one of the thousand or so comedy shorts being produced at this time. Not once during the film did I believe in Ray and, in all honesty, even the weakest amputee could likely defeat him in a heartbeat.

The other actors are fair to poor and, with all due respect, Marie Newell is the homeliest heroine I've ever seen in a film. She looks less like a woman and more like a twelve year old girl, which makes the "love" scenes more than cringeworthy. 

I was both amused and shocked to see this was a drug smuggling plot and of opium no less. One must wonder who the intended audience was. Imagine the child who went to the theatre, expecting to see some cheap western thrills, coming home to ask his parents at the dinner table, "Mom? Dad? What's 'opium?" I am unsure if this was a common plot element in these near impoverished productions, but it was certainly a new one on me.

One of the elements that made the film a slog to sit through were all of the incessant flashbacks that occur during the film's brief forty-four minute runtime. There were three altogether and it felt like unnecessary padding just to get the film to feature length. The story was weak, the direction uninspiring and the acting was middling to poor. Not recommended unless you are a hardcore western nut like I am.

Until next time, pardners!