Whistling Hills (1951)

Starring: Johnny Mack Brown

Director: Derwin Abrahams 

Studio: Monogram Pictures

PLOT SUMMARY:

A western town is besieged by a gang of outlaws who continuously target stages carrying payroll. These men are seemingly notified by a female ghost, clad in black and on horseback, who signals the band with an intense, loud whistle. As it turns out, this dreadful series of events was inspired by an old Spanish tale of two lovers who died in the "whistling hills." A cowboy (Johnny Mack Brown) arrives in town, searching for a horse thief but is enlisted to assist Sheriff Dave Holland (Jimmy Ellison) snuff out the gang by insurance man Chet Norman (I. Stanford Jolley). Unbeknownst to Johnny, Holland and Norman, the culprit of these robberies are two individuals with close ties to Norman. It is up to Johnny and Holland to unmask the "ghost" haunting the "whistling hills."

FILM REVIEW:

This late period Johnny Mack Brown vehicle was yet another recommendation from my friend Steve Latshaw, director of the Museum of Western Film History (Museum Website) and I couldn't be happier with these selections. Each one of them has been exceptional and Whistling Hills is no different. 

Indeed, the film is loaded with exciting and exceptional action as well as a compelling plotline as penned by Jack Lewis, Fred Myton and Lew Hodgson. The film's twist ending is one of the most unexpected in the history of the "B" western and as someone well versed in these films, that's saying something. The cast is great with the brilliant I. Stanford Jolley playing against type as one of the film's protagonists. Noel Niell, not yet Lois Lane of The Adventures of Superman fame has a nice showing as Beth Fairchild and Jimmy Ellison, long gone from his days as Hoppy's pal, also performs nicely. 

Johnny Mack Brown, of Dothan, Alabama, was already a screen veteran by the time of the release of Whistling Hills, going back to the late 1920's when he appeared in Mary Pickford's first talkie Coquette (1929, MGM). He was also an established cowboy star, having worked for Supreme Pictures, Republic Pictures, Universal Pictures and finally Monogram Pictures. The one time football hero's days in the movies were numbered as Monogram became Allied Artists and dropped their western programmers. However, Johnny Mack Brown is still fondly remembered by front row kids and "B" western aficionados alike.

Whistling Hills is a brilliantly directed, written and acted "B" western from the genre's dying days. Filled with plot twists, great fights and exciting gunplay and showed how venerable the genre could have been had the studios continued producing them. From a different area of interest, I highly recommend director Derwin Abrahams' late period Charlie Chan entry Docks of New Orleans (1948, Monogram), one of the best later Chans starring Roland Winters.

Whistling Hills is highly recommended and one of the best films I've seen thusfar.

Until next time, pardners!

Arizona Territory (1950)

Starring: Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde

Director: Wallace Fox

Studio: Monogram Pictures Corporation

PLOT SUMMARY:

While traveling to Santa de Oro, prospector Jeff Malloy [Whip Wilson] catches a runaway buckboard, with its driver shot in the arm. Thankfully for Malloy, the driver is still alive and it turns out to be beautiful Doris Devin [Nancy Saunders] who owns the local trading post. The post has been experiencing a rash of killings, which has caused the post to lose drivers.

Meanwhile, back at the post mysterious Otis Killburn [John Merton], who shot Devin, is amazed that she survived. Devin turns out to be his niece who became entrusted to Killburn's custody after her father passed on. Unfortunately, it turns out that Killburn has a lengthy criminal past and he has been pressuring Doris to move back to Kansas City to be with her aunt. She refuses and he hires henchman Steven Cramer [Carl Mathews] to watch the post and keep an eye on Malloy.

Malloy heads into town to report the attempted murder to the sheriff, however he is away at a convention. Malloy then heads to local assayer Jud [Frank Austin] to obtain cash for his hefty gold claim. On his way out, Malloy runs into local codger and old friend Marshal Luke Watson [Andy Clyde], who is investigating counterfeit money that has proliferated throughout the United States. As it turns out, Killburn is the culprit and has been using the trading post as a means to spread the phony funds out in the community. 

At the same time, Doris and Indian agent Greg Lance [Dennis Moore] are discussing the mysterious killings and Lance is attempting to pressure Doris into marrying him. Unfortunately for Lance, Jeff and Luke ride up to the post to look into the shady dealings. Jeff convinces Doris to hire Luke as a buckboard operator to haul pottery to and from the post. Cramer catches sight of Malloy departing the post and heads off to do away with our hero.

Lance heads to the reservation to converse with Killburn, who is working on pottery. As it turns out, Lance is in cahoots with Killburn and only intends to marry Doris so that he may have a bigger stake in the counterfeit scheme. Meanwhile, Cramer unsuccessfully attempt to gun down Malloy and Malloy heads to the top of a nearby cliff and whips Cramer off his horse and before Cramer can shoot Malloy, Malloy drills him and hides his body.

Later that night, Malloy plots to purchase the post from Devin. The next morning, Doris discovers Killburn's wallet full of counterfeit cash. meanwhile, Lance is stalking Malloy and discovers Cramer's body in a nearby shack, Malloy arrives to the post and discusses his plans with Doris, while Lance storms off to inform Killburn of Cramer's murder. While the two are in conversation, Luke shows up to pick up a shipment of pottery. He attempts to head in to the factory but is stopped by half-breed Joe [Carol Henry]. 

While riding with the pottery, Watson discovers that Killburn is hiding the counterfeit money in the pottery being transported. Joe is sent out to kill Watson, but Watson gets Joe first. Lance heads to the post and lies to Doris and tells her that Malloy is responsible for the murders. Jeff walks in and the two fight it out. Doris rides off and Luke spots her, she informs him she is headed to the pottery works and Watson heads back to the post. 

Doris arrives at the pottery works and is spotted by Killburn. Doris discovers more counterfeit money and Killburn kidnaps Doris. Hot on their trail is Jeff and Luke who arrive just in time to apprehend Killburn and rescue Doris. 

FILM REVIEW:

Arizona Territory was a decent timewaster, but a decidedly average "B" western from the genre's dying days. The film was also released during the dying days of Monogram Pictures which, just three years later, would transition into Allied Artists Pictures. As such, the film is  a decidedly lower-tier production only featuring a maximum of three key locations: town, the trading post and the pottery works and much of the film resembles more of a television production than that of a silver screen motion picture. However, to be fair to the film, most Monogram productions of the time resemble television productions, their Charlie Chan films with Roland Winters look very much the same way, flat and without much depth. I realize Monogram was lower on the totem pole then say, Republic Pictures, but one can tell the studio's days were numbered with their later productions. 

The best part of Arizona Territory is its cast. John Merton is perfect as the slimy, villainous Killburn and is the best straight actor in the film, whereas hero Whip Wilson's performance is average at best, however to his credit, he handles the bullwhip rather well. Undoubtedly though, the greatest performer in Arizona Territory is veteran comedian Andy Clyde as Marshal Luke Watson. Clyde is effortlessly charismatic as Wilson's sidekick and is not only amusing but also quite adept at fight scenes. He neither hams it up nor sleeps through his performance, striking the perfect balance between comedy and action. Clyde had recently completed a run as California Carlson, sidekick to William Boyd's Hopalong Cassidy and was nearing the end of his long-running series of comedy shorts at Columbia Pictures, being one of the longest lasting comics at the studio, second only to the Three Stooges. Clyde was indeed a veteran by the time Arizona Territory was released, having been in the film industry since the silent era with Mack Sennett Studios.

As Hollywood is so often to do, whenever something or someone becomes popular, their first instinct is to copy it, many times without full understanding of what made the original so beloved and unique in  the first place. This is certainly true with Whip Wilson, real name Roland Charles Meyers, who Monogram signed to compete with Producers' Releasing Corporation (PRC) western star Lash LaRue. Monogram even went to the extent of fabricating an origin story to the press about Wilson, stating that he was born on a ranch in Pecos, Texas and was a direct descendant of General Custer. None of these claims are true.

It must be said, LaRue exuded much more charisma in his performances, had a superior look and was overall more popular than Wilson ever was. This is not to say Wilson does not have his merits, he is a decent presence and he looks great on a horse and is adept at handling a bullwhip. In fact, Meyers served as double to Walter Matthau to perform whipping scenes in the great actor's debut film, The Kentuckian with Burt Lancaster. Meyers would pass away on October 22, 1964 of a heart attack at only 53 years of age.

If Clyde is the best performer in the film, Dennis Moore is the worst. Sure, he looks shifty enough but his line delivery is atrocious, almost at Shatner levels. Nancy Saunders is also forgettable as the heroine. The other cast members, however paltry their time on screen was, are also unmemorable.

All in all, Arizona Territory was an average "B" western while the genre was in its death throes, shot flat by cinematographer Harry Neumann and performed flat from most of the players. It goes without saying that the film is inessential but worth viewing if you're a diehard enthusiast such as myself.