Modern-day western with reporter Speed Morgan (Rex Bell) after gangsters who’ve headed west after a diamond shipment. Serviceable but unmemorable. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great. Movie 247 for 2021.
The Dude Bandit (Allied, 1933)
Hoot Gibson once again plays a Zorro-like character, here investigating the death of “Dad” Mason while pretending to be a mild-mannered cowboy and also thwarting the bad guys while in disguise as the “Dude Bandit.” Fun but slight entertainment. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great. Movie 244 for 2021.
Django (1966)
Franco Nero stars as a mysterious gunfighter who drags a coffin along behind him and ends up tackling not one, but two different bands of cutthroats. An engaging, moody film. The popularity of the character spawned many unofficial “sequels” and unrelated films with his name in the title. Well worth a look for spaghetti western …
Deadwood Pass (Monarch / Freuler Film Associates, 1933)
Postal inspector Tom Whitlock (Tom Tyler) goes undercover as an escaped criminal, the Hawk, who has hidden a fortune in stolen bonds, Whitlock hopes to use his position to get in with the bad guys and look for the loot, but matters get complicated when someone who knows the real Hawk arrives. Tyler has charisma, …
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Cowboy Canteen (Columbia, 1944)
A western-oriented entry in the field of morale-boosting all-star musicals set around a servicemen’s canteen, this 1944 Columbia outing has a ranch owner (Charles Starrett) who joins the Army and is assigned to a camp near his home, while a canteen is set up for the soldiers with performing talent and staffing from the area, …
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The Rider of Death Valley (Universal, 1932)
When crooks murder a man who has discovered a gold mine, rancher Tom Rigby (Tom Mix) steps in to ensure that the man’s young daughter will inherit. The arrival of the girl’s aunt (Lois Wilson) gives the crooks an opportunity to make their play, leading to a desert trek that strands the party — Tom, …
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Hey, Amigo…Rest in Peace! (1970)
Moderately interesting but fairly standard spaghetti western (original title: Ehi amigo… sei morto!) stars Wayde Preston as a postal official in pursuit of crooks who have robbed a stagecoach. There’s a fair amount of violence, with the protagonist tackling an outlaw gang in their lair, and some twists in the tale. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously …
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Ghost Town Law (Monogram, 1942)
The Rough Riders — Marshals Buck Roberts (Buck Jones), Tim McCall (Tim McCoy), and Sandy Hopkins (Raymond Hatton) investigate the killing of two marshals, Tim’s friends, who were seeking a crook in the vicinity of a ghost town. The efficient programmer makes decent use of the setting, with tunnels connecting parts of the town and …
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Bullets and Saddles (Monogram, 1943)
The Range Busters series draws to a close with Bullets and Saddles. This time around, the boys — Ray “Crash” Corrigan, Dennis Moore, and Max “Alibi” Terhune (with Elmer) — are called in by Mother Craig (Rose Plumer) to help counter the machinations of the evil Jack Hammond (Glenn Strange, who does well with his …
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Border Phantom (Republic, 1937)
Cowboy Larry O’Day (Bob Steele) and his sidekick aim to help a young woman accused of murdering her entomologist uncle in a plot that also involves the smuggling of illegal aliens across the border. An odd plot but still somewhat entertaining for fans of Bob Steele. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, …
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