This is a wacky western adventure for Weng Weng, in which he and a partner battles assorted villains, including bandits, ninjas, and a local strongman, and are aided in their efforts by a tribe of little people. The plot is rather disjointed, so it can be difficult to follow just what is going on, but …
Wild and Woolly (Artcraft, 1917)
A wealthy young man (Douglas Fairbanks) who is mad about the “Wild West” gets a chance to experience it when a delegation from a western town approach his father, a noted financier, in hopes of a loan, and he in turn sends his son out to inspect conditions. Of course, the days of the frontier …
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Riders of the Whistling Skull (Republic, 1937)
This Western has some of the appeal of an Egyptological adventure, as the Three Mesquiteers — Stony (Robert Livingston), Tucson (Ray Corrigan), and Lullaby (Max Terhune) — become involved with solving the murder of a scientist who had escaped from a cult that had captured him and a colleague while they were looking for a …
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Texas City (Monogram, 1952)
Enjoyable Johnny Mack Brown movie has him teaming up with an ex-Army officer (James Ellison) cashiered because a gold shipment he was escorting was stolen. It’s up to the two of them to expose the inside man providing information to the bandits and put an end to the depredations, A ghost town hotel and some …
Buck Benny Rides Again (Paramount, 1940)
Nearly everyone from his radio show gets a chance to contribute in this Jack Benny movie — Phil Harris is key to setting Jack up to go west (though surprisingly he doesn’t lead his band), Andy Devine has a ranch Jack pretends to own, Dennis Day gets to sing, Mary Livingston contributes her voice, announcer …
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The Blazing Trail (Columbia, 1949)
The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) takes a hand when a suspicious will of a murdered man apparently leaves the bulk of his property to a wastrel son rather than his hard-working sibling. As with many of the series entries, flashback narration provides a portion of the running time, and there’s musical and comedy relief from …
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Fast Bullets (1936)
Ranger Tom Milton (Tom Tyler) seeks to infiltrate a criminal gang with the help of a reformed outlaw (Rex Lease). Complications ensue. Unusual features include a tap-dancing number by female lead Margaret Nearing and a clever ruse by the rangers using dummies to foil an ambush. Not exactly good, but reasonably entertaining. Mildly recommended. Otto …
Cheyenne Takes Over (PRC, 1947)
A planned vacation at a dude ranch comes to naught for Marshal Cheynne Davis (Lash La Rue) and pal Fuzzy (Al St. John) when they discover that Fuzzy’s ranch-owner friend is dead and those at the ranch want no visitors. A complicated plot involving not one but two impostors — one a good guy, one …
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Montana Desperado (Monogram, 1952)
Johnny Mack Brown is the owner of a ranch whose lessees have been systematically murdered, the last just as Johnny comes back to the area after a long absence. It is clear that someone is killing them, and other ranchers, too, in an effort to gain control of the valley. Johnny spots a masked rider …
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Somewhere in Sonora (WB, 1933)
John Bishop (John Wayne), wrongfully accused of cheating in a stagecoach race and causing injury to his rival, is backed by his boss (Henry B. Walthall), whose own son was accused of a crime and ended up in the gang of Monte Black (J. P. McGowan), down in Sonora. John heads across the border to …
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