Twists galore and a fair amount of action make for an entertaining tale as three Confederate soldiers facing death for selling guns — George Hilton, Edd Byrnes, and Jorge Martín — are given their freedom (after a fashion) in exchange for going after some stolen Confederate gold. The protagonists aren’t particularly admirable, but it is …
Read the full post →“<em>Professionals for a Massacre</em> (1967)”
An orphanage faces closure because the local cattlemen’s association, which supports it, is facing bankruptcy, owing to payouts to ranchers whose stock has been rustled. The Three Mesquiteers — Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston), Tucson Smith (Ray Corrigan), and Lullaby Joslin (Max Terhune) — are trustees of the orphanage, and they take steps to keep it …
Read the full post →“<em>Roarin’ Lead</em> (Republic, 1936)”
Several years before their costarring roles in The Great Treasure Hunt and The Devil’s Wedding Night, Mark Damon and Rosalba Neri appeared together in this western. Here, Neri plays Samantha Felton, who with her brother has murdered Damon’s uncle (her brother actually pulled the trigger); she now must eliminate her dead husband’s heir, Johnny Yuma …
Price-gouging is central to this outing for Lash LaRue (as Marshal Cheyenne Davis) and Al St. John (as Fuzzy Q. Jones). The villainous Taylor (George Chesebro) and his gang rob supply wagons so Taylor can sell the food at a tremendous markup; they are countered by Robin Hood-like vigilantes, who give food to the settlers …
Read the full post →“<em>The Fighting Vigilantes</em> (PRC, 1947)”
This fine ensemble western, based on Akira Kurosawa’s Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai), relates how the titular group of adventurers and guns for hire are employed to defend a much-abused Mexican village from the depredations of an outlaw band. Yul Brynner as Chris, aided by Steve McQueen as Vin, recruits the team, including slick, knife-wielding …
Read the full post →“<em>The Magnificent Seven</em> (UA, 1960)”
Tom Barton (Tom Tyler) searches for his missing brother, a marshal who has been replaced by a fake, and helps the young woman (Carol Wyndham) whose family stage line is the target of crooks who may be responsible for his brother’s disappearance. As usual, Tyler is an engaging hero, and there are some reliable performers …
Max Terhune steps in as Lullaby in this, the second of the long-running series of Three Mesquiteers movies at Republic, and his character is soon joined by ventriloquist’s dummy Elmer, a fixture in Terhune’s performances both in this series and others, whom Lullaby wins in this film by beating a carny at three-card monte. The …
Read the full post →“<em>Ghost-Town Gold</em> (Republic, 1936)”
The skeleton-garbed super-criminal is menacing the Old West in this Turkish movie, also known as Kilink vs. Django, and it is up to the popular western character Django to try to stop him. The performances are rather less than compelling, and the storyline no better than OK. It is always at least minimally entertaining to …
Harry Carey projects quietly humorous confidence as an undercover lawman who has come to town to put an end to the depredations of “the Night Rider.” George “Gabby” Hayes (as Altoonie) and Julian Rivero (as Manuel Alonzo Valdez) provide solidly amusing support, and Tom London does well with a sizeable role, too. A good example …
Nick (Bob Steele), a rather callous and callow youth, indulges in crime à la Robin Hood, but must split his loot with the gang that assists him and with the sheriff (Charles King), who is on the take. Trouble arises when Gail Winters (Helen Foster) comes to town, and when the sheriff murders a rather …
