Frank Ball Movies

Pulp-novel detective Nick Carter was created in the 1880s, but most film versions of the character have been updated to modern times. Such was the case with MGM's three-episode "Nick Carter" series, which got off to a good start with Nick Carter, Master Detective. Walter Pidgeon plays the title character, who in this episode gets mixed up with industrial espionage. Posing as one "Robert Chalmers", Nick gets the goods on a gang of foreign spies (no country names, please!), bringing them to heel during a serial-like waterfront chase. Rita Johnson essays a rare sympathetic role as stewardess Lou Farnsby, while Donald Meek steals the show as Bartholomew the beekeeper (a character who would grow increasingly annoying as the series went on). Nick Carter, Master Detective was coscripted by Bertram Millhauser, who also penned several of the Rathbone-Bruce "Sherlock Holmes" films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In Early Arizona was western star Bill Elliot's first effort for Columbia Pictures. Not yet "Wild Bill" Elliot (as he would later be billed), the actor is cast as Whit Gordon, who rides into Tombstone Arizona to help keep the peace. Elliot is appointed sheriff, making him the particular target of every fast gun in the territory. Though clearly based on the career of Wyatt Earp film is careful not to violate the copyright on Earp's life story, which then was held by 20th Century-Fox. In fact, contrary to previous published reports, the name "Wyatt Earp" is not mentioned at all in In Early Arizona; only the designation of Tombstone itself was in the public domain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A B-Western of the old school, Durango Valley Raiders stars diminutive Bob Steele as Keene Cordner, a drifter who obtains the job of foreman for rancher Mac McKay (Karl Hackett). But Keene proves to be the son of Mac's old partner (Steve Clark), with whom he once had a dramatic falling out. A mysterious gang of killers has been targeting the area's ranchers and Mac begins to suspect Keene to be their illusory leader, the Shadow. In order to get to the bottom of the deplorable situation, the youngster plays along for a while and is finally able to unmask the real culprit, whose identity comes as a shock to the community. Produced independently by A.W. Hackel, Durango Valley Raiders was released under the Republic Pictures banner. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Bar Z Bad Men is a slick 1930s oater showcasing Johnny Mack Brown. Per the title, Brown signs on as ranchhand at the Bar Z. The spread is plagued by rustlers, and this plot peg builds to a well-staged cattle- stampede climax. Leading lady Lois January, whose acting ability was several steps above most western ingenues, provides spirited support for Brown. Bar Z Bad Men was produced independently by A. W. Hackel's Spectrum Productions, then released by Republic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The 1937 Bob Steele western Ridin' the Lone Trail was released by the legendary Republic Studios, but it was filmed independently, its production values on a par with Steele's previous poverty-stricken efforts at lesser studios. At one point, the silence of the lone frontier is broken by the sound of an airplane motor. In between the anachronisms is a story involving a stagecoach line plagued by robberies. "Battling Bob" (as he was known in the trade papers) is hired to ride shotgun and to expose the bandits behind the holdups. Ridin' the Lone Trail was one of several Bob Steele westerns produced by the pinchpenny A.W. Hackel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A disgruntled ranger quits his job after a crooked state's attorney manages to get a case of murder thrown out of court in this standard Bob Steele western released by Republic Pictures. But as Dan Larsen (Steele) soon learns, there is more to the murder suspect, Wally Smeed (Ernie Adams), than meets the eye and together they go after the state's attorney, Kemper Mills (John Merton), who has quite a few interesting secrets of his own. Like so many of his westerns, The Gun Ranger was directed by Steele's real-life father, Robert North Bradbury. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Gambling Terror was one of the more worthwhile entries in Johnny Mack Brown's so-so western series for producer A.W. Hackel. The no-frills plotline finds hero Jeff (Brown), ostensibly a dude gambler, taking on a band of cowboy racketeers. The "big boss" turns out to be the outwardly respectable Bradley (Earl Dwire), a frontier Capone who runs a profitable protection racket aimed at the local cattlemen. The direction and camerawork are sloppy, but the action content can't be faulted. Appearing in support of Johnny Mack Brown are Iris Meredith and Dick Curtis, soon to become fixtures of Columbia's Charles Starrett westerns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Boothill Brigade stars Johnny Mack Brown as frontier do-gooder Lon Cardigan. Villainous land-grabber John Porter (Edward Cassidy) spends most of the early reels divesting homesteaders of the hard-earned property. All of this comes to an end when Cardigan looms into view, fists at the ready. Seldom resorting to gunplay, our hero manages to send Porter's minions scurrying, then concentrates on cleaning the main bad guy's clock. Produced by A.W. Hackel for Republic release, Boothill Brigade boasts considerably better cinematography than the usual Hackel product. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Johnny Mack Brown stars in this middling western entry. The former high-school football hero plays a Texas Ranger, who early in the film rides into a wide-open town. Instead of immediately clearing out the criminal element, Brown characteristically chooses to bide his time, giving the crooks enough rope to hang themselves. Critics were pleased with the film's action content, but took lead-in-lady Louise Stanley to task for adopting a wardrobe and hairdo more suitable to Sunset Boulevard than the Lone Star States. Produced independently by A. R. Hackel, The Lawless Land was released by "the home of the westerns," Republic Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Johnny Mack Brown goes in search of a treasure map tattooed on the chest of a man who once betrayed his father in this average western from low-budget Supreme Pictures. Bruce Reynolds happens on the scene just as his quarry, Grandpa Jenkins (George Hayes), is being attacked by one of his former partners. To preserve his secret, the dying Jenkins allows the sheriff (Jack Rockwell) to arrest Bruce for murder. Our hero, however, makes a daring escape and hightails it to the Valley of the Lawless where he easily persuades gang leader Garlow (Frank Hagney) that he, too, is a desperado. Accepted into the gang, Bruce is awarded the nickname of "Tiger" but the arrival of Grandpa Jenkins' heirs, son Amos (Frank Ball) and grandchildren Joan (Joyce Compton) and Billy (Bobby Nelson), almost blows his cover. Things go from bad to worse, especially when the sheriff's lovesick son, Cliff Graves (Denny Meadows), accuses Bruce of killing Amos for the map to the treasure, a despicable act actually committed by one of Garlow's men. The outlaws are eventually defeated but in the mistaken belief that Joan is in love with Cliff, Bruce lets himself be arrested for the murder of Amos. Joan, however, learns the truth and declares the vindicated Bruce her love. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Western favorite Bob Steele stars as Sundown Saunders, so named because of his remarkable ability to win at poker just at the moment when the sun goes down. Winning 640 acres of land in a pony race, Saunders leaves cards and chips behind to take charge of his property. He doesn't yet know that his is the finest grazing land in the territory -- but the villainous Taggart (Ed Cassidy) does know, and he does everything in his power to drive Saunders off the land. Even worse, Taggart is a backshooter, and Saunders had just turned his back! Sundown Saunders is an oddity in the Bob Steele canon, in that the hero's father isn't murdered. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Veteran silent screen star William Farnum earns one of his more prominent talking picture roles in this otherwise standard Bob Steele Western from Supreme Pictures. Farnum plays Sheriff Bill Mason who, after being forced to shoot outlaw Ben Brokaw (Frank Ball), promises the dying man to look after his young daughter Mary (Reetsy Adams) and never to tell the girl the truth about her father's occupation. Disgusted with himself for having had to actually kill someone, Mason resigns from his sheriff's job and becomes a stage driver. Years later, Steve Brent (Earl Dwire), a former accomplice of Brokaw's, blackmails Bill into helping him rob the stagecoach. Enter Ray Burton (Steele), the young ranger who is in love with the now grownup Mary (Joan Barclay), and Brent's days in the sun are numbered. As usual, this Bob Steele Western was directed by the star's real-life father, Robert North Bradbury. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Produced by low-budget company Supreme Pictures (which weren't), this middling B-western was saved somewhat by its personable star, the strapping former footballer Johnny Mack Brown. Mack plays Dan Doran, the rogue of the title, who rescues a pretty missionary, Tess (Phyllis Hume), from the ubiquitous runaway team. In town, Doran not only leaves the welfare of the girl to Stella, the saloon hostess (Lois January), but admits to having earlier robbed the stage. Sent up the river for 20 years, Dan makes the acquaintance of Jim Mitchell (George Ball), a fellow inmate, and the two make their escape together. Returning to the scene of the crime, Dan joins Jim's gang of stage robbers. The town's natty-looking banker, Lige Branscomb (Alden Chase aka Stephen Chase) is observed courting Tess, who now owns the Golden Nugget coffee shop. Dan, who is in reality an undercover G-man, has Stella rescue Tess from marrying the villainous Branscomb who, of course, is the secret leader of the gang of stage robbers. Leaving Tess to her coffee shop, Dan proposes to Stella, who accepts. Although already beginning to exhibit the middle-age spread that would mar his later appearances, Johnny Mack Brown once again proves that he was a better actor than most of his B- western rivals. The same cannot be said for Phyllis Hume, who plays the missionary girl with only one expression, bewilderment, and whose only film this seems to have been. Max Davidson, an old-fashioned "Dutch-style" comic who had been in films before Charles Chaplin and almost everyone else, appears briefly and for no apparent reason in order to perform a bit of timeworn shtick as a Jewish salesman. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide