Frank Brownlee Movies
In hundreds of films between 1911 and 1943, general purpose actor Frank Brownlee played everything from scruffy-looking miners to captains of industry and was often seen in Westerns. In the silent era, Brownlee was usually found on the wrong side of the law, playing characters with names like Klondyke Jim, Gold-Dust Barker, or "Scrub" Hazen, but he later played scores of military officers, guards, and especially lawmen. In the latter part of his career, Brownlee rarely enjoyed onscreen billing. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi- 1943
This lightning-paced Republic western stars Don "Red" Barry as lawman Tennessee Colby. When sinister forces try to prevent a congressional investigation of shady freight-line activities, Colby swings into action. The problem: Among the bad guys is Colby's best friend, Tommy Logan (Bud McTaggart). The sheriff wavers in his loyalties until Logan adds cold-blooded murder to his list of crimes. This is one film that cries out for comedy relief, which is provided in excess by Emmet "Pappy" Lynn. Dead Man's Gulch manages to pack of passle of plot in its brief 58 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Lynn Merrick, (more)
- 1942
Republic's ongoing professional association with the celebrated "Ice-Capades" skating show yielded a number of flashy but forgettable musicals, including 1942's Ice-Capades Revue. Though a plot is hardly necessary, the story concerns New England farm gal Ann (Ellen Drew), whose already-mounting debts are escalated when she inherits a near-bankrupt ice show. Her efforts to revivify this operation are regularly thwarted by a conniving promoter named Duke Baldwin (Harold Huber), who has already tied up all the best arenas for his own skating spectacular. But Baldwin's second-in-command Jeff (Richard Denning) falls in love with Ann and vows to see to it that her show will be staged, come heck or high water. Jerry Colonna goes through his customary zaniness as an eccentric would-be backer who turns out to be a phony, while Barbara Jo Allen again trots out her dizzy "Vera Vague" characterization. Foremost among the skating acts in Ice-Capades Revue is Vera Hruba Ralston, who'd later be elevated to leading-lady status at Republic by her ardent admirer (and future husband), studio president Herbert J. Yates. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ellen Drew, Richard Denning, (more)
- 1942
A well-acted, well-paced entry in the Don "Red" Barry Western series from Republic Pictures, The Sombrero Kid featured the diminutive Barry as Jerry Holden, the apparent son and heir of veteran lawman Tom Holden (Robert Homans). But when Holden Sr. is killed by one of Banker Martin's (Joel Friedkin) gang of claim jumpers, Jerry learns that his real father was Bart Clanton, a notorious bandit killed by Marshal Holden, who then raised the orphaned boy as his own. After accidentally killing one of Martin's men, Taggart (I. Stanford Jolley), in a barroom fight, Jerry becomes a fugitive wanted for murder. He joins a gang led by Smoke (Stuart Hamblen), one of Martin's henchmen, hoping to obtain enough evidence to convict the crooked banker. Along with Tommy Holden Jr. (John James), who has replaced his late father as town marshal, Jerry sets a trap for Mason's weak-willed son, Phillip (Rand Brooks). In a desperate attempt to escape justice, Mason kills Phillip, but is arrested by Jerry. The latter is cleared of all charges and elected sheriff by a grateful citizenry. Country gospel songwriter Stuart Hamblen makes a fine villain in one of his infrequent screen appearances and blonde Lynn Merrick is, as always, an attractive adornment to any "Red" Barry vehicle. Merrick, whose contract was held jointly by Republic and Columbia Pictures, appeared in no less than 16 Barry Westerns, one of the longest runs of any sagebrush heroine. Her "leading man" this time around, however, is John James, not Barry. The Sombrero Kid was filmed at the Walker Ranch at Placerita Canyon, CA, a busy location for low-budget moviemaking from 1931-1955. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Lynn Merrick, (more)
- 1942
Though Don "Red" Barry is the star of Jesse James, Jr., he plays a character named Johnny Barrett. The scene is a small western town, lacking telegraph service. Every time the locals try to set up communications with the Outside World, they are thwarted by an outlaw gang. Barry-er, Barrett--comes to the rescue. The supporting cast of Jesse James, Jr. includes several formidable western baddies, among them Bob Kortman, George Cheseboro and Stanley Blystone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Lynn Merrick, (more)
- 1942
Before his promotion to "A" pictures, Don "Red" Barry was perhaps the feistiest of Republic's cowboy-star stable. In Arizona Terrors, Barry poses as an outlaw, the better to cross six-guns with evil land baron Reed Hadley. Barry's true identity, and the purpose of his mission, is known only to President William McKinley--and when McKinley is slain, our hero is a candidate for the noose. The official cast list of Arizona Terrors doesn't indicate who plays McKinley, but we can tell you that Barry's leading lady is Lynn Merrick. She plays one of several homesteaders being victimized by the smooth-talking Hadley, thus she is demonstrably grateful when Barry comes to the rescue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Lynn Merrick, (more)
- 1942
The lachrymose PRC drama Prison Girls was based on the Octavious Roy Cohen short story Gallant Lady, which was also the film's alternate title. In her first starring role in several years, Rose Hobart plays Rosemary Walsh, a woman doctor sentenced to a long jail term for a mercy killing. Escaping from a prison farm, Rosemary takes refuge in the home of general practitioner Steve (Sidney Blackmer). With his help, she manages to start a whole new life for herself. Reviews were generally positive for Prison Girls, but the PRC poverty-row stigma did little to advance the careers of its talented stars. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1942
Stagecoach Buckaroo was Johnny Mack Brown's final Universal western of the 1941-42 season. A gang of holdup men has been plaguing the stagecoach line run by Denton (Henry Hall), the father of heroine Molly (Nell O'Day). Hoping to flush out the crooks, hero Steve (Johnny Mack Brown) rides shotgun on the next stage run, with his sidekick Clem (Fuzzy Knight) sitting inside the coach disguised as a female passenger! Clem's "drag" routine is played for as many laughs as it can get, then the film hunkers down to the business at hand-namely, gunfire and fisticuffs. Despite a short 58-minute running time, Stagecoach Buckaroo is able to accommodate four song numbers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Fuzzy Knight, (more)
- 1942
Don "Red" Barry is unjustly accused of being a Missouri Outlaw. The real bad guys are a gang of crooks who've been conning the local merchants and farmers out of their hard-earned dollars. Barry decides to use his bad reputation to his advantage by infiltrating the criminal gang. Our Hero may be small, but he's wiry, as the villains discover to their painful chagrin. Watch for former cowboy star Kermit Maynard, brother of Ken, in a character bit. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Lynn Merrick, (more)
- 1942
The Man from Cheyenne is Roy Rogers, who does his best to squash a gang of cattle rustlers. What Roy doesn't know is that the mastermind behind the gang is a beautiful woman, East Coast socialite Marian (Lynn Carver). Making Marian's job easier is the fact that all the local cattlemen are crazy about her, and have a tendency to tip off the times and locations of their impending cattle drives. But Rogers is not so easily flummoxed-after all, he's a government man. Man From Cheyenne was hailed at the time of its release as the film in which Roy Rogers received his first screen kiss, which was certainly not the case. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1942
Republic Pictures' final 1942 release was the "Three Mesquiteers" western Shadows on the Sage. The better-than-average plot (brainstormed by screenwriter J. Benton Cheney) finds our three heroes battling a crooked banker and an elusive bandit -- who happens to be the exact double of Mesquiteer Tucson Smith (Bob Steele). The other members of the courageous triumvirate are Tom Tyler as Stony Brooke and future Mickey Mouse Club host Jimmy Dodd, here replacing Rufe Davis as Lullaby Joslin. The most memorable supporting players include corpulent Frank Capra-"regular" Harry Holman as the ineffectual sheriff and juvenile performer Freddie Mercer as a would-be lawman. The leading lady is Cheryl Walker, one year away from her bid for stardom as the idealized "Eileen" in Stage Door Canteen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, (more)
- 1942
In this drama, a woman performs a mercy killing and ends up in jail. To clear her name, she escapes and ends up hiding out with a kindly country doctor who helps her. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rose Hobart, Sidney Blackmer, (more)
- 1941
Another of Universal's Richard Arlen-Andy Devine actioners, Lucky Devils casts the mismatched duo as a pair of intrepid newsreel cameramen. When they're not risking their lives coverning the Hot Spots of the world, Dick (Arlen) and Andy (Devine) busy themselves romancing Norma (Dorothy Lovett) and Gwendy (Janet Shaw), respectively. Our heroes' predilection for sticking their noses where they shouldn't gets them mixed up with a gang of Axis saboteurs. Perfect nonthink entertainment, Lucky Devils was specifically designed for the lower half of double bills. Sharp-eyed viewers will spot future Universal star Maria Montez among the bit players. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Andy Devine, (more)
- 1941
An entertaining amalgam of Universal contract players, leftover sets and stock footage, South of Tahiti stars Brian Donlevy, Broderick Crawford and Andy Devine as Bob, Chuck and Moose, three stooge-like sailors who land on a South Sea island. While Bob pitches woos at voluptuous native girl Melahi (Maria Montez in one of her earliest leading roles), Chuck and Moose try to plunder a valuable-and sacred--bed of pearls. Nothing much happens after this, except for a few dozen shots of gorgeous Universal starlets in various states of undress. H.B. Warner, who in his heyday played Jesus in DeMille's The King of Kings, brings a modicum of dignity to the proceedings as a native chieftan. Even at its weakest, South of Tahiti is slick and pleasantly amusing. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Donlevy, Broderick Crawford, (more)
- 1935
Directed by his father, Robert North Bradbury, Bob Steele's third Western for independent producer A.W. Hackel remains one of the most bizarre and evocative B-Westerns of the 1930s. Written by set designer/supporting actor Perry Murdock, The Big Calibre is really a horror movie masquerading as a Western, complete with a mad, disfigured scientist who kills by employing vials of poison gas. Steele's onscreen father (Frank Brownlee) becomes the Mad Doc's first victim and the sheriff's investigation points to town chemist Otto Zenz as the killer. Before he can be arrested, Zenz escapes with Steele in hot pursuit. (Eerily, director Bradbury favored stories about sons hunting down their fathers' killers.) Along the way, the young cowboy stumbles over a mysterious and unsettling pile of dried-up bones, a stage hold-up that isn't quite what it appears to be, and a girl (Peggy Campbell) whose ranch is threatened by a greedy lawyer (Forrest Taylor). The latter's co-conspirator, the hideously deformed assayer Gadski, may or may not be the missing chemist/killer. Despite all that, Steele manages to revenge his father's death in a final, desperate struggle during which the maniacal killer is undone by his own murder weapon. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Peggy Campbell, (more)
- 1935
- NR
John Wayne's easy-going charm truly began to manifest itself in this, one of his later "Lone Star" Westerns for Monogram. Falsely accused of killing the paymaster (Henry Hall) of the Rattlesnake Gulch rodeo, John Scott (Wayne) and his girl-chasing partner Kansas Charlie (Eddy Chandler) trail the real killer, Pete (Al Ferguson), and his unwilling underling Jim (Paul Fix) to Poker City. Jim wants to go straight, but Pete blackmails him into robbing the stagecoach. John and Kansas, who are known in town as Jones and the Reverend Smith, are once again accused of the crime, but Jim helps them escape from jail. When the young bandit refuses to commit bank robbery, Pete shoots him in cold blood. The villain is caught by John and Kansas, whom Jim has cleared of all crimes on his deathbed. Besides one of Wayne's better early performances, The Desert Trail -- whose title bears no close scrutiny -- also benefitted from the presence of Frank Capra-regular Eddy Chandler, a rotund comic actor whose sparring here with Wayne is first-rate all the way. Paul Fix is equally good as the outlaw with a conscience and Mary Kornman, of Our Gang fame, is tolerable as the obligatory heroine. The Desert Trail was directed with easy assurance by the veteran Lewis D. Collins, who for some reason billed himself "Cullin Lewis." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Mary Kornman, (more)
- 1935
A cruel old man is bested by a boy's dog who rescues his young master. ~ Rovi
- 1933
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are policemen on night duty. As they sit in their car having a snack, they get a call from headquarters to inform them that their spare tire is being stolen. But that's only a taste of their sheer incompetence -- when they are told to investigate a burglary, they get distracted and forget the address. While trying to call headquarters to get the address again, the duo encounter a crook in a jewelry store (Frank Terry) and send him on his way after fitting a court appearance into his busy schedule. When they find the crook trying to steal their police car, Ollie scolds him for his misbehavior, and says he now must be in court tomorrow. With that they head over to the house in question and sure enough, a man (Frank Brownlee) is wandering around, trying to get in. He goes into the basement and they follow, but are faced with a locked door. Ollie decides the best bet is to go in the front door, using a marble bench as a battering ram. After several attempts, which land Ollie in the fish pond, they crash in -and crash through the staircase into the basement. The man who broke in -- and who, it turns out, is the owner -- goes to investigate and also falls through the hole to the basement. Stan and Ollie knock the man unconscious and drag him triumphantly into the station. The other policemen recognize him as the Chief of Police. The boys make a dash for the exit, and the Chief, now conscious, goes after them, brandishing his gun. Two gunshots later, he returns with a grim order: "Send for the coroner!" The other officers remove their caps. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi
- 1933
Tom Mix goes up against a ruthless gang of rustlers headed by a crooked army colonel in this, his penultimate Western for Universal. When a vigilante group assembled by Colonel Charles Ormsby (John St. Polis) fails to make a dent in the rustlings -- primarily because Ormsby and the local sheriff (Frank Brownlee) are the secret leaders of the gang -- rancher Tom Munroe (Mix) is assigned by the governor of Arizona to look into things. With the help of local cowboy Lucky Dawson (Raymond Hatton), Tom discovers that young rancher Bernie "Little Casino" Laird (Arthur Rankin), the weakling brother of Norma Laird (Naomi Judge), is secretly a member of the gang. When the rustlers turn to robbing the stage, Mix manages to arrest Bernie and two henchmen (Francis McDonald and Robert Kortman), but all three are freed from jail by Ormsby. During a climactic shootout at the Laird ranch, young Bernie reveals that Ormsby and the sheriff are crooked and the entire gang is rounded up and arrested. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Naomi Judge, (more)
- 1932
Filmed at Red Rock Canyon, AZ, and at rental stages at the California Tiffany Studios, Tombstone Canyon was the fifth of eight low-budget westerns Ken Maynard would make for independent producer E. W. Hammons' K.B.S Productions. Searching for his parents' killers, Ken goes up against a mysterious masked villain, "The Phantom," whose shrill cry of vengeance sends shivers through the settlers in Tombstone Canyon. But as Ken quickly learns, "The Phantom" (Sheldon Lewis) only kills men working for nasty Alf Sikes (Frank Brownlee). The latter attempts to blame Ken for the recent slayings of his henchmen but the newcomer manages to prove otherwise. In the end, there is a huge surprise in store for our intrepid hero, whose parentage is not quite what he has always believed. Although technically crude and directed with the usual lethargy by Alan James (formerly Alvin J. Neitz), Tombstone Canyon is at times beautiful to look at and presents a legendary cowboy star at the height of his game. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ken Maynard, Cecilia Parker, (more)
- 1932
- NR
Drafted into the army during World War I, those muddled misfits Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy make a shambles of Training Camp before being shipped to France. When their best pal Eddie (Donald Dillaway) is killed in battle, Stan and Ollie vow to locate the grandparents of Eddie's orphaned little daughter (Jacquie Lyn). Unfortunately, the grandparents are named Smith--and they live in New York City. With only a city directory and phone book as their guide, Stan and Ollie undergo several chucklesome misadventures as they scour the canyons of Manhattan to find Mr. and Mrs. Smith. With the orphanage officials hot on their heels, the boys take drastic action to raise enough money to get out of town with the little girl. All turns out well when Eddie's grandfather makes an appearance under the least likely circumstances. But before Laurel & Hardy can enjoy their own happy ending, they cross the path of an old enemy from their army days: a knife-wielding chef with blood in his eye. The second of Laurel & Hardy's feature-length films, Pack Up Your Troubles is, so far as we're concerned (and here we part company with most Laurel & Hardy buffs), infinitely more amusing than their first feature effort, 1931's Pardon Us. Best bit: An overtired Laurel, attempting to tell a bedtime story to the little girl, ends up snoozing away as the kid finishes the story. The powerhouse supporting cast includes such Laurel & Hardy regulars as James Finlayson, Billy Gilbert, Rychard Cramer, Charles Middleton and Charlie Hall. George Marshall, the film's director, proves a mirthsome menace in the small role of the vengeful chef. For years available only in its 62-minute reissue form, Pack Up Your Troubles was restored to its full 68-minute glory in the mid-1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, (more)
- 1931
This western serial features the famous trained German Shepherd Rin-Tin-Tin. Rinty gets involved in an Indian uprising caused by a mysterious criminal known as the "Wolf Man" and a father and son who are under attack by outlaws trying to steal their gold mine. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi
- 1931
Filmed at Newhall, CA, with exteriors shot at Universal City, Mascot Pictures' The Vanishing Legion became the little company's signature serial. Producer Nat Levine had managed to sign veteran cowboy star Harry Carey, blonde starlet Edwina Booth, and Olive Fuller Golden, Carey's wife, all of whom had recently just barely survived the travails of filming MGM's Trader Horn (1930) under extremely difficult conditions in what was then termed Darkest Africa. Now they were employed in a typical serial story of young Jimmy Williams (Frankie Darro) and his wild stallion (the famously intemperate Rex, King of the Wild Horses), both searching for the mysterious gang that framed Jimmy's father (Edward Hearn) in a murder scheme. The two get assistance from leathery old Happy Hardigan (Carey), who has discovered a plot by the lawless Vanishing Legion to sabotage Caroline Hall's (Booth) ancestral oil company. Behind the shenanigans is a master criminal, heard but never seen and known only as "The Voice." The identity of the villain is revealed only in the 12th and final chapter, "The Hoofs of Horror." Said identity, which of course shall not be revealed here either, was that of a venerable, old character actor who usually played kindly fathers. Of course, Mascot engaged in a bit of skullduggery themselves by having Boris Karloff as a "voice double." Also released in a re-edited feature version, The Vanishing Legion has become synonymous with Mascot Pictures and is the title of a groundbreaking biography of the little studio by Jon Tuska. Sadly, the serial proved the final film for silent screen cowboy Dick Hatton, who was killed in a car accident later in the year. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Harry Carey, Frankie Darro, (more)
- 1931
The star of the 12-episode Mascot serial The Galloping Ghost can be only one man: legendary college football star (Red Grange). Cast as the star gridiron attraction at mythical Clay College, Red is thrown off the team in disgrace when he attempts to cover for his pal Buddy (Francis X. Bushman Jr.), who has accepted a bribe to throw the Big Game. Thus, Grange is obliged to spend the serial's remaining 11 episodes to clear himself and to find out who is the "brains" of the gambling ring. Can there be any doubt as to the outcome? Evidently, there was some doubt in 1931, since Galloping Ghost proved to be one of Mascot's most profitable chapter plays. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Based on "Bride 66", a tone poem by composer Herbert Stothart, The Lottery Bride takes place in a distinctly Hollywoodized Norway. Ever on the lookout for extra cash, heroine Jenny Swanson (Jeanette MacDonald) coerces her sweetheart Chris Svenson (John Garrick) to participate with her in a three-day marathon race. When the exhausted couple fails to win first prize, Jenny enters herself in a "wife lottery." Though the lucky winner appears to be Chris's older brother, it is actually Chris himself -- but he isn't aware of it, having embarked on a dirigible expedition to the Yukon. Only after surviving a crash landing does Chris return home for a blissful reunion with Jenny. With a plot this silly, why did the producers bother to hire Joe E. Brown and ZaSu Pitts as comedy relief? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeanette MacDonald, John Garrick, (more)
- 1929
A murder trial provides the setting of this drama that presents, via flashback, three very different versions and motives of the killing. According to the prosecution, the deceased's sexy (and very much married) mistress is behind the murder. The defense asserts that the woman's lover killed himself because she would not give into his demands. Unfortunately, neither side is correct. Fortunately, the real culprit confesses in court at the very last minute. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mary Duncan, Edmund Lowe, (more)
