Cal Shrum Movies
Western musician and occasional actor Cal Shrum and his Republic Rhythm Riders played their cowboy songs in a few low-budget westerns of the 1940s, including Swing, Cowboy, Swing (1943) and Outlaw at Melody Mesa (1944). Like many bands, Shrum's group underwent several personnel changes and among its former members were Spade Cooley and Tex Williams. Shrum started out performing with his brother Walt Shrum in the Colorado Hillbillies. They made their first film appearance in the Gene Autry western The Old Barn Dance (1938). The group performed in two more westerns and in 1939, Shrum left to form his Republic Rangers. The original line-up included Don Weston, Rusty Cline and Art Wenzel. During the '50s, Shrum and the band also performed on the radio and at rodeos. Earlier in the decade, Shrum also allegedly made six of his own low-budget westerns. They include Roaring 45's and Buckskin Rider. In the early '60s Shrum left the Republic Rangers to become a radio performer in Springfield, Illinois. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1949
Although not released until 1949, this obscure music Western was in all likelihood produced years before, perhaps as early as 1944. Country & western performers Cal Shrum and His Rhythm Rangers come to the aid of little Jimmy Henshaw (Jimmy Shrum), whose ranch is in danger of being taken over by Mark Simmons (I. Stanford Jolley), the youngster's nefarious guardian. Cal and the band obtain assistance from Marshal Brad (Brad King) and Simmons is soon arrested. The villain, however, manages to escape during a barn dance organized by Cal and his brother Walt. About to be caught by Marshal Brad and his posse, Simmons is killed by his own henchmen. With peace restored, Marshal Brad can contemplate a happier future with young Jimmy's new guardian, lovely Aunt Mattie (Lorraine Mickie). Although produced to showcase Shrum and his band along with such specialty performers as Alta Lee, the Yodeling Rangerette (aka Mrs. Cal Shrum), Trouble at Melody Mesa offered star-billing to Brad King, formerly sidekick Johnny Nelson in five Hopalong Cassidy Westerns. The director, W. Merle Connell, was also a prolific producer of "adults only" burlesque short subjects and helmed sexploitation films such as Test Tube Babies (1948). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1944
A "Texas Rangers" series entry from PRC, this low budget western features Dave "Tex" O'Brien as a stranger in town introducing himself as the notorious bandit Spade Norton. Crooked saloon owner Red Hayden (I. Stanford Jolley) believes him at first but then the real Spade (Jack Ingram) turns up and all hell breaks loose. Guy Wilkerson and James Newill plays O'Brien's ranger colleagues, the latter performing Speed Hansen's "Someone Is Waiting", "Forget Me Not" and "When the Western Sun Is Sinking". ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Newill, Dave "Tex" O'Brien, (more)
- 1944
An obscure entry in the musical Western cycle, Swing, Cowboy, Swing was produced by and starred country & western bandleader Cal Shrum. Shrum and his band, the Rhythm Rangers, are warned away from playing a theater in Big Bend by Cal's brother, Walt Shrum and his Colorado Hillbillies. Ignoring the warning, the Rhythm Rangers arrive at the theater only to be shot at by a masked stranger. With the help of stranded vaudeville performer Max "Alibi" Terhune and his dummy Elmer, Cal manages to catch the mystery shooter who turns out to be Frank Lawson (Frank Ellis). Lawson, it is revealed, wanted to ruin the theater so he could buy it on the cheap. Along with brother Walt and the Colorado Hillbillies, Cal Shrum had appeared in Gene Autry's The Old Barn Dance (1938) before forming his own music group, the Rhythm Rangers. A very low-budget effort, Swing, Cowboy, Swing was directed by Elmer Clifton, a veteran from the early silent era, and released on the States' Rights market by Westernair Pictures. The film apparently did not generate enough interest for a series, but was re-released by Astor Pictures in 1949 under the title Bad Man From Big Bend. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1941
Thunder Over the Prairie was the second of Charles Starrett's "Dr. Steve Monroe" westerns. The unorthodox plot is set in motion by an evil land baron (Donald Curtis) who uses the local Indians as laborers, then finds legal methods to cheat them of their pay. Dr. Steve Monroe (Starrett), the reservation physician, does his best to thwart the villain by peaceable methods. When all else fails, the good doctor shows himself quite adept with both fists and six-guns. The heroine is played by Eileen O'Hearn, a Columbia contractee never given an opportunity to reach her full potential, while the comedy relief is provided along surprisingly intelligent lines by Cliff Edwards, cast as a mail-order medico. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Cliff Edwards, (more)
- 1940
In his final release of 1940, Monogram's answer to Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, played a United States Marshal assigned to investigate a gang that is taking advantage of the prison honor system. Helping unsuspecting prisoners escape, the gang enlists them in bank holdups. As the escapee demands money, a member of the gang shoots him down to claim the reward money. Tex, however, deputizes a couple of inmates and can soon bring the gang to justice. A very minor entry in the Ritter oeuvre, Rollin' Home to Texas featured future Western lead Eddie Dean as a sheriff. Ritter performed seven musical numbers, including Under Texas Stars and Wabash Cannon Ball. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tex Ritter, Cal Shrum, (more)
