Tom Chatterton Movies
Distinguished-looking character actor Tom Chatterton was one of early Western star William S. Hart's first directors (His Hour of Manhood [1914], Jim Cameron's Wife [1914]) and was a top supporting star, himself, during the late '10s. After a long stint in vaudeville and legitimate theater, Chatterton returned as a Hollywood bit player in the late '30s, often cast in Western B- movies, usually playing professional men, doctors, lawyers, military officers, and the like. Among his more memorable performances was that of the aged lawman Bat Matson in the Sunset Carson oater Code of the Prairie (1944), a character undoubtedly inspired by Bat Masterson. He also played the sheriff in the 1947 serial Jesse James Rides Again. Chatterton died in Hollywood in 1952. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1949
In one of his better later Westerns, singing cowboy Jimmy Wakely comes to the aid of a reformed outlaw and his wayward son. Wrongfully accused of a shooting, the outlaw, Hank Cardigan (Lee Phelps), is rescued by Jimmy, who manages to obtain a job for his new friend at the local express office. But Cardigan's unruly son, Tom (John James), is determined to repeat his father's mistakes -- until, that is, Jimmy and sidekick Cannonball (Dub Taylor) convince him that crime does not pay. Wakely and an unbilled Ray Whitley perform "I Have Looked the Whole World Over" and Foy Willing's "Rose of Santa Fe." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1948
There's a thrill a minute in the economical actioner Highway 13. Robert Lowery plays Hank Wilson, an honest truck driver who suspects foul play after a series of trucking "accidents". Offering his services to undercover detective George Montgomery (Gaylord Pendleton), Wilson finds himself at the mercy of the villains-who hope to put a major transportation firm out of business-when Montgomery is murdered in an unusually grotesque fashion. It wouldn't be fair to reveal the true identities of the criminal masterminds, except to say that the actors playing those roles had seldom appeared as villains in any previous film. It can be said that the usually underhanded Dan Seymour shows up as one of the good guys, one of the many surprises in this lightning-paced little film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1948
Hired to catch a killer horse named Midnight, Jimmy Wakely and sidekick Cannonball (Dub Taylor) get themselves in trouble with a couple of confidence artists, Monica (Christine Larson) and Brent (Leonard Penn). The latter accidentally kills Jimmy's employer, horse breeder Tom Chadwick (Tom Chatterton), and blames Midnight, who is about to race Monica's stallion Ace High. The dead man's daughter, Laura (Kay Morley), at first believes Midnight to be guilty, but is finally persuaded otherwise by Jimmy, who goes after the crooks and their young boss, Lannigan (John James). When not breaking wild horses or engaging in fisticuffs, Jimmy Wakely performs his own and Oliver Drake's "Rose of the Prairie," along with "Dear Okie," by Rudy Sooter and Doye O'Dell, and "Headin' for Home," by Isham Jones. Outlaw Brand also features hillbilly musicians Ray Whitley (who, not coincidentally, was also Wakely's manager), Dick Reinhart, Jack Rivers, and Louis Armstrong. The latter should, of course, not be confused with the jazz legend of the same name. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1948
Whenever veteran stuntman Yakima Canutt held the directorial reins of a Republic western, it was a sure bet that there'd be plenty of breakneck action. The star of Canutt's Carson City Raiders is Allan "Rocky" Lane, a former college football player who was no slouch in the stunting department himself. Lane plays an agent for a Nevada express company, bound and determined to arrest a gang of stagecoach robbers. The villains try to gain a toehold in Carson City by revealing that local sheriff Tom Drew (Steve Darrell) is a former outlaw. But with Lane's help, Drew clears his name and rounds up the crooks. Billed second in Carson City Raiders--and deserving the honor -- is Allan Lane's faithful steed Black Jack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, (more)
- 1948
Republic's heartwarming Heart of Virginia has the homey charm of a 1930s "regional" picture. In one of his rare late-1940s leading roles, Frankie Darro plays a reckless jockey who'll stop at nothing to win. His fierce competitiveness results in the death of another rider. With the help of understanding Janet Martin, the daughter of his former boss, Darro redeems himself. The film benefits from its location footage and thrill-packed racing sequences. Originally released at 60 minutes, Heart of Virginia is generally available in the slightly abridged TV version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janet Martin, Robert Lowery, (more)
- 1948
In this family farce, an older couple falls in love and decide to marry and embark upon a peaceful honeymoon without the bride's three bratty children. Unfortunately, the way things work out, the whole family ends up tagging along. The little darlings are less than pleased that their widowed mother has remarried and behave as monstrously as possible. Eventually their frustrated step-daddy has his fill and gives each of the brats a well-deserved licking. After a major quarrel, they each return home alone. Meanwhile a sly seductress who has her eye on the husband for a while, and who just happened to be staying at the same hotel, rushes back home and plans a little party designed to further humiliate the bride. Fortunately, a change of heart scuttle's the vixen's plans and happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray, (more)
- 1948
In a season that also saw him as The Denver Kid (1948) and The Sheriff of Wichita, Republic's Allan Lane, still carrying the nickname of "Rocky," became marshal of the title's rough-and-tumble Texas location. Marshal Lane comes to the aid of a group of stagecoach passengers stranded at the spooky Halfway House after driver Ben Dolan (Roy Barcroft crashed the stage in an attempt to outrun a masked gunman. Prospector Nugget Clark (Eddy Waller) realizes that the Halfway House may not be your average hostelry when the night clerk (Denver Pyle) keeps up a lengthy conversation with a non-existent porter named George. After discovering the body of fellow passenger Hiram Short (Charles Williams), Marshal Lane and Nugget become even more mystified when the manager of the place, Welsh (Trevor Bardette), announces that he employs no night clerk and that the only guest in residence is cranky Mrs. Pettigrew (Minerva Urecal). Yet another stranded passenger, Underwood (Tom Chatterton), has vanished into thin air, his room now used for storage. Dolan, the stage driver, also meets with sudden death and the missing Underwood's pretty daughter Marjorie (Mildred Coles) informs Lane that her father was carrying $50,000 on his person, money earmarked for buying a ranch. Arriving to the inn late at night, Marjorie is also served by the spooky night clerk, who offers to take her to see her father. The plot thickens and Marshal Lane realizes that Underwood has been kidnapped for his money. After all the mysterious goings-on have been unmakes as fake, the murder/kidnapper is caught in a dramatic chase between stagecoaches, a chase that ends in a raging river. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, (more)
Even star Joan Bennett and director Fritz Lang regarded The Secret Beyond the Door as the weakest of their collaborative efforts. Bennett plays spoiled socialite Celia, who falls recklessly in love with the handsome but emotionally complex Mark Lamphere (Michael Redgrave, in his first American film). After their wedding, Celia becomes uncomfortably aware that Mark's mild distrust of women is actually a deep-set, and potentially dangerous, hatred. Even when facing the possibility that she'll be murdered in her sleep, Celia remains loyal to her unbalanced husband. The slowly mounting tension is enhanced by the mood-drenched cinematography of Stanley Cortez and the feverish musical score by Miklos Rozsa. But when it's all over, The Secret Beyond the Door fails to linger in the memory in the manner of such earlier Lang-Bennett efforts as The Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Bennett, Michael Redgrave, (more)
A woman struggles to reassemble her broken life in this drama that features Susan Hayward in her first starring role. The woman started out as a night-club singer, but abandoned her career after marrying a budding radio star. At first she does everything she can to insure his success, but when he finally hits the big-time, the woman finds herself deeply depressed and turning toward the bottle for solace because he is increasingly absent from her life. She becomes a full-fledged alcoholic and her husband, unable to take it anymore begins divorce and custody procedures. It takes such extreme measures to wake her up to her problem. Fortunately, with hard work, and renewed support from her husband, she overcomes her addiction. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Hayward, Lee Bowman, (more)
- 1946
As usual, the title of this Sunset Carson western from Republic Pictures means absolutely nothing. William Bonney is nowhere to be found, nor is he mentioned. Instead, Carson plays "Sunset Carson," aka "The Kid," a ranger only pretending to be an outlaw in order to infiltrate the notorious Marshall gang. But after investigating the murder of a fellow ranger, Sunset sides with pretty "gang leader" Ann Marshall (Peggy Stewart) against the real culprit, Matt Conroy (Roy Barcroft), a nasty banker attempting to take over Ann's spread by railroading employer Peewee (Russ Whiteman). Although no actor, handsome Sunset Carson looked great on a horse, had a way with a fist and didn't bump into anything along the way. Like all the Republic cowboys, Carson was of course helped immeasurably by the studio's roster of stalwart supporting players, especially Barcroft, Tom London (here playing a friend instead of a foe for a change) and Peggy Stewart. The latter, who was to appear as Carson's leading lady no less than eight times, helped the former rodeo rider become a better thespian "by having him count the dots between his lines." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1946
Red Ryder and his comical sidekick take on a new batch of bad-guys in this western, the 16th in the Red Ryder series. This time the heroic duo try to save a female rancher from a greedy financier who wants her land so he can exploit the enormous oil fields lying under it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1946
An exemplary "Red Ryder" Western, Stagecoach to Denver features Red (Allan Lane), his aunt, the Duchess (Martha Wentworth), and Little Beaver (Bobby Blake) caring for Dickie Ray (Bobby Hyatt), a young child who has broken his back in a stagecoach collision that also took the life of Land Commissioner Felton (Edward Cassidy). Unbeknownst to the people of Elkhorn, stage owner Big Bill Lambert (Roy Barcroft) had arranged the "accident" in order to get rid of the pesky land commissioner who threatened to ruin his plans for controlling all communication between Elkhorn and Denver. Little Dickie requires an operation but Doc Kimball (Tom Chatterton) needs the consent from his nearest relative, Denver resident May Barnes (Marin Sais), whom the boy has never met. Since she is scheduled to arrive on the same stage as the new land commissioner, Taylor (Tom Chatterton), Aunt May poses a problem for Big Bill, who has them both kidnapped and replaced with his own people, Wally (Stanley Price) and Beautiful (Peggy Stewart). The latter feels sorry for little Dickie and is ready to bail but Big Bill forces her to go through with the deception. The boy survives his operation, of course, and Big Bill's treachery is eventually revealed. But Beautiful pays a rather heavy price for her part of the deception when she takes a bullet meant for Bobby. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martha Wentworth
- 1946
In this western, Red Ryder and his sidekick prove that a man never committed the crime of which he has been accused. They then round up the real outlaws. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1946
The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) comes to the aid of a young preacher (Tex Harding), who is battling a gang of land grabbers operating out of Dusty Gulch. As it turns out, The Kid, alias Steve Ranson, has a personal quarrel with town boss Blaze Howard (John Calvert), who had his brother, the marshal, killed. But as Steve, Tex and comedy sidekick Cannonball (Dub Taylor) learn, Howard isn't calling the shots at all but is taking orders from someone completely above suspicion. In a rare contemplative moment, Tex Harding and leading lady Mildred Law sing the Reverend W.B. Stevens' "Farther Along" while Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys interrupt the action with Wills and Tommy Duncan's swinging "Stay a Little Longer" and "Dev'lish Mary". ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Tex Harding, (more)
- 1946
Setting something of a record for flashbacks within flashbacks, The Locket recounts the mental disintegration of bride-to-be Laraine Day. As a child, Day was accused of stealing a locket at a fancy party. She has spent her life getting even for this false accusation by becoming a kleptomaniac and ruining the lives of those around her. She drives one man (Robert Mitchum) to suicide, and stands by as another man is executed for a murder which she has committed. Assuming her revenge on the world is complete when she becomes engaged to the son of the woman who'd accused her of thievery, Day is overtaken by the demons within her and collapses on the altar. The Locket is difficult to follow at times, especially when seen in commercialized chunks on the Late Late Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laraine Day, Brian Aherne, (more)
- 1946
California began life as a remake of Paramount's silent western epic The Covered Wagon, but by the time it emerged on-screen in 1946, the project had metamorphosed into a standard Technicolor frontier "spectacular", concentrating more on star power than anything else. Set during the 1848 mass migration to California, the film stars Ray Milland as Army deserter Jonathan Trumbo and Barbara Stanwyck as "shady lady" Lily Bishop. Since it is clear from the outside that the purportedly disreputable Trumbo and Lily will emerge as the film's true hero and heroine, it is easy to ignore the melodramatic plot convolutions and concentrate on the outsized, well-directed wagon train sequences. George Coulouris has a few ripe moments as a sagebrush Hitler who intends to set up his own despotic empire in California, while Barry Fitzgerald does his usual Irish-blarney routine as an itinerant farmer. As a bonus, Barbara Stanwyck sings a couple of newly-minted "cowboy" songs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Milland, Barbara Stanwyck, (more)
Without Reservations has to be the least typical John Wayne picture of the postwar era. Top billing is bestowed upon Claudette Colbert as Kit, a best-selling novelist heading westward to oversee the film version of her latest novel. Taking it upon herself to select the man who should portray the hero of her novel, Kit chooses war hero Rusty (John Wayne), whom she meets during her train trip to Hollywood. Unaware of Kit's true identity, Rusty and his pal Dink (Don DeFore) rail against the factual errors in her book. One thing leads to another, and before long Kit, Rusty and Dink have all been thrown off the train for annoying the other passengers. After a hectic stopover at a New Mexico farm, Kit reveals who she really is to Rusty and Dink, who are understandably put out. All is forgiven in the end, of course, with Kit and Rusty altar-bound at fadeout time. The Hollywood scenes feature such guest celebrities as Cary Grant, Louella Parsons and Jack Benny; and yes, that is an unbilled Raymond Burr as Claudette Colbert's dancing partner. Without Reservations was based on Jane Allen and May Livingston's novel Thanks, God, I'll Take it From Here (too bad they couldn't use that title!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudette Colbert, John Wayne, (more)
- 1946
Making his starring debut, Republic cowboy Monte Hale strums his guitar and sings Over the Rainbow Trail by Ken Carson, The Sons of the Pioneers and Down at the Old Hoe-Down by Gordon Foster, and Take Your Time by Glenn Spencer; on the last of these, he is accompanied by Bob Nolan. In between all the warbling, Hale finds enough time to prove that little Bobby Blake's pet bear isn't the one causing death and destruction among the area's cattle. For some reason, Republic chose the Hale series to launch their newly developed Magnacolor scheme, thus making the rather wooden Hale the first of the studio's illustrious cowboys to appear in (almost) natural hues. Adrian Booth (formerly Lorna Gray) made the first of seven appearances opposite Hale as little Bobby's sister, antagonistic at first toward the hero but falling properly in love with him before the fade-out. Little Bobby Blake (formerly Mickey Gubitosi of Our Gang fame) later became Robert Blake and the star of television's Baretta. Monte Hale never quite accepted the tag of "singing cowboy," and his series, which lasted until 1950, became increasingly less musical with each new entry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Adrian Booth, (more)
- 1945
Red Ryder rounds up a crooked sheriff in this western adventure. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Substituting for Allan Lane, who'd been called away to active military service, Bill Elliot stars in the Republic "Red Ryder" western Marshal of Laredo. This time, Red comes to the aid of a frontier lawyer, who is suspected of being an outlaw (a logical enough error). Enlisting the aid of his Native American chum Little Beaver (Bobby Blake) and his older friend The Duchess (Alyce Fleming), Ryder finds the real criminals post-haste. With such thugs and pluguglies as Roy Barcroft, George Cheseboro and Bud Geary in the cast, it's amazing that the bad guys weren't exposed in the first reel. Like all the "Red Ryders", Marshal of Laredo was inspired by the popular Red Ryder comic strip and radio series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1945
In this western, Red Ryder leads a wagon train of homesteaders into a ghost town and discovers that it has become an outlaw's hideout. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
An interesting entry in Republic Pictures' long-running "Red Ryder" B-Western series, this film is not about hardy settlers braving the Colorado winters, as the title would suggest. Instead it's a sort of Reform School Western about a couple of wayward Chicago boys (Billy Cummings and Freddie Chapman) taken in by Ryder's indomitable aunt, "The Duchess" (Alice Fleming. The boys escaped their very own "Fagin," Bull Reagan (Roy Barcroft), and were given a second chance on the lady's Western ranch. Unfortunately, Reagan returns to do a bit of cattle rustling, once again luring the boys into becoming his accomplices. The stalwart Ryder (William Elliot and his young Indian sidekick, Little Beaver (Robert Blake), come to their rescue, and the real villain is soon put away. Interestingly, at one point in the film, Ryder and his aunt are (unjustly) accused by the townspeople of exploiting their youthful ranch hands. Buckwheat Thomas of Our Gang fame, plays a character named Smoky. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Popular latter-day serial queen Linda Stirling starred in the title role in this well-made 12 chapter serial produced by genre specialist Republic Pictures. Stirling plays Barbara Mededith, a pretty girl who takes over her murdered brother's crusading newspaper. She also assumes the dead sibling's identity as "The Black Whip," righting the wrongs of Crescent City very much in the manner of her famous ancestor, Zorro. Off course, "being a mere woman," Barbara needs the assistance of a stalwart young man, in this case Vic Gordon (George J. Lewis), a government secret agent. Arguably the most popular serial heroine since the days of Pearl White, Linda Stirling's other top-billed serial role was as The Tiger Woman (1944). The choice of Lewis as Stirling's male lead was surprising; the Mexican-born Lewis, although handsome enough and a veteran of Universal's popular "Collegians" 2-reelers, had recently played mostly villains. Produced by Ronald Davidson, Zorro's Black Whip benefitted from second unit direction by stunt-man extraordinaire Yakima Canutt and special effects by the famed Theodore Lydecker. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1944
In this western, Red Ryder, his youthful sidekick, and another pal take on a wicked governor. This was the first in a new series of Red Ryder, a character based on Frank Harman's comic strip westerns. An earlier attempted series had proven a dismal failure. This series was more successful and continued on for years. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1944
Bill Elliot is back as Red Ryder in Cheyenne Wildcat. Also back are Ryder's perennial cohorts Little Beaver (Bobby Blake, later Robert Blake of Baretta fame) and the Duchess (Alice Fleming). When not pummeling the bad guys, Ryder is the reluctant apex of a love triangle. It's formula stuff all the way, socked across with ingenuity by director Leslie Selander. Cheyenne Wildcat is especially fun to watch during the finale, when Republic's battery of stunt experts take over. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
