Whip Wilson Movies
A cross between Buck Jones and Lash LaRue, or so his publicity claimed, Whip Wilson is by many fans of B-Westerns considered the final nail in the genre's coffin. A fairly successful singer, Wilson (born Roland Charles Meyers) was discovered by Jones' longtime business partner, Monogram producer Scott R. Dunlap, who tested the waters by awarding him a supporting role in the Jimmy Wakely Western Silver Trails (1948). Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, Dunlap was convinced of Wilson's potential and starred him in no less than 23 oaters (1949-1952), beginning with Crashing Thru (1949), which at least had the saving grace of Andy Clyde as the comic sidekick. But Clyde was later replaced by Fuzzy Knight and former Red Ryder Jim Bannon, neither of whom was of much help to the newcomer. To compound matters, the bizarre popularity of PRC's Lash LaRue led Dunlap and Wilson to concentrate on the latter's whip-wielding skills, an entertaining dexterity but not enough to insure sustained popularity. Following his stint as a B-Western hero, Wilson taught Burt Lancaster how to use a whip in The Kentuckian (1955) and ran a Los Angeles apartment building complex. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Produced and directed by star Burt Lancaster, The Kentuckian is a leisurely western occasionally punctuated by spurts of startling brutality. The recently widowed Lancaster heads towards Texas with his son Donald McDonald. Most of the folks he meets, notably winsome schoolmarm Diana Lynn, bondslave Dianne Foster, and Lancaster's down-to-earth brother John McIntyre and sister-in-law Una Merkel, are pretty good souls, despite the raging family feud that motivates the plotline. The same cannot be said of whip-wielding saloonkeeper Walter Matthau (in his film debut), who goads Lancaster into a bloody fight. Matthau wins this round, but he gets his just deserts before the final fadeout. Based on a novel by Felix Holt, The Kentuckian makes excellent use of Technicolor and Cinemascope, as well as the musical expertise of composer Bernard Herrmann. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Dianne Foster, (more)
- 1952
Whip Wilson and Tommy Farrell star in this Western as a pair of cowboys who are new in town. When they break up a brawl in the neighborhood saloon, they're made town marshals, but they have little time to bask in their glory before they have to help settle a range war between a group of ranchers. While most folks in town think Terry Howard (Phyllis Coates) is the one who has been causing all the problems, Whip has a hunch someone else is to blame. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1952
Cowboy star Whip Wilson keeps whipping along in Monogram's Night Raiders. This time, Wilson and saddle pal Tom Farrell are federal marshals, assigned to stop the activities of a nocturnal terrorist group. These so-called Night Raiders lay waste to local ranches, but curiously never steal anything. The trail of clues leads to a motivation (fixing an upcoming election) and, inevitably, a Least Likely Suspect who turns out to be the brains of the organization. Fuzzy Knight supplies laughs, while Terry Frost and Marshall Reed provide menace. Whip Wilson's Night Raiders co-star Tom Farrell was the son of actress Glenda Farrell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Tommy Farrell, (more)
- 1952
The West is scared by an infamous gunslinger in this western film. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1952
Monogram's Whip Wilson western series was in its final year of existence when Lawless Cowboys hit the screen. Set in the contemporary West, the film casts Wilson as a Texas Ranger on the trail of a crooked gambling ring. The bad guys are doing their best to fix the results of local rodeo events. With the help of crusading newspaperman Jim Bannon, Wilson corners the crooks and lets them taste the lash of his bullwhip. Fuzzy Knight handles the comedy-relief chores as a disheveled newspaper publisher. Though the Whip Wilson vehicles were seldom any better than adequate, Lawless Cowboys is actually pretty good. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Jim Bannon, (more)
- 1951
Whip Wilson rides again in the Monogram western Abilene Trail. Wilson and his grizzled sidekick Andy Clyde are accused of horse stealing, a hangin' offense around these here parts. Eluding the authorities, the boys take jobs at a ranch where the real crook is hiding out. Between whip-cracking sessions, Wilson finds time to romance the ranch owner's pretty daughter Noel Neill ("Lois Lane" on the 1950s TVer Superman). Director Lewis D. Collins keeps things moving fast enough to make up for any plot or budgetary shortcomings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1951
A stage line is once again threatened by a greedy rival in this ultra low-budget western from small-scale Monogram Pictures. This time the owner is lovely Phyllis Coates, who desperately needs to win a valuable mail contract in order to survive. The rival appears at first to be none other than the local sheriff (Pierce Lyden), but he is actually in the employ of a mystery man. Enter the whip-wielding Whip Wilson and his faithful sidekick Fuzzy Knight, and Miss Coates' stagecoach is saved in no time. In fairness to the age-old plot, here credited to former serial writer Joseph F. Poland, we shall not reveal the identity of the mystery villain; suffice it to say, the blackguard turns out to be the least likely candidate and is therefore highly suspicious from the get-go. Stage to Blue River was filmed many times before, most recently as Stage to Mesa City (1948), a "Cheyenne Kid" series entry featuring Al "Lash" LaRue and Al "Fuzzy" St. John. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Fuzzy Knight, (more)
- 1951
Whip Wilson only gets to crack his trademark weapon once in this economic Western filmed in toto at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, CA. A government agent, Wilson arrives in the near ghost town of Tunis, where his friend (Jim Bannon) is in trouble with a couple of horse thieves. The latter are also terrorizing a homesteader, Texas Milburn (Fuzzy Knight), and his wife, Ruth (Barbara Woodell), and when the female sheriff Alice Long (Phyllis Coates) interferes, she finds herself taken hostage. Using a bit of trickery, Wilson, Bannon, and Texas manage to outwit the gang and arrest their leader, Sam Wellman (I. Stanford Jolley). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1951
No relation to the TV series of the same name, Wanted: Dead or Alive is a Monogram "B" western, vintage 1951. Its star is the studio's answer to PRC's Lash LaRue: Whip Wilson. Riding into a small town, a stranger (Whip) is accused of being a fugitive criminal. He eventually clears himself, but not before several displays of his remarkable whip-wielding skills. Andy Clyde, as ever, is on hand as Wilson's grizzled saddle pal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1951
The "badmen" of the title in this average western from Monogram are Waller (I. Stanford Jolley), a greedy express agent and Banker Jensen (Bill Kennedy, who conspire to separate Bob Bannon (Kenne Duncan) from the gold found on his property. Bob's brother Jim (Jim Bannon) and his two pals Whip Wilson and Texas (Fuzzy Knight) arrive too late to save Bob from the bad guys. Hoping to flush out the killer, Whip arranges to auction off the property. The ruse works and the hidden mine is handed over to Bob's lovely daughter, and heir, Carol (Phyllis Coates). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1950
Whip Wilson and Andy Clyde are back and Monogram's got 'em in Fence Riders. The Whipster comes to the aid of beautiful ranch owner Reno Browne, who is being victimized by rustlers Myron Healey and Riley Hill. To get Wilson out of the way, the villains frame him on a murder rap. With the aid of grizzled old Clyde, Wilson escapes to mete out justice. One question: how does one ride a fence? (Ouch!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1950
Whip Wilson, Monogram Pictures' clone of PRC's bullwhip champ Jack LaRue, stars in Arizona Territory. Wilson plays the pal of US marshal Andy Clyde, who is kept busy tracking down a counterfeiting ring. Wilson goes undercover to get the goods on the bad guys. When all else fails, he flails-his whip, that is, a total of four times in this 56-minute western. Veteran sagebrush scenarist Adele Buffington pulls a few old chestnuts out of the fire to flesh out the plotline of Arizona Territory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1950
Gunslingers is another of Monogram's Whip Wilson western series, built around the bullwhip-wielding skills of its star. This time, Wilson and his saddle pal Andy Clyde come to the rescue of a group of ranchers who are being victimized by villain Ace Larabee (Douglas Kennedy). Ace has inside information that the railroad is coming through the territory, and he intends to grab up all the land and sell it to the train execs for a tidy profit. Stealing every scene she's in is venerable character actress Sarah Padden as "Rawhide Rose." Whip Wilson still hadn't learned to act by the time he made Gunslingers, but he was still a sight to behold behind that bullwhip. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1950
The title insurrection in this low-budget Whip Wilson Western consists mainly of Iron Eyes Cody, who is conspiring to raid the wagon trains with crooked sheriff Marshall Reed and nefarious Indian agent Forrest Taylor. Investigating the presumed revolt, the whip-wielding Wilson and grizzled sidekick Andy Clyde, United States Marshals, are aided by Canyon City's kindhearted judge (Sam Flint and his pretty daughter Lois Hall. The latter, almost needless to say, is kidnapped by the gang but rescued in the nick of time by Whip, whose famous weapon of choice disarms the crooked sheriff. By no means the worst of Wilson's low-budget oaters for Monogram, Cherokee Uprising was filmed at the picturesque Iverson Ranch in Chatsworth, California. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1950
Monogram's Outlaws of Texas is surprisingly bereft of the action highlights one might expect from star Whip Wilson. This time, the Whip and his saddle pal Andy Clyde play heroes Tom and Hungry who work undercover to break up a gang of bank robbers. As a novelty, the crooks are headed by the beauteous Anne (Phyllis Coates). Inevitably, Tom and Hungry are found out, leading to a long-overdue slam-bang finale. Outlaws of Texas was the last of Whip Wilson's vehicles to feature veteran funster Andy Clyde; Clyde's replacements over the next year would include Fuzzy Knight, Tommy Farrell, and Lee Roberts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1950
Whip Wilson stars in the formula Monogram western Silver Raiders. Cast as Arizona ranger Larry, Wilson goes undercover to catch a gang of silver smugglers. He almost gets away with his subterfuge, but when the bad guys kidnap a Mexican girl (Patricia Rios), he is forced to tip his hand. Andy Clyde goes through his usual comical-sidekick paces, this time as a rustic sheriff who's a lot smarter than he seems. And of course, Whip Wilson is given ample opportunity to justify his professional nickname with some truly impressive bullwhip stunts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1949
Monogram's Whip Wilson western series occasionally produced a better-than-average entry. In Range Land, Wilson and saddle pal Andy Clyde try to get the goods on a gang of stagecoach bandits. The robberies are being staged by a "solid citizen" who hopes to accumulate a fortune in gold bars. Whip goes undercover, joins the gang, has a few close shaves, and collars the crooks. And, in keeping with his screen nickname, Wilson wields a mean bullwhip whenever the occasion arises. One of the villains is played by Leonard Penn, the father of actors Sean and Christopher Penn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1949
Riders of the Dusk is another of Monogram's formula Whip Wilson westerns. Since the studio couldn't build an entire film around Wilson's bullwhip prowess, a plot was called for. This time around, it's the one about a U.S. marshal who searches high and low for a mysterious masked desperado. The mystery angle is minimal, since seasoned movie fans will be able to determine the mystery person's identity within 15 minutes. As always, Andy Clyde is a tower of comic strength as Whip Wilson's grizzled old sidekick. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1949
Even his cinematic rival Lash LaRue allowed that Whip Wilson was one of the best whip wielders in the movies. Shadows of the West was Wilson's second starring vehicle for Monogram, and as in the first, Crashing Thru, the star is teamed with seasoned sagebrush funster Andy Clyde. The Whipster plays a vacationing lawman who takes time out from his much-needed R-and-R to help out a reformed criminal. Striking an incongruous note is heroine Reno Browne, whose lavish wardrobe is a bit too lavish for her frontier surroundings. Though Whip Wilson wasn't much in the acting department, and while his singing and fisticuffs left a lot to be desired, his prowess with a whip was nothing short of astonishing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1949
Haunted Trails is another of the long series of Whip Wilson westerns churned out by Monogram in the late 1940s. As before, Wilson is aided and abetted by grizzled sidekick Andy Clyde, who acts the leading man right off the screen. This is no accident: Adele Buffington's screenplay makes certain that the talented Clyde has the lion's share of the footage, and he makes the most of it. The plot concerns a group of bandits who exploit local rumors about a ghost for their own purposes. The combination of Clyde's buffoonery, Buffington's script and Lambert Hillyer's direction results in one of Whip Wilson's best vehicles (it might even have been better without the stiff and uncomfortable Mr. Wilson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1949
Singing cowboy Jimmy Wakely stars in Monogram's Silver Trails. It all begins when Jimmy and his comical sidekick Dub "Cannonball" Taylor ride into a small California engineering community. Villain Jackson (George Meeker) is busy orchestrating a land-grab scheme, using the members of an outlaw gang as his flunkies. Jackson hopes to split the miners down the middle by sparking a feud. Jimmy does his best to keep the peace, resorting to gunplay only when all else fails. Future Monogram star Whip Wilson essays a secondary role. In fact, Silver Trails was partially designed as a "pilot" for a potential Whip Wilson series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Wakely, Christine Larson, (more)
- 1949
Western star Whip Wilson stars in the Monogram oater Crashing Thru. He periodically displays his whip-wielding skill (which far outclasses his acting ability) to bring a gang of rustlers to heel. In so doing, he rescues Christine Larson from financial ruin and physical danger. Wilson's comic sidekick Andy Clyde again proves that he's got more talent in his little pinky than most cowboy heroes have in their whole carcasses. Crashing Thru was produced by Barney A. Sarecky, later one of the leading lights of TV's Wild Bill Hickok. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
