Carl Mathews Movies

In this production from Benedict Bogeaus and RKO Radio, Robert Ryan stars as a fugitive from justice who hides out in the Far Eastern teak plantation managed by Barbara Stanwyck. As the two fall in love, Stanwyck comes to believe in Ryan's innocence. Upon the arrival of doggedly determined security officer David Farrer, Ryan and Stanwyck escape into the treacherous Burmese jungles. Like many of Bogeaus's productions of the 1950s, Escape to Burma was directed by Allan Dwan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Johnny Mack Brown closed out his 1951 manifest of "B"-westerns with Montana Desperado. The story concerns a fierce struggle over water rights. Complicating the plot is the presence of a masked desperado who is systematically killing off local ranchers. Brown arrives on the scene to find out who's behind the murders--and, of course, to stop him (Her? It?) Although Brown's character name is ostensibly Dave Borden, everyone in the film refers to him as "Johnny" or "Mr. Brown"; evidently the Monogram folks were getting a bit lazy with this long-running series. The cast of Montana Desperado is uniformly fine, including such horse-opera regulars as Myron Healey, Marshall Reed, and Edmund Cobb, whose western credits extended as far back as 1914! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After several elaborate Republic western vehicles, William Elliot returns to the clean-cut minimalism of his "Wild Bill Elliot" days in Longhorn. The story involves the efforts by cattle rancher Jim Kirk (Elliot) to cross-breed his Longhorn cattle with Hereford stock, thereby increasing their value. To this end, Kirk heads to Oregon to pick up a prime group of Herefords. Unfortunately, his head cowboy Andy (Myron Healey) is in cahoots with a gang of rustlers who intend to steal Kirk's improved stock. Featured in the cast are all-purpose heroine Phyllis Coates and such sagebrush veterans as I. Stanford Jolley, William Fawcett, Zon Murray, and future TV "Lone Ranger" John Hart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

Johnny Mack Brown stars in the Monogram oater Outlaw Gold. The plot is motivated by revenge: sentenced to five years in prison, vicious gunman Sonny Lang (Myron Healey) vows to "get" Dave Willis (Brown) the moment he's released. Our Hero, however, can't be bothered by such trivialities. He's too busy trying to prevent the hijacking of a gold shipment on the Mexican border. Inevitably, Willis and Lang's paths cross, but not before Willis exposes the mastermind behind the robbery. The film's romantic element is handled by Marshall Reed (cast as a crusading newspaperman) and Jane Adams. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Johnny Mack Brown West of Wyoming concerns the efforts by cattle baron Simon (Stanley Andrews) to prevent the opening up of the rang to homesteaders. Government agent Brown comes calling when Simon begins resorting to cold-blooded murder. The leading lady is Gail Davis, a few years shy of her Annie Oakley TV stardom. Surprisingly, West of Wyoming contains none of the comedy relief that had characterized earlier Johnny Mack Brown oaters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

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

Although technically crude, Stage to Mesa City, an entry in PRC's "The Cheyenne Kid" series, was a great favorite with the small fries when unceremoniously dumped on theaters in February of 1948. Al "Lash" LaRue once again played the black-clad, whip-wielding hero who, along with sidekick Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John), comes to the aid of troubled stagecoach proprietor John Watson (Steve Clark). Watson, who has been forced to sell his ranch in order to keep the stages running and win a valuable mail contract, is opposed by Baxter (Marshall Reed), a crooked lawyer working for the mysterious "The Boss." When Watson is found murdered, his grown children, Margie (Jennifer Holt) and Bob (Brad Slavin), assign Marshals Cheyenne Davis and Fuzzy to catch his killer and unmask the mysterious "The Boss." Needless to say, the latter proves to be the least likely candidate and is therefore easy to spot for any armchair detective in the audience. Stage to Mesa City was remade in 1951 as Stage to Blue River, this time starring the less than enthralling Whip Wilson. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

In this western a cowboy and his gang must take on a band of bad-to-the-bone female outlaws. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Singing cowboy Eddie Dean and sidekick Soapy (Roscoe Ates) come to the aid of novice cattle rancher Ann Howard (Phyllis Planchard) and her juvenile delinquent brother Tom (Steve Drake). Unhappy about the move West from Chicago, the latter forges Ann's signature on the deed to their ranch, which he then plans to sell to Larson (Bob Duncan), the local saloon proprietor turned crooked sheriff. But unbeknownst to Ann and Tom, the ranch is located right on a silver deposit that will make its owner rich. An undercover government agent, Eddie not only makes sure that Larson is punished but also teaches young Tom the honest Western way of life. When not fighting and shooting, Dean, accompanied by Andy Parker & the Plainsmen, performs "Cathy," "It's Courtin' Time," and "When Shorty Plays the Schottische," the latter a rather festive polka. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Eddie Dean and sidekick Roscoe Ates come to the aid of a young rancher in this low-budget singing Western from PRC. Discovering that Hadley (Steve Clark) hides a gold-encrusted cave on his property, villainous saloon owner Kirby (Terry Frost) kills the elderly rancher and seals the cave. But when he tries to force the Hadley heirs, Larry (Steve Drake) and Janet (Shirley Patterson), off their property, Kirby comes up against the forceful new Hadley foreman, Eddie Dean. The latter takes time out to warble his own and Dean Hal Blair's "Black Hills" and "Let's Go Sparkin'," while the Plainsmen and Ates take care of Pete Gates' comical "Punchinello." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Eddie Dean and his pal Soapy Jones (Roscoe Ates) are assigned by the U.S. marshal to safeguard the invaluable Mexican Lopez diamond, which Don Lopez (Harry Vejar) insists on displaying on a worthy lady at every festive occasion. Due to a drought, the don and his neighbors are planning to move westward but the gold set aside for the trek is stolen and one of the hands killed by a couple of Chicago gangsters, Barrett (Gregg Barton) and Cory (Jimmy Martin), who are in cahoots with the local cantina proprietor, Avery (Zon Murray). Eddie and Soapy get their hands full not only safeguarding the diamond and tracking down the killers but must also contend with a mysterious Senorita, Maria (Dolores Castle), who may or may not be in league with Barrett. Backed by The Sunshine Boys, Dean takes time out to warble his own and Hal Blair’s ”Cry, Cry, Cry” and ”West to Glory” and Pete Gates’ {“In the Shadow of the Mission”). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide