Walter Patterson Movies
- 1940
A wedding ceremony is rudely interrupted by a bank robbery next door, the bridegroom is shot and the best man is accused of being the culprit. All this takes place during the first five minutes of Triple Justice, George O'Brien's final western for RKO. Brad Henderson (O'Brien) is innocent, of course, but is forced to clear his good name and reputation by tracking down not only the three real bank robbers but also their secret boss, Deputy Sheriff Harry Woods). Along the way, Brad falls in love with lovely (Virginia Vale), the sister of neophyte outlaw Bud McTaggart), and finds himself the center of attention of three equally charming senoritas, (The Lindemann Sisters, who perform a couple of standard Mexican ballads. Miss Vale) also takes time out for a song, Fred Ross and Ray Whitley's "Lonely Rio. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George O'Brien, Virginia Vale, (more)
- 1939
In what must have seemed like a good idea at the time, Grand National pictures attempted to build a series of westerns around a singing cowgirl, played by Dorothy Page. In Ride 'Em Cowgirl, Page acquits herself nicely as Helen Rickson, who tries to combat the villains all by her lonesome. Though she is helped along by muscular barbed-wire lineman Oliver Shea (played by character actor Milton Frome in a rare romantic lead), it is clear that Helen is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. The studio's advertising copy claimed that Dorothy Page did all her own stunts, from roping to riding to shooting, and from the looks of things this was a true assertion. That Ride 'Em Cowgirl was not a particularly good western didn't seem to concern anybody at the studio, which quickly churned out two additional Dorothy Page vehicles, Water Rustlers and (what else?) The Singing Cowgirl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Page, Milton Frome, (more)
- 1933
Tom Mix makes like Hoot Gibson in the 1933 western Flaming Guns. Cast against type, Mix plays a cloddish sort who avoids using firearms whenever possible. When Ruth Hall's parents disapprove of her romance with Mix, the two lovers elope South of the Border. Flaming Guns was based on a story by Peter B. Kyne, who generally delivered more actionful fare than this. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1931
Wild West Whoopee was produced and directed by the redoubtable Robert J. Horner, whose early-talkie westerns ranged from mediocre to gosh-awful. Falling somewhere in-between, this Jack Perrin vehicle hardly represents a milestone in the art of cinema, put it paid its way. Perrin plays a rodeo star who dedicates himself to taming a wild horse. Meanwhile, the villain tries to sabotage our hero's rodeo performance by surreptitiously cutting his stirrups. Perrin faces and conquers this and other obstacles to happiness, claiming heroine Josephine Hill as his prize. This one is worth seeing for its title alone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josephine Hill, Buzz Barton, (more)
- 1930
Nearing the end of his long association with Universal, rough-edged silent screen cowboy Hoot Gibson released eight sound Westerns in 1930 before the studio dropped him in favor of the more streamlined Ken Maynard. Mounted Stranger, a remake of Gibson's 1924 The Ridin' Kid From Powder River, certainly broke no new ground and the once so popular entertainer was increasingly criticized for refusing to change with the times. Gibson played Pete Ainslee, who as a child witnessed his father's killing. The adult Ainslee, known as the "Ridin' Kid," locates the killer, Steve Gary (Fred Burns ), whom he wounds in a gun battle. Gary, unfortunately, recovers and seeks revenge. Ainslee manages to stay a couple of steps ahead of the killer, who is subsequently killed by his own disgruntled gang members. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buddy Hunter, Milton Brown, (more)
- 1929
John R. Freuler's highly misnamed Big Productions released this modest oater starring stolid silent screen hero Bob Custer as a cowboy ambushed by a gang of outlaws and later falsely accused of being one himself. Custer ultimately proves his innocence by displaying a tattoo depicting the state of Oklahoma! The film contained a couple of furious slug-fests but the overall effect, according to trade-paper reviews, was that of inertia. A mildly popular also-ran Western star, Custer founded his own production company in 1927. A reputed inability to remember lines sealed his fate in talkies, however, and he retired in the mid-1930s to become a building inspector. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Custer, Tom Bay, (more)
