Frank Ellis Movies

Next to Slightly Scarlet, Silver Lode is the best of the many 1950s collaborations between producer Benedict Bogaeus and director Allan Dwan. Clearly inspired by High Noon, the story covers three hours in the lives of a group of westerners. As the townsfolk prepare for the Fourth of July celebration, stranger Dan Duryea rides into view, followed by three tough-looking hombres. Duryea claims to be as US marshal, and further claims that he has a warrant for the arrest of the town popular sheriff, John Payne. A few hours away from his marriage to Lizabeth Scott, Payne assumes that no one will believe the troublemaking Duryea, and that his spotless record will speak for itself. But since it is impossible to confirm or deny Duryea's allegations, the seeds of doubt are planted in the minds of the townspeople, and before long virtually all of Payne's "friends" have turned against him. It soon becomes clear to the movie audience that Duryea is lying, especially after he guns down one of his own men. But Duryea is able to pin the blame of the killing on Payne, and in a twinkling the sheriff is a hunted man. The only person willing to give Payne the benefit of the doubt is town trollop Dolores Moran (Mrs. Benedict Bogeaus), who hides the sheriff while telegrapher Frank Sully tries to find out if Duryea is telling the truth. Building slowly and methodically to a slam-bang climax, Silver Lode is an above-average psychological western--and, like many "guilt by supsicion" films of the 1950s, a thinly veiled attack on McCarthyism. Best line: when Duryea bursts into Dolores' boudoir to see if Payne is hiding under the bed, she moans "Oh, what is this? A French farce?" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gene Autry's summer release for 1953 was the 56-minute Pack Train. In this one, Autry is assigned to safely transport supplies to a band of settlers. The villains, headed by Ross McLain (Kenne Duncan), intend to bushwhack Autry, grab the supplies, and sell them at high prices to a local mining camp. It must needs be that Autry and the bad guy duke it out in the final reel; the climactic fight, which takes place on a speeding train, is the best scene in the film. McLain's partner in crime is played by Sheila Ryan, the real-life wife of Gene Autry's perennial sidekick Pat Buttram (who also appears in the film). The heroine in Pack Train is Autry-contractee Gail Davis, who later in 1953 began filming on her own TV series, Annie Oakley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Johnny Mack Brown was a bit on the chunky side by the time he starred in Canyon Ambush, though his excess poundage never impedes his performance. This time Brown comes to the rescue of imperiled Phyllis Coates (who'd just spent 26 weeks as Lois Lane on the TV series Superman). The bad guys just plain haven't got a chance against the slow-talking, fast-triggered Mr. Brown from Alabama. Brown's Monogram westerns of the early 1950s were hampered by severe economical limitations, and Canyon Ambush is hardly an exception. The film manages to coast on the sheer star power of its veteran leading man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Columbia's "Durango Kid" series was winding down to a close by the time Junction City went before the cameras in 1952. Durango, aka Steve Rollins (Charles Starrett) rides into town with saddle pal Smiley Burnette. The boys go to the rescue of pretty Kathleen Case, who is being victimized by greedy relatives. Much of the film is related in flashback, giving Columbia an excuse to utilize miles and miles of stock footage from earlier "Durango Kid" efforts. Livening up the proceedings is Jock Mahoney, frequent stunt double for Charles Starrett, who plays "himself". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally filmed at Republic in 1948, Montana Belle was purchased by producer Howard R. Hughes, who'd loaned the services of the film's star, Jane Russell. After laying on the shelf for three years, Montana Belle was finally released by Hughes' RKO Radio Pictures in October of 1952. Russell plays notorious western outlaw Belle Starr, who after being saved by the Dalton Gang from the hangman's noose, falls in love with Bob Dalton (Scott Brady). This doesn't stop Belle and Dalton from trying to stab one another in the back for the next 8 reels. It is gambler Tom Bradfield (George Brent) who finally offers Belle a new start in life--and, incidentally, a new romance. The film's high point of imbecility arrives when Jane Russell disguises herself as a man. In other words, Montana Belle is lots of fun so long as no one takes it too seriously (it is clear that the people who made the film didn't!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Columbia Pictures elevated stunt man Jock O'Mahoney to stardom in this 15 chapter western serial about the building of the transcontinental railroad. O'Mahoney played a railroad agent who uncovers the master criminal behind a series of sabotage attempts on the construction site. The culprit, a German villain calling himself "The Baron" (George Eldredge), bribes the local Indians into doing his dirty work. Jock O'Mahoney later changed his billing to the more streamlined Jock Mahoney and enjoyed a lengthy career as a star of run-of-the-mill westerns. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Juvenile actor Dickie Moore starred in the title role of this 15 chapter serial as a teen-aged Buffalo Bill Cody, who with an adult friend (played by the husky Jock Mahoney, still billed as Jock O'Mahoney), battles a gang of outlaws secretly headed by an unscrupulous lawyer (George J. Lewis). Since the serial was produced by Sam Katzman (known to his legion of detractors as "Jungle Sam"), it was heavily augmented by sometimes rather ill-advised stock footage. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Gene Autry and his horse Champion play "themselves" in Columbia's Beyond the Purple Hills. This one finds Autry serving as a cattle-town sheriff. When his best friend is accused of murder, Gene does his duty and arrests the man--then conducts his own investigation to prove that his pal is innocent. Pat Buttram goes through his usual sidekick paces, while young Autry protégé Don Reynolds does some impressive horse-riding stunts. Of interest to TV-western fans is the actor playing Autry's wrongly accused buddy: it's none other than Hugh O'Brian, later to gain fame as television's Wyatt Earp. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

His Pony Express job having come to an end due to the new telegraph, rider Sunset Carson joins telegraph operator Martha Taylor (Pat Starling) and her brother, Tom (Al Terry), who are being terrorized by a competitor in this ultra low-budget effort from Walt Mattox' Yucca Pictures Corp. As it turns out, Martha's superintendent, Dawson (Stephen Keyes), is in cahoots with Spade Gilbert (Pat Gleason), a local rancher conspiring to reroute the telegraph line through his own property. When Martha's crew run out of poles, Sunset and Tom ride to protect a new shipment from Gilbert's henchmen, Trigger (Lee Roberts) and Pete (Forrest Matthews). Defeating the outlaws and returning with the shipment, Sunset warns Martha that she is harboring a traitor and that Dawson is the most obvious candidate. A search of Gilbert's ranch reveals the rancher's plans to take over the contract and that Dawson and his men are about to attack the work site. Riding hell bent for leather, Sunset and Tom arrive just in time to defeat the Dawson gang and reveal the foreman as a murderer. Filmed in 16 mm Kodachrome color at least a year prior to its April 1948 release, Deadline was the third of four low-budget Westerns that Carson would make for Yucca. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The Cisco Kid and Pancho set off to find the missing owner of a devoted little dog in this western adventure. From the vanished man's sister, the heroes learn that her brother disappeared soon after striking a major gold vein in his mine. In the end Cisco accosts the villain, saves the kidnapped miner and reunites him with his dog. ~ 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

Return of the Lash exists primarily to display the bullwhip-wielding prowess of cowboy star Al "Lash" LaRue. The plot is set in motion when six wanted outlaws are rounded up and captured by The Cheyenne Kid (LaRue). Collecting the reward money, Cheyenne instructs his sidekick Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John) to give the money to a group of financially strapped ranchers. Alas, Fuzzy falls off his horse, loses his memory, and forgets what became of the money. Fortunately, he snaps out of his amnesia during a climactic fistic set-to with secondary villain Kirby (George Cheseboro). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Prairie Badmen is a typically threadbare entry in PRC's "Billy the Kid" series. This time around, Billy Carson (Buster Crabbe) and Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John) link up with medicine show proprietor Doc Latimer (Edward Cassidy). Having discover a cache of hidden gold, Latimer intends to keep it all for himself, but Billy and Fuzzy elect to return the ore to its rightful owner. Unfortunately, the bad guys learn of Latimer's good fortune and try to cut themselves in for a slice. Leading lady Patricia Knox adds little to the proceedings except a lot of heavy breathing and inexpert line deliveries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide