Fern Emmett Movies

A wagon train sequence and a stampede of buffaloes -- both courtesy of stock footage -- remain the most interesting features of this otherwise stagy early talkie Western from low-budget entrepreneur John Freuler's Monarch Productions. Tom Tyler stars as Tennessee Matthews, a renowned buffalo hunter, who, although in love with settler Virginia Hawkins (Betty Mack), chooses the solitude of his mountains over guiding her wagon train safely through Indian country. Tennessee changes his mind when the new trail guide, O'Hara (Al Bridge), seems to be purposefully leading the train right into an Indian ambush. As it turns out, O'Hara, who is courting a reluctant Virginia, has been robbing several wagon trains with the assistance of the Indians in general and Lola (Mildred Rogers), a fiery squaw, in particular. The latter, who mistakenly believes Virginia to be encouraging O'Hara's company, has her rival kidnapped during the Indian raid, but the white girl is saved by Tennessee, who not only heads off a buffalo stampede, but arrives in the nick of time with the cavalry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Bloodsucking winged creatures who may take human shape appear to have returned after centuries of dormancy to the middle-European municipality of Kleinschloss in this atmospheric, low-budget thriller from small-scale Majestic Pictures, and the burgomaster (Lionel Belmore) demands answers. With victims scattered everywhere, all bearing the distinctive puncture marks, police detective Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) finds himself completely stymied. Brettschneider, who refuses to accept what he considers mere superstition, is not pleased when that eminent physician Dr. Otto Von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) hints that there may indeed be such things as murderous human bats. Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye), the village idiot, meanwhile, just happens to have a fondness for the nocturnal creatures -- "They're so soft!" -- and the villagers, as they are wont to do, grab their torches and commence a manhunt. Poor Herman is destroyed, but there is another killing. And this time the victim is Georgiana (Stella Adams), Dr. Von Niemann's housekeeper, who failed to serve the physician his late-night coffee. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Produced by Trem Carr, this enjoyable B-Western featured the strapping Tom Tyler, a cowboy performer who historically worked well with children. The child in this case was freckled Andy Shuford, a tough little boy rider. Little orphaned Sandy is adopted by a reformed outlaw (Tyler, of course), but when the townsfolk discover Tyler's true identity they conspire to take the tyke away from him. The express office is robbed and Tyler is the obvious suspect. He is provided with a seemingly airtight alibi by the kid, who swears to have seen two of Tyler's enemies commit the crime. After the real culprits have been apprehended, young Sandy confesses that he never really saw anything but only "guessed correctly." Although based on an original screenplay by Wellyn Totman, Rider of the Plains bore a certain resemblance to the same year's The Sheriff's Secret, a Robert J. Horner misfire starring Jack Perrin. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

In this western, a cowboy finds himself entangled in a saloon incident. He then saves a woman from outlaws, who later turn out to be fake. The hero's father, a senator, then sends him to accompany Roosevelt out West. There the two encounter the hapless girl. This time they save her from real villains. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Ten Nights In a Bar-room is as corny and hackneyed as its title, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch. Based on the warhorse cautionary stage play by Edwin Waugh (previously filmed six times during the silent era), the story concerns Joe Morgan (William Farnum), a highly respected business executive and family man who throws his life away by consuming mass quantities of booze. His sweet little daughter Mary Morgan (Patty Lou Lynd) wanders into the saloon, tugs her tosspot father by his tattered sleeve and whines "Daddy, won't you come home with me now?" This proves to be the first step (of 12, perhaps?) towards Morgan's redemption, but first he has a score to settle with Simon Slade (Tom Santschi), the double-dyed villain who dragged him to degragadation. The film's highlight is a knock-down, drag-out fistfight between William Farnum and Tom Santschi, in emulation of their famous battle in 1914's The Spoilers. Ten Nights In a Bar-Room was distributed through the auspices of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, who were blissfully unaware that audiences were more prone to laugh at the antiquated production rather than renounce Demon Rum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Penny-pinching producer John R. Freuler's thoroughly misnamed Big Four Corp. released this early sound western about a ranch hand (Buffalo Bill, Jr. AKA Jay Wilsey) who loses his job when he refuses to hand over some cattle to an obvious crook (Wally Wales). Freuler had both Bill Jr. and Wales under contract at the time, and they alternated playing hero and villain in Big Four's rather threadbare westerns. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Silent-screen hero Jack Perrin and his handsome mount Starlight headlined this low-budget oater from shoestring company Big 4 Film Corp., one of the many Gower Gulch entrepreneurs catching former luminaries whose careers were on a downslide due to talkies. Perrin's father is murdered by villain Yakima Canutt, who flees to Mexico with the hero in hot pursuit. Reviewers were quick to pronounce the film a failure, not so much due to Perrin's performance, which was fine, but to leading lady Renee Borden's trouble with a below-the-border accent. Former western star Canutt also suffered vocal problems and saw his career turning increasingly toward villainy. The future Academy Award-winning stunt-man was still years away from his most enduring work at Republic Pictures. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide