Franklin Farnum Movies
A rugged and trustworthy Western hero from Boston, silent screen cowboy Franklyn Farnum's appeal was closer to William S. Hart than Tom Mix. Farnum's road to screen stardom began in vaudeville and musical comedy. While he was not related to stage and screen stars William Farnum and Dustin Farnum, two legendary brothers who also hailed from Boston, he never really dissuaded the name association, and while he never achieved the same success as the other Farnums, it was not for lack of trying. Onscreen from around 1914, Franklyn Farnum was usually found in inexpensive Westerns and reached a plateau as the star of the 1920 serial The Vanishing Trails and a series of oaters produced independently by "Colonel" William N. Selig, formerly of the company that bore his name. In 1918, Farnum received quite a bit of press for marrying screen star Alma Rubens, but the union proved extremely short-lived. As busy in the 1920s as in the previous decade, Farnum made the changeover to sound smoothly enough, but he was growing older and leading roles were no longer an option. He maintained his usual hectic schedule throughout the following three decades, more often than not playing villains and doing bit parts, working well into the television Western era. For many years, Farnum was the president of the Screen Extras Guild. In 1961, Franklyn Farnum died of cancer at the Motion Picture Country Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1934
Written (under the pseudonym of Jimmy Hawkey) and directed by Robert F. Hill, this very low-budget Western from poverty row company Spectrum starred former silent screen cowboy Bill Cody and his real-life son Bill Cody, Jr.. Everything of course being relative, Frontier days, filmed at majestic Lone Pine, was perhaps Cody senior's best sound Western although he looked emaciated and a tendency to act overly coy with the ladies ladies became grating at times. Cody played an agent for the Well's Fargo masquerading as The Pinto Kid, complete with pinto horse Chico and fancy pinto vest. Trailing a gang of stage robbers, he is falsely accused of killing rancher Franklyn Farnum. Farnum's daughter, Ada Ince, believes in him though, and he proves his innocence saving the girl from crooked banker Wheeler Oakman and his gang of desperadoes, the real murderers. Surprising B-Western devotees everywhere, the usually so jovial Robert McKenzie, he of the Andy Devine-like gravel-voice, turned out to be one of the Bad Guys this time around -- billing himself "Bill McKenzie" for the occasion. Ancient-looking Lafe McKee got to play the girl's grandpa instead of her father for a change and 8-year-old Billy, Jr. managed to pretty much stay out of harms way. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ada Ince, Wheeler Oakman, (more)
- 1932
In a last desperate effort to stay afloat in an industry suffering from the Great Depression, John R. Freuler's tattered Big Four Film Corp. hired former silent screen cowboy Bob Custer to headline a series of inexpensive Westerns: Headin' For Trouble, Quick Trigger Lee (both 1931), Mark of the Spur and The Scarlet Brand. In "Spur," the wooden Custer played The Kid, a drifter saving a young lady (Lillian Rich) from the inappropriate attentions of her villainous adopted brother (George Chesebro). Written, produced, directed, acted and photographed by silent screen veterans, Mark of the Spur was hardly of a quality to save any company, least of all the ramshackle, under funded Big Four. Custer, who had been quite popular in rural areas, lingered on until 1937 when he retired to become a building inspector. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1932
The 1932 Tom Mix western talkie Texas Bad Man has much in common with the sombre silent efforts by Mix's former rival William S. Hart. Lawman Mix deliberately cultivates a reputation as an outlaw in order to infiltrate a gang of thieves. What sets this one apart from most budget westerns of its period are the believable situations and three-dimensional characterizations. In particular, Willard Robertson as the head villain delivers a performance that under different circumstances might very well have earned him an Oscar nomination. Also worthy of praise is the cinematography, courtesy of longtime Tom Mix associate Daniel Clark. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Fred Kohler, (more)
- 1932
In this newspaper drama, a cub reporter is puzzled when he is consistently scooped out of big crime stories by a rival. His nose for news tells him something is amiss, so he and his gal begin investigating. When he witnesses a bank-robbery that was reported before it happened, he figures out that the rival publisher and his ace reporter are part of a major crime ring. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Nugent, Rita La Roy, (more)
- 1932
Former silent teenage star Buzz Barton headlines this juvenile Western from low-rent Big 4 Film Corp. directed by the veteran J. P. McGowan. The freckled Master Barton plays Buzz Dale, a young boy who becomes a local hero after stopping a runaway stage. Buzz's heroic act, however, does not sit well with Duke Remsden (Edmund Cobb), the secret leader of a gang of stagecoach robbers who plans to frame his romantic rival Bart Travis (Francis X. Bushman Jr.) for the attempted robbery. Dressed as Travis, Remsden commits another crime, but Buzz discovers his hideout and is able to alert the sheriff (Franklyn Farnum). In the end, Bart is saved in the nick of time from a necktie party by Buzz and black stable hand Snowflake (Fred Toones). Remsden is finally brought to justice. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buzz Barton
- 1931
In this western, three disreputable cowboys begin pursuing a beautiful lady because she possesses a map to a valuable gold mine. All three compete to win her hand because by law a wife must share all her belongings with her spouse. Despite their efforts, the woman falls in love with a decent fellow who takes her far from the three bad men. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor McLaglen, Fay Wray, (more)
- 1931
A remake of the silent When a Man Rides Alone (1919), this low-budget oater from the Big 4 Film Corp. stars Wally Wales as Wally Madison, a ranger investigating the robbery of a shipment of gold bullion. In a shootout with the gang, one of the robbers, José Valdez (Jack Phipps, is shot and killed. At the nearby Fernando ranch, Rosita Fernando (Virginia Browne Faire) is told to choose a husband from among the Valdez clan. She picks José. Upon learning of his demise, she charges the surviving brothers, Carlos (Franklyn Farnum) and Manuel (Edmund Cobb), with capturing his killer. Wally is caught and imprisoned at the ranch. Rosita falls in love with her captive, and when Don Francisco Fernando ($Lafe McKee) is murdered, Wally concocts a plan to capture the killer, one of the Valdez brothers. Forcing Manuel to pose as the murdered Don Francisco, Wally lures Carlos to the ranch. There is a fierce duel with swords, after which Carlos is arrested by the rangers. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wally Wales, Virginia Brown Faire, (more)
"Suggested" by the book The West That Was by legendary showman William F. Cody, this 12 chapter Universal serial was merely another slam-bang affair in which Cody (Tom Tyler) and his younger sidekick, Dave Archer (Rex Bell), battle a nasty claim jumper, Jim Rodney (Francis Ford), and his gang. Resenting the interference in his plans, Rodney not only incites the local Indian tribe to attack the town but also blackmails the local community to elect him sheriff. Not one of the era's better serials, Battling with Buffalo Bill still manages to engage no less than 10 former silent cowboy stars in the cast, somewhat of a record. Of course, most of the gentlemen in question were finding the new audible Hollywood an inhospitable place and were just happy to be working, even for the lousy wages offered by Universal producer Henry MacRae. Leading man Tom Tyler, who had replaced Tim McCoy, would become a regular serial hero in the sound era, bringing such comic book heroes as "Captain Marvel" (1940) and The Phantom (1943) to life. A former Fox star, second-billed Rex Bell was the husband of Clara Bow and a future lieutenant governor of Nevada. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1931
In this western, the Indians are chasing a cowboy whom they blame for a young woman's suicide. They believe the white guy seduced her on her wedding day and chase him all the way to Massachusetts where he ends up helping a woman get the estate that is rightfully hers. His Indian companion the talks to his pursuers and convinces them that the cowboy is innocent of the crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cody, Andy Shuford, (more)
- 1931
The Leftover Ladies are Patricia (Claudia Dell) and Amy (Dorothy Revier), recently divorced from their husbands Ronny (Walter Byron) and Jerry (Alan Mowbray). Seeking to find more exciting mates, the ladies end up with one another's ex-husbands. Things end happily for Patricia and Ronny thanks to the intervention of their child, but the relationship between Amy and Jerry sours further thanks to the twin bugaboos of alcohol and depression. Marjorie Rambeau dominates the proceedings as a once-great theatrical diva who has drowned her career in booze. Leftover Ladies was based on a novel by Ursula Parrott, a specialist in divorce dramas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Dell, Marjorie Rambeau, (more)
- 1931
In this western adventure set in the Sonora Desert upon the border between Mexico and the US, a marshal is summoned to stop renegade Indians from attacking hapless settlers. He is aided by a Mexican bar maid and soon discovers that the "redskins" are really whites in disguise. To stop them, the marshal hires real Native Americans, tired of taking the blame for the massacres. A battle ensues, but eventually the criminals get their due and the marshal finds love with the villainous ringleader's lovely, innocent daughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1930
In this drama, the children of a recently deceased firefighter are sent to an orphanage. Two other firefighters offered to take the brother and his older sister in, but the authorities demurred and the children are whisked away. Time passes and one day the orphanage catches fire. The fireman rush to put it out and there find their colleague's children. By this time the girl has grown into a young woman and one of the firemen marries her, while his partner also finds a suitable match at the fire station. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anita Louise, James Hall, (more)
- 1930
Saucer-eyed silent-screen cowboy Jack Perrin and his magnificent horse, Starlight, star in this ramshackle early sound western. Perrin is falsely accused of a robbery actually committed by his onetime partner (fellow silent western star Edmund Cobb) and must flee South of the border to Mexico. Once there, he mobilizes a posse of expatriate cowboys and returns to bring the villain to justice. Penny-pinching poverty-row studio Big Four Corp. was able to hire several former westerns stars (Perrin, Cobb, Buffalo Bill, Jr., Pete Morrison, Franklyn Farnum), all of whom were out of work because of sound. Thus, Beyond the Rio Grande benefitted from a lineup that would have been unthinkable in previous years. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Perrin, Franklin Farnum, (more)
- 1925
Veteran actor-director-writer J.P. McGowan helmed this cheaply made silent comedy-western for Jesse J. Goldburg's Independent Pictures Co. Minor western star Franklyn Farnum plays a cowpoke who saves his weak brother (Jack Vernon) from various romantic entanglements on the Mexican border. In keeping with the spirit of the film, well-known supporting player Charles "Slim" Whitaker was billed as "Slender" Whitaker for the occasion. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklin Farnum, Mathilde Brundage, (more)
- 1925
In the more naive times of the 1920s (at least when it came to narcotics), drug store cowboys had nothing to do with drugs. Instead, this comedy-melodrama focuses on Marmaduke Grandon (Franklin Farnum), who's a drug store clerk with aspirations to be a movie star. He gets his chance when an actor suddenly dies and he is asked to take the man's place. Grandon's role is the villain in a Western, but on his way to the set he runs afoul of a real bad guy, Gentleman Jack (Robert Walker), who insists on changing clothes with him. So Grandon finds himself on the run from the law, while Jack takes his place in the film. Grandon keeps showing up on the set, attempting to save the leading lady (a very young Jean Arthur) from Jack, and ruining the takes. He turns out to be a hero when Jack uses one of the film's scenes to rob a bank for real. Grandon captures him, and their identities are finally revealed. He finally gets his acting role, and wins the leading lady as well. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1924
A hero, his horse, a girl, a villain, a moppet and a black sidekick were the main ingredients of this minor silent western from Jesse J. Goldburg's Independent Pictures. The hero is good old Franklyn Farnum, who plays a prospector defending his claim against the evil Mack V. Wright. The fact that the villain is the brother of the heroine (veteran serial queen Marie Walcamp) complicates matters, and so does the presence of Farnum's young daughter (Doreen Turner). The black sidekick was portrayed by Martin Turner, perhaps the busiest African-American performer in westerns at the time. Turner usually supported Pete Morrison but also appeared opposite Jack Perrin and Dick Hatton. He mainly played jolly Pullman porters in sound films. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklin Farnum, Doreen Turner, (more)
- 1924
Jesse J. Goldburg (the "J" stood for "Jesse," of all things!) produced this minor silent western starring Franklyn Farnum as a rancher falsely accused of cattle theft. The true culprit, however, is megalomaniacal cattle baron Andrew Waldron, who wants all the land for himself. Although hailing from Boston, rugged Franklyn Farnum was not related to fellow Bostonians William and Dustin Farnum. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1924
Silent screen Western star Franklyn Farnum played a stagecoach agent in this inexpensive oater from Jesse J. Goldburg's low-budget Independent Pictures Corp. A series of stage robberies have been plaguing the area, but using cunning detective methods and a pair of fast fists, Farnum manages to apprehend the guilty party. In the process, he is reunited with his long-lost mother (Billie Bennett). A popular star of low-budget independent Westerns, Franklyn Farnum enjoyed a screen career that spanned from the mid-1910s well into the television era. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklin Farnum
- 1923
This low-budget Western starred Franklyn Farnum as the hero. Shorty Hamilton, usually the comic relief in Farnum's pictures, is completely miscast here as the villain. Although the Hero (that's how Farnum's character is billed) is supposed to be appointed sheriff of a border town, a wily Mexican, Onate (Hamilton), has forged some papers which make him sheriff instead. He proceeds to make life miserable for the Hero and forces him to kill a man in self-defense. The Hero escapes arrest and finds romance with Jackie (Genevieve Bert), a friendless girl who is thought to bring bad luck to those who associate with her. Onate's men capture our Hero, but Jackie goes to the governor and gets him a pardon. Meanwhile, Onate's Indian servant (Al Hart) turns traitor and takes the Hero's side. Onate gets the punishment due him, the Hero gets his appointment to sheriff, and Jackie's bad luck comes to an end. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1922
John Ford's older brother Francis Ford directed this very minor, independently produced silent western starring Franklyn Farnum and made on location at Tulsa, Oklahoma. More suited to character roles (of which he would later do hundreds), Farnum benefitted from a case of mistaken identity. He was assumed to be related to brothers Dustin and William Farnum, major stars of the early silent screen, but although hailing from Boston like them, there was no connection. Farnum played a mining engineer in Gold Grabbers, hired to run a valuable mine formerly belonging to lovely Peggy O'Day's family. He naturally falls for the girl and decides to work out a peaceful settlement. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklin Farnum, Shorty Hamilton, (more)
- 1922
Maverick Hollywood producer Phil Goldstone and director Alvin J. Neitz fashioned this minor silent Western starring Franklyn Farnum as a milquetoast Easterner who on a trip to the Wild West is mistaken for a U.S. marshall. Does Farnum rise to the occasion? Of course he does -- and gets the girl as well. She was played by Florence Gilbert, the wife of yet another independent producer-director, Ashton Dearholt. Character actor George F. Marion, later to portray Greta Garbo's drunken sod of a father in Anna Christie, plays a comic undertaker in this film. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklin Farnum, Florence Gilbert, (more)
- 1922
Silent Western star Franklyn Farnum travels West to locate a missing girl in this comedy-oater directed by John Ford's older brother Francis. Attempting to return a lost purse to a girl, Farnum finds himself in the middle of a furious labor dispute among miners. Poor Farnum is soon falsely accused of theft, trapped by outlaws in a cave and spurned by the young woman (Genevieve Bert). This inexpensive Western was one in a series of six produced by screenwriter William M. Smith for release by poverty row company Merit in 1922-1923. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklin Farnum, Genevieve Bert, (more)
- 1922
Also known as Texas Angel Citizens, this minor silent Western from poverty row producer William M. Smith starred Franklyn Farnum as a drifter who solves a murder in the ill-named frontier town of Angel Citizens. Directed by Francis Ford, the older brother of John Ford, this Western also featured Peggy O'Day as the murder victim's daughter and the comedy of Shorty Hamilton. Angel Citizens was released by Merit Film Corp. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklin Farnum, Peggy O'Day, (more)
- 1922
Working undercover as ranch hands, U.S. marshal Franklyn Farnum (no relation to Western stars William and Dustin Farnum) and his Chinese ally (played by British actor Andrew Waldron) infiltrate a gang terrorizing a pretty ranch owner. This obscure silent Western was directed by genre specialist B. Reeves Eason for independent producer Phil Goldstone. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
