Art Davis Movies
A cowboy troubadour who had recorded for both Victor and Columbia, rotund Art Davis appeared as a musician in a few B-Westerns before supporting one-time-only cowboy star Monte Rawlins (aka Dean Spencer) in the bizarre The Adventures of the Masked Phantom (1939). Davis billed himself as Larry Mason for the occasion, perhaps hoping that no one would notice his participation in this, one of the decade's more ridiculous (albeit entertaining) low-budget ventures. He was Art Davis again when signed by poverty row newcomer PRC in 1942, as one of the Frontier Marshals. The ramshackle studio's bid to compete with rival Republic Pictures' popular Three Mesquiteers Westerns, the Frontier Marshal vehicles co-starred Davis with screen newcomer and fellow troubadour Bill "Cowboy Rambler" Boyd and Lee Powell. The latter, who took care of most of the action, suffered the indignity of being billed below his two sidekicks but that was truly the sole remarkable feature of this wretched series. The demise of Frontier Marshals after only six installments came as a relief to everyone concerned and Davis returned to performing with his hillbilly singing group Art Davis and his Rhythm Rangers. The Art Davis of B-Westerns should not be confused with the animator of the same name. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1942
In this western, guns blaze, fists fly, horses run, and justice prevails in the end. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Art Davis, Lee Powell, (more)
- 1942
In this contemporary western, clever cattle rustlers use shortwave radios to harvest lost doggies. Two brave heroes get government assistance to solve the case and soon discover the location of the troublesome transmitter. The heroes then sing a song over the shortwave to inform the government of the transmitter's location. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
In this western, two deputies go undercover to save a scientist from his evil kidnappers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
When the order of the Western frontier is threatened by bandits, cowboys are the only measure of justice in the area. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1942
This contemporary western centers on two cowboy radio gossip columnists who get themselves in trouble after they begin talking about a certain outlaw's illicit activities. The outlaw and his gang are involved with an enemy spy and secrecy is of the essence. They decide to permanently silence the two. Fortunately, a brave sheriff rides to their rescue and brings the crooks to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
In this western, a frontier detective disguised as an entertainer performs for the leader of an outlaw gang. At the same time, he learns the whereabouts of the outlaws' hideout. Unfortunately, his true identity is revealed and he must escape if he is to bring the gang to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1939
Tim McCoy once again played Department of Justice agent "Lightning Bill" Carson in Code of the Cactus, and once again he infiltrates the outlaws by masquerading as a foreigner, this time a Mexican named Miguel. A gang of very modern rustlers using high-powered trucks and machine guns is terrorizing the local ranchers. Disguised as Miguel, Lightning Bill quickly learns that the rustlers are lead by Blackton (Forrest Taylor), a nasty meatpacking contractor, and with assistance from usual sidekick Magpie (Ben Corbett) and a new acquaintance, range detective Bob Swane (Dave "Tex" O-Brien), he manages to penetrate Blackton's barricade of piled-up trucks. McCoy made eight Westerns for low-budget producer Katzman's Victory Pictures before signing with newcomer PRC. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim McCoy, Ben Corbett, (more)
- 1939
Radio crooner Tex Fletcher was given a one-time-only chance at western stardom in Grand National's Six-Gun Rhythm. The plot offers a bit of novelty value, with Fletcher starting out as an eastern-seaboard football player who heads westward when his rancher father is murdered. Heroine Joan Barclay's brother has been accused from the crime, but our hero exposes the genuine miscreant during a climactic fist-fight in a raging sandstorm (a standout sequence). The star plays his guitar left-handed, so there's little chance of his being confused with Autry or Rogers. All in all, Six-Gun Rhythm isn't bad, but all plans for a Tex Fletcher series were scotched when Grand National went out of business in late 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tex Fletcher, Joan Barclay, (more)
- 1938
In this western, a looter finds an abandoned, empty mine and begins claiming that he has found the mother lode. Soon, gold-hungry prospectors are giving every penny for a chance to work the mine until the hero rides into town and gets suspicious. Fate intervenes: the hero and the duped miners really do find a mother lode in the "worthless" mine. When they go to stake their claim, the outlaw tries to stop them. He fails and justice prevails. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Luden, Beth Marion, (more)
- 1938
One thing was always certain in Columbia's Jack Luden westerns: the supporting cast would include Hal Taliaferro, or Harry Woods, or both. In Pioneer Trail, Taliaferro is fifth-billed as "Smokey", a non-villainous role for a change. The film's chief heavy is Slim Whittaker, playing the leader of an outlaw gang which has been preying on cattle drives. Captured by Whittaker, hero Luden is offered his freedom in exchange for leading a particularly valuable herd of cattle into the rustlers' hands. Luden turns down the offer, and with the help of "wonder dog" Tuffy he escapes to warn the cattlemen of Whittaker's impending attack. The film ends with a spectacular cattle stampede which looks as though it was lifted from an earlier film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Luden, Joan Barclay, (more)
- 1938
In Early Arizona was western star Bill Elliot's first effort for Columbia Pictures. Not yet "Wild Bill" Elliot (as he would later be billed), the actor is cast as Whit Gordon, who rides into Tombstone Arizona to help keep the peace. Elliot is appointed sheriff, making him the particular target of every fast gun in the territory. Though clearly based on the career of Wyatt Earp film is careful not to violate the copyright on Earp's life story, which then was held by 20th Century-Fox. In fact, contrary to previous published reports, the name "Wyatt Earp" is not mentioned at all in In Early Arizona; only the designation of Tombstone itself was in the public domain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Gulliver, Harry Woods, (more)
- 1937
Gene Autry and his sidekick, Smiley Burnette, are suspected of cattle rustling in this action-packed Republic Pictures Western directed by former actor Mack V. Wright. Actually, Gene and Frog (Burnette) had been chasing a couple of real cattle rustlers, Apache Kid (Max Hoffman Jr.) and Black Jim (Charles King), when they discovered the bodies of two lawmen. Realizing that the rustlers killed their pursuers, our heroes get the bright idea of masquerading in the apparel left by the outlaws. Heading for the border, things get even more complicated, but Gene and his pal manage to stay alive and catch the secret leader of the gang, Joe Stafford (Monte Blue), the supposed upstanding head of the cattlemen's association. When they're not chasing down rustlers, Autry, Burnette, and Al Clauser and his Oklahoma Outlaws perform "The Old Home Place," "Mexicali Rose," and the title tune, all by Sol Meyer, Jule Styne, and Raoul Kraushaar. Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm was partially filmed on-location in Lone Pine, CA, where the production took advantage of a terrific real-life storm. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1937
Gene Autry and veteran Western director Jospeh Kane team up for this lightweight effort. Gene (Gene Autry) is the foreman of a ranch which has just been put under new ownership, though he soon has his doubts about his new boss -- Sandra Knight (Polly Rowles), a pretty young woman with a college degree in animal husbandry but little practical experience of life on the range. When Sandra decides to raise sheep instead of cattle, it doesn't settle with the neighboring ranchers, and Gene is forced to make peace with both factions. As usual, Springtime In The Rockies features a handful of songs from Autry, with Jimmy LeFuer and his Saddle Pals providing accompaniment. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1937
Gene Autry gets into a heated fight with an oil company in this very tuneful early entry in the Autry oeuvre, restored in 2001 under the auspices of Gene Autry Entertainment. Gene, who believes the oil wells will pollute the grazing land, is feuding with broadcaster Doris Maxwell (Judith Allen), whose banker father (William Farnum) has embezzled $25,000 to fund a local drilling project. Our hero, however, changes his mind when news arrives of a railroad to be built if and when the well comes in. He also discovers that George Wilkins (Weldon Heyburn), the oil-drilling superintendent, has framed old man Maxwell and is now claiming the well to be dry in order to take over the operation himself. In addition to Harris Heyman and Snyde Miller's title tune and Jean Schwartz and William Jerome's "Chinatown My Chinatown, Git Along Little Dogie includes a sing-along of such standard melodies as "Red River Valley" and She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain", complete with on-screen lyrics for audience participation. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
Given a title like Sagebrush Troubadour, it virtually went without saying that the star of this 1935 western was singing cowboy Gene Autry. This entry surprisingly downplays its musical content in favor of a murder-mystery storyline. Working undercover, federal agent Autry and his pal Smiley Burnette try to determine which of five likely suspects is the hidden killer. He also takes a respite from time to time to serenade Joan (Barbara Pepper), the daughter of one of the murder victims. A welcome break from the usual Gene Autry formula, Sagebrush Troubadour was among the best of his earlier vehicles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
