Raymond Hatton Movies
Looking for all the world like a beardless Rumpelstiltskin, actor Raymond Hatton utilized his offbeat facial features and gift for mimicry in vaudeville, where he appeared from the age of 12 onward. In films from 1914, Hatton was starred or co-starred in several of the early Cecil B. DeMille productions, notably The Whispering Chorus (1917), in which the actor delivered a bravura performance as a man arrested for murdering himself. Though he played a vast array of characters in the late teens and early 1920s, by 1926 Hatton had settled into rubeish character roles. He was teamed with Wallace Beery in several popular Paramount comedies of the late silent era, notably Behind the Front (1926) and Now We're in the Air (1927). Curiously, while Beery's career skyrocketed in the 1930s, Hatton's stardom diminished, though he was every bit as talented as his former partner. In the 1930s and 1940s, Hatton showed up as comic sidekick to such western stars as Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Livingston. He was usually cast as a grizzled old desert rat, even when (as in the case of the "Rough Riders" series with Buck Jones and Tim McCoy) he happened to be younger than the nominal leading man. Raymond Hatton continued to act into the 1960s, showing up on such TV series as The Abbott and Costello Show and Superman and in several American-International quickies. Raymond Hatton's last screen appearance was as the old man collecting bottles along the highway in Richard Brooks' In Cold Blood (1967). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1942
The last of Monogram's eight "Rough Riders" westerns starring oldtimers Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton, West of the Law has the three lawmen coming to the aid of a beleaguered newspaper editor, Rufus Todd (Milburn Morante), who has been exposing a rash of stage robberies near Gold Creek. When Todd's son-in-law Ray (Bud McTaggart) is attacked my members of the gang, Marshals McCall and Hopkins (McCoy and Hatton) go undercover as a minister and a funeral parlor proprietor, respectively, with the third member of the trio, Marshal Roberts (Jones) hiding in one of the coffins. The ruse works and the three are soon able to unmask the real mastermind behind the robberies. Monogram went all out for this one, hiring some of the best supporting actors in the business, including Harry Woods, Roy Barcroft, Bud Osborne, Tom London and ace stunt-man George DeNormand. As always, the western concludes with the three marshals going their separate ways, a rousing "So long, Rough Riders" as their parting salute. Sadly, they would not be back, Buck Jones perishing in the tragic Coconut Grove nightclub fire in Boston soon after. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
The Rough Riders--Buck Jones, Raymond Hatton and Rex Bell--endeavor to provide a wagon train safe passage through Indian country. With Jones heading the caravan and Bell and Hatton working undercover, the threesome discover that the "savages" planning to attack the settlers are actually renegade whites. The criminals' target is the shipment of railroad supplies being carried in one of the wagons. Normally, the third "Rough Rider" would have been played by Colonel Tim McCoy, but when McCoy was called to active duty in World War II, he was hastily replaced by old-time western star Rex Bell. Dawn on the Great Divide was the last film for Buck Jones, who was killed in the infamous Coconut Grove fire shortly before the film was released. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buck Jones, Rex Bell, (more)
- 1942
Monogram's "Rough Riders" rolled along smoothly with the 1942 entry Down Texas Way. Once again, the star trio consists of Buck Jones as Buck Roberts, Tim McCoy as Tim McCall, and Raymond Hatton as Sandy Hopkins. The plot, as always, finds Buck, Tim and Sandy cast as undercover US Marshals who pretend to be strangers to one another for the purpose of confounding the villains. This time, Sandy is framed for murder by a gang of frontier racketeers who hope to take over a small town as their headquarters. Working separately (and ostensibly on the wrong side of the law), Buck and Tim rescue Sandy from a lynch mob and foil the crooks' dastardly schemes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, (more)
- 1942
In this drama, set during the gold-rush, an unsuccessful prospector prepares to leave Alaska. But first he has a grand, drunken send-off. During the celebration a lawman is killed. The prospector is the prime suspect, and so he escapes to keep from being arrested. While on the lam, he encounters a wealthy but avaricious Englishman who is planning on robbing and killing an aged sourdough who has just found a productive stream. After murdering the old prospector, the English cad begins threatening the prospector's daughter; she and the younger prospector flee across a dangerous frozen river to escape him. En route, the young man falls in love with her. He soon finds out that he did not kill the lawman. The two lovers lead long and happy lives soon after. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Middleton, Jean Parker, (more)
Cecil B. DeMille's Technicolor historical spectacle Reap the Wild Wind was to have starred Gary Cooper, but Cooper's prior commitment to Goldwyn's Pride of the Yankees compelled DeMille to recast the leading role with John Wayne. The film, set in the mid-19th century, centers around Key West, Florida, where piracy reigns unchecked. Wayne plays the captain of a salvage business, working on behalf of Raymond Massey to rescue valuables from the merchant ships wrecked by pirates. During one expedition, Wayne is rescued from drowning by Paulette Goddard, the hoydenish manager of a rival salvage firm. Goddard arranges for Wayne to go to work for her boss, Ray Milland, and a romantic rivalry ensues. Later on, Goddard's cousin Susan Hayward is lost at sea when her ship is attacked by pirates. Wayne is accused of engineering the wreck, thanks to the duplicity of Massey, the real brains of the pirate operation. Wayne and Milland both don deep-sea diving gear and swim to the bottom in search of evidence. When Milland is attacked by an octopus, Wayne saves his rival's life at the expense of his own. Massey is exposed, and Milland wins Goddard. Essentially a standard maritime meller, Reap the Wild Wind takes on the veneer of importance thanks to DeMille's epic treatment of the material. Though competition is fierce, Ray Milland steals the show with a truly offbeat characterization (he even gets to indulge in a little ventriloquism!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Milland, John Wayne, (more)
- 1942
In this drama a military cadet must demonstrate his courage to quell accusations of cowardice. His friend assists him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Serials usually spawned feature film versions, but with this film, it was the other way around. A 1932 Buck Jones Western, White Eagle was made into a serial nine years later, again starring Jones in the title role, a (supposedly) Native American Pony Express Rider defending his people against a gang of evil Whites. Oldtimer Raymond Hatton appeared as Jones' grizzled sidekick, and Dorothy Fay provided feminine interest. The bad guys were headed by James Craven and the mean-looking Jack Ingram. Unfortunately, the seemingly progressive serial caved into studio pressure by having its Native American protagonist turn out to be White after all and only adopted by the Indians. Fay later married Singing Cowboy Tex Ritter and was the mother of television star John Ritter. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
John Wayne stars in this hard-driving oater which was co-written by character actor Paul Fix. Wayne plays Rocklin, a chauvinistic cowboy who arrives at the KC Ranch in Santa Inez to apply for a job as a foreman. But when he finds that the owner has died and that the ranch is now being run by two women -- Clara Cardell (Audrey Long) and her aunt Miss Martin (Elizabeth Risdon) -- he hardheadedly refuses to work for the women. But later on, Clara comes looking for Rocklin, asking his help in obtaining a letter from the town's corrupt judge Garvey (Ward Bond) that proves that Clara is old enough to be the legal owner of the ranch. Rocklin arrives in Garvey's office just after Garvey has burned the letter. The two tangle, with Rocklin sending Garvey crashing through his door. After the fight, Rocklin meets Arly Harolday (Ella Raines), another female ranch owner. Rocklin's views on women enrage Arly so much that she gets her stepfather (Donald Douglas) to hire him to work on her ranch, just so she can fire him. But in spite of Rocklin's primitive attitudes, Arly falls in love with him. Meanwhile, things are heating up as Garvey and other corrupt officials try to get control of the KC ranch. In order to get rid of Rocklin, a murder rap is pinned on him, forcing him to leave town. Hiding out at the KC ranch, he learns that he is the nephew of the ranch's dead owner and the rightful heir. Arly arrives to help Rocklin and to tell him that the murder Rocklin is accused of committing was actually committed by Arly's stepfather, who is working with Garvey and Miss Martin to get the deed to the ranch. With all that information under his cowboy hat, Rocklin cocks his gun and goes out to face the bad guys for a final showdown. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Ella Raines, (more)
Texas was Columbia Pictures' lighthearted (and frankly more enjoyable) follow-up to its 1940 big-budget western Arizona. William Holden and Glenn Ford, looking collectively 28 years old, play a couple of ex-Confederate soldiers who get into all sorts of trouble in a wide-open Texas town. The two split up, whereupon Ford takes a job on Joseph Crehan's ranch; by and by, he falls in love with Crehan's daughter Clare Trevor. Meanwhile, Holden has joined a gang of rustlers headed by town dentist Edgar Buchanan (in real life, Buchanan had been a practicing dentist, retaining his license well into the sixties just in case things slowed down in Hollywood). Ex-friends Ford and Holden confront each other again when Holden tries to steal the cattle that Ford is driving across the state to Abilene. Complicating matters is the fact that Holden, too, carries a torch for Trevor. Though packed with action and suspense, Texas never loses its subliminal sense of humor, a fact that can be attributed to its director, slapstick comedy veteran George Marshall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, Glenn Ford, (more)
The "Rough Riders"-Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton-are back in the saddle in Forbidden Trails. As was customary, the stars play three wildly diverse types who are apparently strangers to one another when the film begins. In this instance, Buck Roberts (Jones) is a dude gambler, Tim McCall (McCoy) is head driver for a stagecoach line, and Sandy Hopkins (Hatton) is a desert rat who's apparently in cahoots with a pair of escaped outlaws. By Reel Four, however, it is obvious that Buck, Tim and Sandy are secretly working together to thwart the villains. In the film's most exciting scene, Buck is trapped in a burning shack while a contingent of well-armed bandits block his escape. Future "Three Stooges" heroine Christine McIntyre is the leading lady on this occasion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, (more)
- 1941
Veteran action and western director Spencer G. Bennet certainly opens this the second of Monogram's eight "Rough Riders" oaters on a suspenseful and unusual note. On a dark and stormy night, a lone rider enters a secluded and seemingly vacant ranch house to find the slain bodies of the occupants and a hastily scribbled note bearing the legend: "Rustlers did this. I recognized Bill Cook with them. Take care of my baby. Mary Gibbs." Although the remainder of The Gunman from Bodie doesn't quite measure up to this suspenseful and evocative opening sequence, it is still a crackerjack little western, well-played by its trio of heroes, Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton. The three "Rough Riders" are special agents assigned to look into a series of rustlings near the small town of Larabie. Working undercover as the notorious titular criminal, Jones discovers that the head of the rustlers is none other than supposedly-solid citizen Robert Frazer, who employs both the local sheriff (Max Waizmann and most of the hands at valuable Circle "B" Ranch. As the pretty owner of the ranch and her handsome foreman, Christine McIntyre and Dave "Tex" O'Brien(who sings "Little Tenderfoot"to the abandoned babe) supply the romantic interest, while Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton perform their assigned, and well-known, roles in their accustomed ways. But The Gunman from Bodie belongs squarely to Buck Jones, who combines strength with sentiment as the undercover agent discovering an abandoned baby in one of the more haunting opening sequences in B-Western history. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, (more)
Monogram Pictures launched its lucrative "Rough Riders" western series with 1941's Arizona Bound. Producer Scott Dunlap hoped to attract new customers by teaming two of the most popular cowboy stars in the movies, Buck Jones and Tim McCoy, throwing in another old favorite, Raymond Hatton, as grizzled comedy relief (ironically, Hatton was actually younger than his two costars!) The first entry set the pattern of all the "Rough Riders" entries to follow: Apparently retired, gunslinger Buck Roberts (Buck Jones) is galvanized into action when an old friend asks him to help rid Mesa City of a scurrilous outlaw gang. Upon his arrival, Buck makes the acquaintance of local parson Tim McCall (McCoy) and itinerant ranchhand Sandy Hopkins (Hatton). It soon becomes obvious that Buck, Tim and Sandy have been working together all along, with Roberts doing most of the shootin' and fightin' while Tim and Sandy operate undercover and undetected. Their job finally done, our three heroes bid farewell to one another and go their separate ways, with the promise that they'll join up again whenever its becomes necessary. Though it seldom deviated from this basic formula, the "Rough Riders" series was a hit, and remained so until Buck Jones' untimely death in 1942. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, (more)
- 1940
Though the title character is loosely based on that of the notorious killer/robber Ma Barker, she has been sanitized and prettified to meet the perceived conservative values of Hollywood movie audiences. Unlike Barker, who was bad to the bone, Ma Webster is simply a matriarch who would do anything for her three crazy sons, even assisting them with thieving and kidnapping. Their exploits land the nefarious family on the FBI's "most wanted" list and cause the agency to send out their very best man to find them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Bellamy, Blanche Yurka, (more)
- 1940
- NR
This typically economical Edward Small historical drama stars Jon Hall as legendary frontiersman Kit Carson. Wasting no time, the film gets off to an exciting start as Carson and his two saddle pals (Ward Bond and Harold Huber) are attacked by Indians. They manage to escape unscatched and make their way to Fort Bridger, where Captain John "Frontier" Fremont (Dana Andrews) hires Carson to guide a wagon train westward. The plot thickens when both Carson and Fremont fall in love with pretty Dolores Murphy (Lynn Bari), but all misunderstandings and rivalries are forgotten when the two heroes fight shoulder to shoulder against another Indian attack. Despite obvious budgetary limitations, the battle scenes are well staged by serial veteran George B. Seitz. Originally distributed by United Artists, Kit Carson was later reissued by minor-league PRC Pictures, which is why the film is currently in Public Domain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1940
Republic's "Three Mesquiteers" western series hopscotched all over the calendar, with some entries taking place in the present, others in the far-distant past. As indicated by its title, Covered Wagon Days is a period piece, with heroes Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston), Rusty Joslin (Raymond Hatton) and Rico Rinaldo (Duncan Renaldo) riding into a silver mining camp. The villains keep busy by smuggling the valuable ore across the border, and to add insult to injury have framed Rico's brother Carlos (Paul Marion) on a murder charge. This time it takes only 56 minutes for the Mesquiteers to rout the villains and allow justice to triumph. As always, Covered Wagon Days is enhanced by excellent production values, thoroughly transcending the film's pinchpenny budget. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Livingston, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1940
Hi-Yo Silver is a 69-minute abridgement of the 1938 Republic serial The Lone Ranger. Departing from the continuity established by the Lone Ranger radio program (which had been running since 1933), the film offers five leading man, any one of whom might be the legendary "masked rider of the plains". All five team up to combat the outlaw gang headed by the scurrilous Mr. Jeffries (Stanley Andrews), with the assistance of faithful Indian companion Tonto (Chief Thundercloud). As the quintet of heroes are killed off one by one, the identity of the Lone Ranger becomes more and more obvious. The five candidates are played by Lee Powell, Herman Brix (aka Bruce Bennett), Hal Taliaferro (aka Wally Wales), George Letz (aka George Montgomery) and Lane Chandler. The original Lone Ranger serial is no longer available for viewing thanks to a tangle of legalities and a paucity of watchable prints. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Powell
- 1940
A fast-paced, enjoyable entry in the long-running Three Mesqueteers Western series, Heroes of the Saddle featured the three cowboy pals promising to look after Peggy Bell (Patsy Lee Parsons), the little daughter of mortally wounded rodeo champ Montana (Kermit Maynard). Legal technicalities, however, halt the adoption proceeding and Stony (Robert Livingston), Rusty (Raymond Hatton), and Rico (Duncan Renaldo) can only watch as the little girl is placed in the county orphanage. On a visit, the Mesqueteers discover that Peggy has been injured and Melloney the superintendent (sour-faced Byron Foulger) claims that the institution cannot pay for the necessary treatment. Stony wins the amount in a boxing match against "Killer" McCulley (Jack Roper), only to learn that Melloney is threatening the child to keep quiet about something. The "something" is the fact that Melloney and county supervisor Crone (William Royle) are not only mistreating the children in their care but cooking the books as well. Aided by a pretty nurse, Ruth Miller (Loretta Weaver of the Weaver hillbilly act), the Mesqueeters "kidnap" Peggy and the other kids and bring them to their spacious ranch. There is a final shootout before the three heroes can round up the gang and celebrate the election of a new county supervisor, nurse Ruth. A comic highlight of this Western has Duncan Renaldo pretending to be a department store dummy in order to fool drunken watchman Al Taylor. Heroes of the Saddle was one of the final films of ace villain William Royle, who later that year would appear in perhaps his best-remembered role as Sir Neyland Smith in the serial Drums of Fu Manchu (1940). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1940
When an evil land grabbers forces settlers out of their homes, the courageous Three Mesquiteers ride up to stop him. Rootin' tootin' western action ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Livingston, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1940
The three Mesquiteers ride the long trail home following the Spanish-American war in this western. En route, they have many exciting adventures. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1940
This "Three Mesquiteers" western entry stars Robert Livingston as Stony Brooke, Raymond Hatton as Rusty Joslin and Duncan Renaldo as Rico Rinaldo. Livingston also does double duty as the villain of the piece, a desperado known as The Laredo Kid. Working undercover for the Texas Rangers, Stony Brooke poses as the recently deceased Laredo Kid to get the goods on the latter's gang. The film's action highlight is a leap from a runaway stagecoach over a perilous cliff and into a raging stream-a bit of derring-do that popped up as stock footage in many a future Republic western. Handling the leading-lady duties is Rosella Towne, formerly with Warner Bros. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Livingston, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1939
Hot on the heels of Frontier Pony Express came the equally exciting Roy Rogers vehicle Rough Riders' Roundup. In the first film, Rogers was an express rider during the Civil War era; in the second, he's a veteran of the Spanish American war (ubiquitous fellow, isn't he?) With several of his fellow Rough Riders, Rogers joins the Texas border patrol, where he almost immediately clashes with a villain named Arizona (William Pawley). While maintaining a respectable facade, Arizona and his minions rob the stagecoaches and express offices, divesting the local prospectors of their hard-earned gold. With the help of grizzled old sidekick Rusty (Raymond Hatton)-not to mention the rest of the Rough Riders-Rogers crushes Arizona's operation once and for all. The film boasts two leading ladies: Rogers' usual vis-a-vis Mary Hart, and former silent star Dorothy Sebastian, here making a comeback attempt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, Mary Hart, (more)
- 1939
Finishing out her Paramount Pictures contract, opera star Gladys Swarthout sings not a single note in the tense little thriller Ambush. After pulling off a bank robbery, a clever gang of thieves squirrels itself away in a rural hideout. Complicating matters is the unexpected arrival of Jane Hartman (Swarthout), the sister of one of the crooks. Hoping to keep her brother and herself alive, Jane is obliged to coerce an honest truck driver named Tony Andrews (Lloyd Nolan) into helping the fugitives escape. Ambush is distinguished by the bravura performance of Ernest Truex, usually cast in milquetoast roles, as the brilliant but deadly "brains" of the outlaw gang. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gladys Swarthout, Lloyd Nolan, (more)
- 1939
When both John Wayne and Ray "Crash" Corrigan defected from Republic's "Three Mesquiteers" series, the studio hastily replaced them with Robert Livingston (whom Wayne had originally replaced) and future "Cisco Kid" Duncan Renaldo. In Kansas Terrors, Stoney (Livingston) and his saddle pal Rusty (Raymond Hatton) take a job delivering horses to a flyspeck Caribbean island. Here they join forces with Rico (Renaldo) to topple the regime of a despotic commandante (George Douglas). Despite the fact that Rico was introduced as a horse thief, he becomes fast friends with Stoney and Rusty, and by film's end has agreed to return with them to the US, so that there'll be three Mesquiteers once more. After two years' worth of the Livingston-Renaldo-Hatton team, Republic would come up with yet another winning combination, consisting of Livingston, Bob Steele and Rufe Davis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Livingston, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1939
Forever keeping apace of current headlines, Republic's "Three Mesquiteers" series came up with the 1939 entry Wyoming Outlaw. The story is based on a true incident, wherein a disgruntled young lawbreaker took refuge in the mountains of Wyoming, successfully eluding a large posse for several days. The press had a field day with the story, labelling the fugitive a "Modern Robin Hood"-at least until he was shot down by a well-armed waiter. The movie version of this incident finds hotheaded Will Parker (Donald Barry), the son of recently fired highway worker Luke Parker (Charles Middleton), thrown into jail for violating the local game laws. Busting out, Parker scurries to the hills, hotly pursued by our heroes Stony Brooke (John Wayne), Tucson Smith (Ray Corrigan) and Rusty Joslin (Raymond Hatton). Not altogether unsympathetic to Parker, the Mesquiteers set about to capture the film's real villain, corrupt politician Balsinger (Leroy Mason), after the fugitive meets his fate at the hands of gun-toting gas-station attendant Newt (David Sharpe). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, (more)
- 1939
In this comedy, a Missouri mule breeder faces financial ruin after the market collapses. He takes his best mule to a Kansas livestock show where he impresses a representative from the British army. He, his wife, and his best mules then sail to England to sell them. Soon the Missouri couple are living high-on-the-hog amongst the cream of British society. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gladys George, Gene Lockhart, (more)
