Jack Ingram Movies
A WWI veteran who later studied law at the University of Texas, tough-looking Jack Ingram began his long show business career as a minstrel player and later reportedly toured with Mae West. He began turning up playing scruffy henchmen and assorted other B-Western villains in the mid-'30s and was later the featured heavy in Columbia serials. Ingram would go on to appear in a total of 200 Westerns and approximately 50 serials in a career that later included appearances on such television programs as The Cisco Kid and The Lone Ranger. Many of his later films and almost all his television Westerns, including the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry shows, were filmed on Ingram's own 200-acre ranch on Mulholland Drive in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking Woodland Hills, which he had purchased from Charles Chaplin in 1944 and which remains a wilderness today. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1942
In this, one of the last episodes of the Lone Rider series, the hero must prove himself innocent after his charged with the murder of a prison guard. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
A Federal agent masquerades as a horse trader in order to bring outlaw terrorists to justice in this western. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this western the three Range Busters go undercover, take on a gang of ruthless outlaws, and bring them to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
After several years of mediocre westerns, cowboy star Tom Keene finally managed to find a winning formula in his 1941-42 vehicles for Monogram. Lone Star Law Men stars Keene as a deputy US marshal, sworn to help his boss rout a gang of border outlaws. Our hero elects to go undercover by joining the crooks himself-an old ploy, but one that works beautifully here. For the rest of the film, Keene has quite a time staying on camera with such formidable scene-stealers as comic sidekick Frank Yaconelli and all-around heavy Charles King as competition. Like many Tom Keene oaters of the period, Lone Star Law Men gives over a goodly amount of screen time to moppet Sugar Dawn, whom Monogram was obviously grooming for bigger things (which never materialized). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Keene, Frank Yaconelli, (more)
- 1942
Republic's "Three Mesquiteers" western series was in its fifth year of production when Raiders of the Range was released in March of 1942. In this one, the Mesquiteers are enacted by Bob Steele (as Tucson Smith), Tom Tyler (Stony Brooke) and Rufe Davis (Lullaby Joslin). Our heroes come to the aid of visionary Doc Higgins (Tom Chatterton), whose efforts to strike oil on his property and thus bring financial security to his community are constantly being undermined by the villains. The main culprit is saloon owner Sam Daggett (Frank Jacquet), who blackmails local wastrel Ned Foster (Dennis Moore) into doing his dirty work. But with the Mesquiteers around, Daggett doesn't have a snowball's chance in you-know-where of succeeding in his skullduggery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, (more)
- 1942
The Three Mesquiteers are back in the saddle in Republic's Code of the Outlaws. In this outing, the Mesquiteers are played by Bob Steele (as Tuscon Smith), Tom Tyler (as Stony Brooke) and Rufe Davis (as Lullaby Joslin). Bennie Bartlett costars as the son of outlaw Weldon Heyburn, who refuses to inform on his dad's outlaw gang even after Heyburn is shot dead. Our three heroes try to set Bartlett on the right path-and, incidentally, attempt to round up the gang on their own. Reviewers in 1942 felt that Code of the Outlaws was one of the best "Mesquiteers" entries since the series' salad days of the late 1930s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, (more)
- 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
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
- 1941
Guess what happens in the PRC western The Lone Rider Ambushed? Yes, he does get ambushed, but that's not all. Posing as his lookalike, an imprisoned crook, Tom Cameron (George Houston), aka The Lone Rider, tries to track down a gang of bank robbers. This he does on behalf of an innocent teller, falsely accused of complicity in a recent holdup. Before the film's 6 reels have expended themselves, scores of bad guys lie dead, thanks to a posse led by comedy sidekick Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John). When the comedy relief does better than the hero, it's time to call it a day, which the "Lone Rider" series finally did in mid-1942. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Houston, Maxine Leslie, (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)
- 1941
Bill Elliot took time out from his "Wild Bill Hickok" westerns series to essay the title role in Son of Davy Crockett. During the Reconstruction era, Davy Jr. (Elliot) is hired by President Grant (Harrison Greene) to convince the residents of a small territory on the Texas border to align themselves with the United States. Opposing this move is local outlaw leader King Canfield (Kenneth MacDonald), who wants nothing to interfere with his dictatorial hold over the territory. For a while, it looks as though young Crockett has cast his lot with Canfield, but his true loyalties are revealed at a crucial plot juncture. Despite its potential, Son of Davy Crockett falls short due to his overabundance of dialogue and its paucity of action. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Iris Meredith, Dub Taylor, (more)
Prairie Pioneers was one of a trio of "Three Mesquiteers" westerns directed by the forgotten Les Orleback. On this occasion, the Mesquiteers are enacted by Robert Livingston (as Stony Brooke), Bob Steele (Tucson Smith) and Rufe Davis (Lullaby Joslin). Their mission this time is to save young Roberto Ortega (Robert Kellard) from hanging for a crime he didn't commit. This requires our heroes to take on a gang of land-usurpers, headed by Carlos Montoya (Davison Clark). Along the way, Stony Brooke dallies romantically with Roberto's lovely sister Dolores (Esther Estrella). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, (more)
- 1941
In this serial, onetime football hero Slingin' Sammy Baugh stars as Tom King, a Texas Ranger on the hunt for the Nazis who killed his father. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1941
In this western, Rogers and his sidekick Gabby get into all kinds of trouble when they ride into Tombstone and find themselves mistaken for the hired gun and his assistant. The gunslinger was engaged to work for the mayor and for a time Rogers goes along with it. When he discovers that the mayor is a bonafide crook, the "gunslinger" becomes the new sheriff. When the real gunman finally moseys into town, a showdown ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
Robin Hood of the Pecos was set immediately after the Civil War, when most of Texas was under the thumb of corrupt northern politicians. Alleviating things somewhat is the presence of a mysterious masked night rider, inclined to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Believe it or not, this latter-day Robin Hood is not played by star Roy Rogers, but by his grizzled sidekick Gabby Hayes! No matter: the plot is resolved when Rogers swings into action against crypto-fascistic local adjutant Cy Kendall. Repeating her "Calamity Jane" characterization from Young Bill Hickok, Sally Payne plays a gun-wielding hoyden, while the more sedate heroine is enacted by Marjorie Reynolds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
Nevada City finds Roy Rogers and his perennial sidekick Gabby Hayes cast as stagecoach drivers. Their boss is Joseph Crehan, an ornery crust who can't abide the notion of the railroad cutting into his business. Roy and Gabby try to establish a détente between Crehan and railroad man George Cleveland, only to be fired for their efforts. Things don't straighten themselves out until a roving band of outlaws force Crehan and Cleveland to work together, which is what our heroes had intended all along. Sally Payne, heretofore a comedy-relief soubrette in the Roy Rogers films, is promoted to leading lady status in Nevada City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
A saboteur who tampered with an experimental aeronautics device is pursued by a man and his dog in this tale of adventure and intrigue from director Raymond K. Johnson. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1941
Panama Menace is the reissue title of PRC's South of Panama. Secret agent Roger Pryor is dispatched below the border to protect an important scientific formula. Believe it or don't, this mixture has the ability to render things invisible. Enemy agents, Lionel Royce and Lucien Prival want to get their mitts on this vital secret. Femme fatale Virginia Vale spends most of her time cowering the corner, allowing two-fisted Pryor to make the world safe for democracy. Watch for Beaver Cleaver's future dad Hugh Beaumont in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Pryor, Virginia Vale, (more)
- 1941
Columbia's King of Dodge City was the first of several westerns costarring "Wild Bill" Elliot and singing cowboy Tex Ritter. Though Elliot is billed first, the plot and action are evenly divided between the two B-picture favorites. The story takes place in Kansas, just after the Civil War. Wild Bill Hickok (Elliot) is summoned from Dodge City to Abilene, there to neutralize a crooked political machine. Hickok is aided every step of the way by Tex Rawlings (Ritter), a seemingly harmless drifter who is appointed sheriff after proving his prowess with his six-guns. The film's most memorable scene finds Rawlings calmly plugging a bad guy while coming to the end of a soulful western ballad. Elliot's perennial comedy relief Dub Taylor also starred in King of Dodge City, though for the rest of the Elliot-Ritter series he'd be replaced by the likes of Frank Mitchell and George "Slim" Summerville. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tex Ritter, Judith Linden, (more)
Opera singer-turned-cowboy hero George Houston stars in PRC's Lone Rider in Ghost Town. Houston is cast as Tom Cameron, who in the guise of the Lone Rider comes to the rescue of a group of gold prospectors. The villains are a band of big-city racketeers who've brought their strong-arm tactics to the Great Frontier, jumping the prospectors' claims and killing off all opposition. The climax takes place in a supposed ghost town which serves as the gangsters' hideout. Al "Fuzzy" St. John, PRC's house comic sidekick, is on hand for a few snickers, chuckles and guffaws. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Houston, Alaine Brandes, (more)
The Monogram publicity machine advertised Gang's All Here as a story of "Young Americans Fighting for Their Rights." Young driver Frankie (Frankie Darro) decides to take on a gang of truck hijackers single-handed, running into opposition from the crooked district manager behind the crime spree. Frankie is aided and abetted by undercover insurance investigator George (Keye Luke), boss' daughter Patsy (Marcia Mae Jones) and longtime pal Jefferson (Mantan Moreland). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Darro, Marcia Mae Jones, (more)
- 1940
Long before the character was appropriated by Buster Crabbe, "Lightning" Bill Carson was played by Tim McCoy in a series of low-budget westerns produced by Sam Katzman. One of the last of these was Straight Shooter, filmed in the late 1930s but unreleased until 1940. This time, Carson (McCoy) goes after a ruthless outlaw gang which has stolen government bonds. Though the odds are against him, Carson gets his man-er, men. Slowly the pace of Straight Shooter to walk is the questionable comedy relief of Ben "Magpie" Corbett. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim McCoy, Ben Corbett, (more)
- 1940
Although produced in mid 1939, this, the last starring Western of former opera baritone Fred Scott, did not find a release until the following year when it was sold outright on the states rights market. Scott starred as Fred Martin, a U.S. Marshal tracking a gang of cattle rustlers. Overhearing the foreman of the Lazy B (Jack Ingram) conspiring with the rustlers, Fred dons the disguise of a singing troubadour -- enabling screenwriter Phil Dunham to throw in a couple of sagebrush ballads. In his troubadour disguise, Fred follows the foreman to a clandestine meeting with his boss who, to no one's great surprise, turns out to be supposedly law abiding rancher Pa Bailey (John Ward). The gang is quickly rounded up and Fred can warble Ridin' the Trail to leading lady Iris Lancaster. Fred Scott's thirteen Western starring career ended with Ridin' the Trail and the demise of its producer, Spectrum Pictures. "The Silvery-Voiced Baritone," as he was often billed, did a couple of supporting roles before leaving films altogether in favor of real estate. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1940
Based upon the classic radio series and pulp magazine character, The Shadow is a 15-episode serial in which scientist Lamont Cranston (Victor Jory) dons the garb of The Shadow to track down the elusive -- and indeed, invisible -- villain known only as The Black Tiger. As the serial begins, The Black Tiger is waging a campaign of terror that includes destroying trains, planes, and factories. This is only the beginning, however, as world domination -- to be achieved through the use of a mysterious death ray -- is his ultimate goal. The Shadow infiltrates the ranks of the villain's gang, disguised as a crook and calling himself Lin Chang. This helps The Shadow gain important information, although practically every time he seems about to make real progress, the gangsters manage to derail his plans. Things are not made easier by the police, who do not know that The Shadow is on their side and suspect that he is actually The Black Tiger. Eventually, The Shadow discovers the identity of The Black Tiger and brings an end to his evil reign. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
