Charles King, Jr. Movies
- 1946
A B-Western hero since the late silent era, Bob Steele would hang up his spurs after a final four westerns for director Harry L. Fraser. In the opener, The Navajo Kid, Steele, as he had so many times before, went in search of the villain, or villains, who murdered his foster-father and stole both ring and watch. The trail leads straight to Canyon City, Texas, and smooth cardsharp Honest John Grogan (I. Stanford Jolley), who is in possession of both the stolen items. But Grogan has an ironclad alibi for the time of the murder, an alibi confirmed by none other than Sheriff Roy Landon (Edward Cassidy). The Navajo Kid was produced independently by Arthur Alexander and Alfred Stern and released by PRC. Leading lady Caren Marsh had been Judy Garland's stand-in during the making of The Wizard of Oz (1939). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Sid Saylor, (more)
In this western, the residents of a town are terrorized by the presence of a mysterious ghost. The Texas Rangers investigate and discover the true culprits behind the hauntings. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1944
Also known as Boss of Rawhide, this "Texas Rangers" western top-bills Dave O'Brien, James Newill, and Guy Wilkerson. This time, the three Rangers are called upon to solve a series of rangeland murders. The victims were all ranchers, and it looks as though the same gang was responsible for all the killings. Our heroes suspect that the gang leader is a "respectable" citizen-but who is it? Pepping up the proceedings (or slowing them down, depending upon one's point of view) are a couple of songs, adequately warbled by the stars. The leading lady is Nell O'Day, an accomplished horsewoman who should have had a western series of her own. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dave "Tex" O'Brien, Guy Wilkerson, (more)
- 1943
This western features a flying cowboy. He is a rancher who became a pilot. As a pilot he staunchly defends the newly formed Civil Air Patrol from the cattle barons who fail to see the value of airplanes on the range. The flying rancher proves that they are indeed valuable after he flies into a forest fire and saves a cattle rancher's daughter. He also uses his plane to catch a murderer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Dub Taylor, (more)
- 1942
With America's Air Force not completely mobilized in mid-1942, Universal paid tribute to those foresighted Yankee flyboys who joined England's Royal Air Force before America's entry into WW2 in Eagle Squadron. Robert Stack stars as Chuck Brewer, one of several US flyers participating in RAF bombing raids of Germany. The film stresses the importance of hands-across-the-sea teamwork in this massive undertaking, concluding with Brewer leading his British compatriots on a Commando raid behind enemy lines, the better to capture a revolutionary new Nazi war plane. Every so often, the story slows to a walk as Brewer romances British lass Anne Partridge, played by the unfortunate Diana Barrymore in her last truly important screen role. Producer Walter Wanger made special arrangements with the British government to incorporate several exciting shots of authentic air battles in the film's 108 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Stack, Diana Barrymore, (more)
- 1941
Having joined the army in Buck Privates and the navy in In the Navy, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello signed up with Air Force in Keep 'Em Flying. Abbott and Costello play Blackie and Heathcliff, carnival workers who are fired from their jobs along with their pal, reckless stunt pilot Jinx Roberts (Dick Foran). When Jinx joins the Army Air Corps-the better to be nearer pretty USO singer Linda Joyce (Carol Bruce)-Blackie and Heathcliff loyally join up as well, obtaining low-echelon ground crew jobs. While Jinx tries to cure Linda's brother Jim (Charles Lang) of his fear of flying, Heathcliff pursues a romance with wisecracking waitress Gloria Phelps (Martha Raye), never quite catching on that Gloria has an identitical-twin sister (also Martha Raye). A bit too plot-heavy for its own good, Keep 'Em Flying is at its best when concentrating on Abbott & Costello, who in addition to performing their patented cross-talk routines participate in a zany runaway-torpedo chase and a gratuitous but amusing episode in a spooky carnival funhouse. As a bonus, Costello gets to do a bit of "straight" acting, and he's quite good at it. Deleted scenes include a comedy magic act (later restaged in Abbott & Costello's Lost in a Harem) and a wild episode at a skating rink (reworked two years later in Hit the Ice). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, (more)
The first of four Tom Keene westerns for Monogram release, God's Country and the Man is fine, virile stuff in the old William S. Hart tradition. Keene is cast as wandering cavalier Jim, who finds himself in the Tall Timber territory of Canada. Here he runs afoul of scurrilous gunslinger Gentry (Charles King), the scourge of the Mounties. Not only does Jim neutralize Gentry, but he also helps a poor blacksmith (Billy Bletcher) stake a valuable gold claim. For his initial Monogram outing, Keene is favored with two leading ladies: Charlotte Henry, the onetime star of Alice in Wonderland, and silent-screen favorite Betty Compson, here given an opportunity to display her skill with the violin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Keene, Betty Compson, (more)
- 1937
Bret Harte's short story The Luck of Roaring Camp had previously been woven into the plot of RKO's Outcasts of Poker Flat when this Monogram "special" made its appearance late in 1937. The basic story remains intact, with an orphaned baby magically bringing good fortune to a rough-and-tumble mining camp. Among those to benefit from the kid's presence are earnest young miner Davey (Owen Davis Jr.), rough-edged but likeable camp singer Elsie (Joan Woodbury) and shifty-eyed gambler Oakhurst (Charles Brokaw). At base a good yarn, Luck of Roaring Camp suffers from an excess of corn, especially in the closing scenes. It was the final directorial effort of Irvin Willat, a once-prominent figure in the world of silent films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Owen Davis, Jr., Joan Woodbury, (more)
- 1934
Although it was nominated for an Academy Award, the third Three Stooges comedy two-reeler for Columbia has not dated well. A spoof of MGM's Clark Gable vehicle Men in White, Men in Black was a rather shapeless romp in which Moe, Larry, and Curly played dumbbell interns at the Lost Arms Hospital. The team was supported by such veteran comedians as Bud Jamison, Dell Henderson, Hank Mann, and Neal Burns, while Ruth Hiatt, Kay Hughes, and a host of starlets appeared as nurses, but the two-reeler remains one of the team's lesser early efforts. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Moe Howard, Larry Fine, (more)
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