Tom London Movies
A fixture in B-Westerns from the late 1910s, first as a star, then as one of the genre's better boss villains and eventually as a grizzled comedy sidekick à la George "Gabby" Hayes, Tom London claimed to have been a train engineer, a draftsman, and a builder prior to making his acting debut at Universal in 1920. Billed under his real name of Leonard Clapham during most of the silent era, London became a star in his own right in the 1920 Red Rider series, a handful of Western two-reelers co-starring newcomer Virginia Browne Faire. There would be several additional starring vehicles, including an obscure 1923 States' Rights release entitled With Naked Fists, but Clapham/London soon found a more lasting occupation playing Boss Heavies. He began using the name Tom London as a member of Leo Maloney's stock company in the late '20s, his scowling, lantern-jawed features becoming instantly recognizable in scores of Westerns and at least 50 serials and series, silent and sound. Increasingly gaunt and with the ability of changing his appearance by removing a set of false teeth, London added comic sidekick to his resumé in the mid-'40s when, under term contract to Republic Pictures, he supported Sunset Carson in that also-ran cowboy's final series. London was married to silent screen actress Edythe Stayart (1890-1970), whom he had met on the set of Nan of the North (1922). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1945
Substituting for Allan Lane, who'd been called away to active military service, Bill Elliot stars in the Republic "Red Ryder" western Marshal of Laredo. This time, Red comes to the aid of a frontier lawyer, who is suspected of being an outlaw (a logical enough error). Enlisting the aid of his Native American chum Little Beaver (Bobby Blake) and his older friend The Duchess (Alyce Fleming), Ryder finds the real criminals post-haste. With such thugs and pluguglies as Roy Barcroft, George Cheseboro and Bud Geary in the cast, it's amazing that the bad guys weren't exposed in the first reel. Like all the "Red Ryders", Marshal of Laredo was inspired by the popular Red Ryder comic strip and radio series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Rusty Curtis wants his beloved cavalry horse back, but unfortunately the former sergeant's steed has been sold to a society woman desiring to turn it into a steeplechaser. This drama chronicles Rusty's endeavors to get the horse back. He does so by having Sally Crandall, the woman, hire him as the horse's trainer. Later he stops the gamblers who have been trying to keep the horse out of the big race. In the end, Rusty ends up riding in place of the regularly scheduled jockey. He not only wins the race, he also wins the good lady's heart. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Neal, Adele Mara, (more)
- 1945
In this western, Red Ryder leads a wagon train of homesteaders into a ghost town and discovers that it has become an outlaw's hideout. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
An interesting idea falls somewhat flat in this average Allan Lane Western, in which the young sister (Twinkle Watts) of a returning World War II veteran learns about the experiences of their grandfather just after the Civil War. Having served with Texas Cavalry, Jim Christie (Allan Lane) returns home to Corpus Christi only to be falsely accused of murdering a local commissioner. Escaping, our hero teams up with three desperadoes, Rocky (Tom London), Spade (Kenne Duncan), and Steve (Bob Wilke), and together they rob a stagecoach. But Jim takes umbrage to Spade's harassment of a female passenger and vows to go straight. That, however, is easier said than done and Jim's past is revealed by nasty saloon owner Wade Larkin (Roy Barcroft), whose reign of terror Jim has attempted to prevent. After beating Larkin at his own game, Jim is all set to give himself up to Marshal Dan Adams (Ed Cassidy) when the loyal Steve takes a shot at the lawman. The quick-thinking Jim takes the bullet instead and his heroism is awarded with a full pardon. After learning the story of Corpus Christi Jim, the modern day Captain James Christie (also Allan Lane) is made an honorary Captain of the Texas Rangers by the Governor of the State of Texas. Corpus Christi Bandits was the second to last entry in Allan Lane's initial Western series for Republic Pictures. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Lane, Helen Talbot, (more)
- 1945
That veteran reprobate Roy Barcroft plays yet another outlaw in The Cherokee Flash, a perfectly acceptable B-Western from Republic Pictures, but Barcroft's title character reforms this time and even adopts a young orphan. Years later, the Cherokee Flash, now known as Jeff Carson, is visited by former gang members who promptly blackmail him into doing their bidding. Carson refuses, of course, but lands in jail anyway, much to the consternation of now-grown foster son Sunset (Sunset Carson) and grizzled sidekick Utah (Tom London). The sheriff (Bud Geary), however, is working for Mr. Big who, unbeknownst to the Carsons, is Jeff's lawyer, Mark Butler (John Merton). Happily, the new doctor in town (Frank Jaquet) and his pretty daughter (Linda Stirling) discover evidence that will clear Jeff once and for all. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
In this western, Red Ryder tries to be a good example for a young man who idolizes his father, an outlaw. The boy wants to follow in his father's footsteps when the hero intervenes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Also released in a feature version -- retitled FBI 99 -- this 12 chapter Republic Pictures serial benefitted from fine second-unit direction of action scenes by the legendary Yakima Canutt. Adhering to the long-held tradition of casting a relative unknown in the starring role for obvious economy purposes, associate producer Ronald Davidson chose stunt-man Marten Lamont for the title role, a secret service agent in search of the villains who stole Princess Cornelia's crown jewels. Lorna Gray, who played the evil Vultura in The Perils of Nyoka (1942), again appeared in a less than savory role. George J. Lewis, the veteran Hal Taliaferro (aka Wally Wales) and Jack Ingram also contributed to the skullduggery, none of which made the serial rise above the average. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
The first of Republic Pictures' Allan Lane Westerns, Silver City Kid was assembled for Don "Red" Barry, whom the studio had decided to groom for "A" pictures. Unfortunately, Lane did not only inherit Barry's plot but also his sidekicks Wally Vernon and Twinkle Watts, the latter Republic's rather belated answer to Shirley Temple. Jack Adams (Lane) and his friend Wildcat Higgins (Vernon) come to the aid of a buddy, whose land is about to be usurped by unscrupulous banker William Stoner (Frank Jaquet) and corrupt attorney Sam Ballard (Harry Woods). Unfortunately, the beleaguered rancher, Steve Clayton (Lane Chandler), is murdered by one of Ballard's henchmen (Glenn Strange), leaving behind a sister, Ruth (Peggy Stewart), and a young daughter, Twinkle (Watts). According to Ruth, Stoner and Ballard are after a rare vein of molypdenum running through the Clayton property and will stop at nothing to get their greedy hands on the land. But they have counted without Jack, whose six-guns settle the matter once and for all. Although saddled with the presence of Vernon, whose Brooklyn accent hardly suggested the wild and woolly West, not to mention the insufferable Miss Watts, Silver City Kid proved Lane to be a handsome and stalwart cowboy hero of the old style. Also of benefit to the film was the presence of Peggy Stewart, perhaps the era's most competent Western heroine. Although Miss Stewart disliked working with the egotistical Lane, she would be forced to appear opposite him in four additional Westerns. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
In this western, Red Ryder and his young sidekick Little Beaver help prevent an impressionable duchess from being duped by a bogus British aristocrat. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Republic Pictures' reigning Bad Guy, Roy Barcroft, was at it again in this standard Allan Lane Western, this time playing Ben Jode, a nasty character conspiring with saloon owner Clyde Flint (Maine Geary) and crooked land agent Trent Parker (Tom London) to cheat the settlers from staking their claims during the Oklahoma Land Rush. The mean-spirited Barcroft attempts to achieve his goal of hegemony by recording false claims in the names of his henchman. Enter lone cowboy Chad Stevens (Lane) who is assisted by verbose Wild West lawyer Don Quixote Martingale (Earle Hodgins). The latter is rescued in the nick of time from a lynching when Chad reveals himself to be an undercover investigator for the U.S. Land Office. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Having previously introduced Cole Porter's hit song "Don't Fence Me In" in Hollywood Canteen, Roy Rogers performs the song once again in this same-named Republic "special." When he's not singing, Rogers is dealing with nosy female journalist Toni Ames (Dale Evans), who hopes to learn the truth about Wildcat Kelly a notorious outlaw who flourished back at the turn of the century. Said outlaw has supposedly been dead for 40 years, but garrulous old-timer Gabby Whittaker (Gabby Hayes) offers to give Toni the lowdown on Kelly. After a series of convoluted complications, Roy and Toni discover what the audience has suspected all along: Gabby Whittaker and Wildcat Kelly are one in the same. Perhaps because of its saleable title, Don't Fence Me In was treated with more industry respect than most Roy Rogers westerns, earning excellent reviews and choice play-dates. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, (more)
- 1945
Directed by one of the finest stuntmen in American cinema, Yakima Canutt, this western follows legendary hero Sunset Carson as he gallops into Cimarron to find his brother and get revenge against the crooks who had him framed and sent to prison for rustling cows. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
An interesting entry in Republic Pictures' long-running "Red Ryder" B-Western series, this film is not about hardy settlers braving the Colorado winters, as the title would suggest. Instead it's a sort of Reform School Western about a couple of wayward Chicago boys (Billy Cummings and Freddie Chapman) taken in by Ryder's indomitable aunt, "The Duchess" (Alice Fleming. The boys escaped their very own "Fagin," Bull Reagan (Roy Barcroft), and were given a second chance on the lady's Western ranch. Unfortunately, Reagan returns to do a bit of cattle rustling, once again luring the boys into becoming his accomplices. The stalwart Ryder (William Elliot and his young Indian sidekick, Little Beaver (Robert Blake), come to their rescue, and the real villain is soon put away. Interestingly, at one point in the film, Ryder and his aunt are (unjustly) accused by the townspeople of exploiting their youthful ranch hands. Buckwheat Thomas of Our Gang fame, plays a character named Smoky. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Three's a Crowd is the misleadingly lighthearted title for this tense Republic murder mystery. When her fiance is mysteriously killed, heiress Diane Whipple (Pamela Blake) reluctantly agrees to marry Jeffrey Locke (Charles Gordon). Since both Diane and Jeffrey visited the dead man just before the murder, both are under suspicion-and neither completely trusts the other. Screenwriter Dane Lussier characteristically overloads the film with red herrings, misleading clues and surprise plot twists. When it's all over, it's a wonder that even the people on screen know exactly what's happened! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pamela Blake, Charles Gordon, (more)
- 1945
Kit Carson appears in Trail of Kit Carson in the form of Allan "Rocky" Lane. The tall, dark and taciturn western hero spends most of his time searching for the murderer of the trailblazer partner. According to the official reports, Lane's pal died in an accident, but neither he nor we believe that. Director Leslie Selander proves anew that he was no mere hack; his handling of the familiar material goes beyond masterful. Trail of Kit Carson was intended as Allan Lane's final series western before his promotion to "civilian" pictures, but by 1946 he was back in the saddle again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1944
Bill Elliot is back as Red Ryder in Cheyenne Wildcat. Also back are Ryder's perennial cohorts Little Beaver (Bobby Blake, later Robert Blake of Baretta fame) and the Duchess (Alice Fleming). When not pummeling the bad guys, Ryder is the reluctant apex of a love triangle. It's formula stuff all the way, socked across with ingenuity by director Leslie Selander. Cheyenne Wildcat is especially fun to watch during the finale, when Republic's battery of stunt experts take over. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1944
Two wild western towns battle it out for the position of county seat. Fortunately, Red Ryder and his little side-kick are around to restore the peace. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1944
In this off-beat western, a cowboy is struck on the head and loses his memory. Opportunistic outlaws then assure him that he is in their gang. With no choice but to believe them, he begins a series of robberies. Another smack on the noodle restores his memory and he suddenly realizes that he's a good guy and so brings the villains to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Smiley Burnette, Effie Laird, (more)
- 1944
In his second starring Western, Republic's newest cowboy hero Allan Lane went up against Roy Barcroft, the studio's master villain. Lane plays Chick Weaver, a Treasury Department agent whose stagecoach is stopped at gunpoint by Dan (Bud Geary), a hired gun searching for a man named Redmond. As Chick learns in town, Dan is employed by saloon owner Black Jack Barstow (LeRoy Mason). The latter is in cahoots with yet another passenger from the stage, J. Rodney Stevens (Barcroft), head of the U.S. Silver Foundation, which Stevens admits to Barstow is a bogus operation to cheat the local miners out of their strikes, a plan that may be ruined by the mysterious Mr. Redmond. Redmond, of course, proves to be none other than Chick the treasury agent, who has been tracking Stevens all along. Working with another undercover agent, Throckmorton "Other Hand" Snodgrass (Wally Vernon), and local journalist Jessie Wade (Peggy Stewart), Chick gets the goods on both Stevens and Barstow, who are harshly dealt with in the final shootout. A good script and no-nonsense direction by Lesley Selander was almost sabotaged by sidekick Wally Vernon, whose New York accent was out of place in a B-Western, and the precocious Twinkle Watts -- Republic's less than successful answer to Shirley Temple and Jane Withers. Her presence in this and other Westerns was vehemently opposed by their target audience, the small fry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1944
This 91-minute Republic "special" stars Michael O'Shea as Matt Braddock, an aggressive Henry Kaiser-like shipbuilder operating in 1880s California Though his business innovations are brilliant, Braddock's pugnacious attitude loses him the support of the locals when he plans to build a big new shipyard in a small coastal community. Eventually he perseveres, bringing the story to a rousing conclusion. Along the way, however, there's a bit too much emphasis on the hot-and-cold romance between Braddock and the lovely Diana Kennedy (Anne Shirley). Tommy Bond, the former Butch in the "Our Gang" comedies, registers well in a sympathetic supporting role (Bond later noted that this was one of his favorite films). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael O'Shea, Anne Shirley, (more)
- 1944
In this convoluted western, a sickly cowboy sidekick gets into a terrible fix when he is mistaken for a notorious bank robber and tossed in the clink. There is a huge bounty on the villain's head, and the sheriff happily anticipates the arrival of that bounty on the next stage, unaware that the real crook is waiting in ambush to steal the money. Meanwhile the sidekick's heroic compadre convinces the sheriff that he has the wrong man. Unfortunately, the robbery takes place before they can free the sidekick. The sheriff and the hero ride off to capture the crook. Unfortunately, by this time, the villain has snuck into the jail and has exchanged places with his doppleganger so when the sheriff and the hero bring the outlaw into prison they once again have the wrong man. The hero is then left to try to figure out which of the look-a-likes is really his partner and save him before hanging day. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Popular latter-day serial queen Linda Stirling starred in the title role in this well-made 12 chapter serial produced by genre specialist Republic Pictures. Stirling plays Barbara Mededith, a pretty girl who takes over her murdered brother's crusading newspaper. She also assumes the dead sibling's identity as "The Black Whip," righting the wrongs of Crescent City very much in the manner of her famous ancestor, Zorro. Off course, "being a mere woman," Barbara needs the assistance of a stalwart young man, in this case Vic Gordon (George J. Lewis), a government secret agent. Arguably the most popular serial heroine since the days of Pearl White, Linda Stirling's other top-billed serial role was as The Tiger Woman (1944). The choice of Lewis as Stirling's male lead was surprising; the Mexican-born Lewis, although handsome enough and a veteran of Universal's popular "Collegians" 2-reelers, had recently played mostly villains. Produced by Ronald Davidson, Zorro's Black Whip benefitted from second unit direction by stunt-man extraordinaire Yakima Canutt and special effects by the famed Theodore Lydecker. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1944
In this western, Red Ryder, his youthful sidekick, and another pal take on a wicked governor. This was the first in a new series of Red Ryder, a character based on Frank Harman's comic strip westerns. An earlier attempted series had proven a dismal failure. This series was more successful and continued on for years. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1944
There's oil in them thar' hills and an unscrupulous oil company scout attempts to drive the settlers off their newly valuable land in this typical Red Ryder Western starring "the Peaceable Man" (William Elliott). Oil company representative Walter Garfield (LeRoy Mason) and his equally nefarious associate, Ace Hanlon (Glenn Strange), manage to drive several ranchers away, but obstinate rancher Ben Taylor (Jack Kirk) is killed right in front of his daughter, Ann (Linda Stirling). When Red Ryder (Elliott), Ann's neighbor, becomes too nosy, Garfield sends for an old associate, gambler Johnny Bennett (aka the San Antonio Kid) (Duncan Renaldo), and charges him with killing the pesky rancher. The Kid is saved by Red when his horse bolts and they become friends. Although shocked that the newcomer is a notorious gambler, Red's aunt, the Duchess (Alice Fleming), hires him as a ranch hand and Johnny reveals Garfield's nefarious plan. Working together, Red and Johnny manage to trap Garfield and his henchmen and after a dramatic shootout, Red chases the villains to their hideout. A fight breaks out and a pool of oil is set on fire. Garfield is killed in the subsequent blaze and Hanlon is brought to justice. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William "Wild Bill" Elliott, Bobby Blake, (more)
The Fighting Seabees is Republic Pictures' rip-roaring tribute to the US Navy's Construction Batallions (C.B.), without whom no plane would ever have gotten off the ground during WW2. John Wayne stars as Wedge Donovan, head of civilian construction company stationed in a pre-Pearl Harbor South Pacific war area. Despite Donovan's pleas to the Navy brass, he is denied permission to train his men for combat, the better to stave off imminent Japanese attack. Only after incurring heavy losses is Donovan given a commission and his men officially enlisted in the Navy. The self-sacrifical climax, as Donovan destroys a Japanese tank batallion at the cost of his own life, is one of the best-staged action highlights of its kind. As Constance Chesley, Susan Hayward finds herself in the unenviable position of being the apex in a romantic triangle involving herself, Wedge Donovan and Lt. Cmdr. Robert Yarrow (Dennis O'Keefe); her climactic speech, explaining how it's possible to love two men equally, is so well delivered that it transcends its essential corniness. Of the supporting cast, William Frawley stands out as Irish seabee Eddie Powers, who virtually signs his own death warrant when he begins singing happily just before an enemy sneak attack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Susan Hayward, (more)
