Buzz Barton Movies

Carl Krusada (aka Val Cleveland) was credited with the screenplay for this typically inferior Jack Randall oater from Poverty Row company Monogram. In reality, the story of a drifter helping a sheriff catch a gang of smugglers was as old as the hills of Chatsworth, CA, where The Kid From Santa Fe was filmed in little under a week. Appointed deputy sheriff by Sheriff Holt (Forrest Taylor), the Santa Fe Kid (Randall) is soon framed in the murder of Kent (George Chesebro), one of the outlaws. Escaping from jail courtesy of the sheriff's lovesick daughter (Clarene Curtis), the Kid is trailed by Millie (Claire Rochelle), Kent's girlfriend who succeeds in knocking him into the river. Presumed to have drowned, the Kid returns to town very much alive and ready to track down the real killer, Bill Stewart (Tom London), the murdered man's partner. Randall, who was nearing the end of his four-year Western sojourn, was the brother of popular B-Western star Robert Livingston. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The last of RKO's Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicles, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is also the least typical. At their best playing carefree characters in gossamer-thin musical comedy plotlines, Fred and Ginger seem slightly ill at ease cast as the real-life dancing team of Vernon and Irene Castle. The stripped-to-essentials storyline boils down to novice dancer Irene (Rogers) convincing vaudeville comic Vernon (Astaire) to give up slapstick in favor of "classy" ballroom dancing. With the help of agent Edna May Oliver, the Castles hit their peak of fame and fortune in the immediate pre-World War I years. When Vernon is called to arms, Irene stays behind in the US, making patriotic movie serials to aid the war effort. Vernon is killed in a training accident, leaving a tearful Irene to carry on alone. To soften the shock of Astaire's on-screen death (it still packs a jolt when seen today), RKO inserted a closing "dream" dancing sequence, with a spectral Vernon and Irene waltzing off into the heavens. The film's production was hampered by the on-set presence of the real Irene Castle, whose insistence upon accuracy at all costs drove everyone to distraction--especially Ginger Rogers, who felt as though she was being treated like a marionette rather than an actress. In one respect, Mrs. Castle had good reason to be so autocratic. Walter, the "severest critic servant" character played by Walter Brennan, was in reality a black man. RKO was nervous about depicting a strong, equal-footing friendship between the white Castles and their black retainer, so a Caucasian actor was hired for the role. Mrs. Castle was understandably incensed by this alteration, and for the rest of her days chastised RKO for its cowardice. As it turned out, it probably wouldn't have mattered if Walter had been black, white, Chicano or Siamese; The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle was a financial bust, losing $50,000 at the box office. Perhaps as a result, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would not team up again for another ten years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A Bar-20 cattle drive ends in rustling in this fine Hopalong Cassidy Western from producer Harry Sherman. Windy (George "Gabby" Hayes) makes the mistake of accusing the buyer, Lazy-J owner Tom Hamilton (Frederick Burton), of the theft, but Lucky (Russell Hayden) suspects the foreman Dave Talbot (Stanley Ridges). Hamilton is murdered, however, and Talbot has the perfect alibi: He was playing cards at the Mirage Bar where Hoppy (William Boyd) had gotten himself a job under the guise of being the noted gambler Bill Thompson. With Talbot not able to be in two places at the same time, the marshal (Jack Rockwell) has no choice but to arrest Lucky for murder. Silver on the Sage was Hopalong Cassidy series entry number 25. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Rolling Caravans was one of four Columbia B-westerns designed to make a star out of utility actor Jack Luden. Harry Woods, a fixture of the Luden series, fills the villain role, while Eleanor Stewart is the heroine once more. The story concerns the efforts of a homesteader named Breezy (Luden) to ward off the bad guys, who've determined that there's gold on his property. By the time the heavies have discovered that Breezy's "treasure" consists primarily of topsoil, the hero has settled accounts with his fists and deposited his enemies in the local calaboose. At one point, Jack Luden indulges in a bit of ventriloquism, suggesting that perhaps he would have been better off as a comedy sidekick rather than a leading man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In his penultimate western for small-scale Diversion Pictures, Hoot Gibson enjoyed the company of no less than two pretty leading ladies: June Gale, his current off-screen girlfriend, and Ruth Mix, the daughter of legendary cowboy hero Tom Mix. Gibson played a U. S. Marshal going undercover as the notorious bandit "The Morning Glory Kid" in order to infiltrate a gang of rustlers headed by nasty Mort Ringer (Stanley Blystone). Both Misses Gale and Mix get in his way on occasion and Gibson's true identity is revealed with nearly calamitous results. But when all seems lost, Miss Mix manages to alert the sheriff's posse, a happy turn of events that allows the aging hero to continue romancing Miss Gale. The latter never became the third Mrs. Gibson as has been reported elsewhere but instead married eccentric pianist Oscar Levant. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

William Colt MacDonald's 1934 story based on the Three Mesqueteers characters was brought to the screen the following year by RKO, who billed it "the Barnum and Bailey of Westerns" and seems to have rounded up every Western star not under exclusive contract. The Western, in fact, could boast of no less than 13 former silent screen cowboy heroes: Harry Carey, Hoot Gibson, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, Buzz Barton, Wally Wales (aka Hal Taliaferro), Art Mix (aka George Kesterson), Buffalo Bill Jr. (aka Jay Wilsey), Buddy Roosevelt, Franklyn Farnum, William Desmond, and William Farnum. Carey, Gibson, and Williams played Tucson Smith, Stony Brooke, and Lullaby Joslin, respectively -- the Three Mesqueteers -- who happen upon a stage robbery in progress. They catch the bandit (Ethan Laidlaw) red-handed rifling through the mail and discover that one of the letters is meant for them. Without their knowing, a young friend, the Guadalupe Kid (Steele), has bought a ranch in their names and is awaiting their arrival. The ranch, however, is located in an area controlled by greedy saloon proprietor turned political boss Steve Ogden (Sam Hardy), who takes umbrage to their presence to the point of hiring a professional gunslinger, Sundown Saunders (Tyler). Provoking a confrontation, Sundown challenges Tucson to his trademark sundown showdown. The wily Tucson realizes that Sundown prefers an encounter in the dusk because of failing eyesight and only lightly wounds his opponent. Although a recuperating Sundown turns down Tucson's request to join the fight against Ogden, in the ensuing shootout the gunslinger heroically takes a bullet meant for Tucson. After forcing a confession out of the crooked sheriff (Adrian Morris), the Mesqueteers confront Ogden who is killed in a fight with Tucson. Filmed on locations at Kernville and Newhall, CA, Powdersmoke Range was not the first film version of MacDonald's Mesqueteers. That honor goes to Law of the .45's, a cheap, independently made Western that had starred Guinn "Big Boy" Williams as Tucson and perennial sidekick Al St. John as Stony. (The film omitted the third mesqueteer, Lullaby Joslin, altogether). Despite the success of Powdersmoke Range, RKO failed to follow up with a regular series. Bob Steele would play the character of Sundown Saunders in an independently produced Western of that name in 1936 but the Three Mesqueteers as a group found a regular berth with Republic Pictures, which went on to produce 51 highly successful and influential B-Westerns between 1935 and mid-1943. Through several cast changes both Bob Steele and Tom Tyler would at one point or another play one of the mesqueteers, as would Robert Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, ventriloquist Max Terhune, John Wayne, Raymond Hatton, Duncan Renaldo, Rufe Davis, Ralph Byrd, and Syd Saylor. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

While on a train taking them to prison, a convicted killer and a safecracker manage to engineer their escape. They show up at a ranch, where they discover that a local cattle company is trying to cheat the pretty female owner of the ranch out of her property. They determine to help her keep her land. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide

Neither the best nor worst of Hoot Gibson's westerns for producer Walter Futter, Feud of the West lies somewhere in between. The old Hooter plays a rodeo performer named Whitey, performing some remarkable riding and roping stunts before the plot proper gets under way. Said plot concerns a reclusive hermit named Wild Horse Henderson (Nelson McDowell), a heroine named Molly (Joan Barclay) whose parentage is in doubt, and, of course, the titular feud between ranchers and rustlers. The "mystery" villain of the piece is better hidden than usual, managing to fool even a few veteran whodunit buffs. As always, Hoot Gibson seldom resorts to gunplay when he can solve problems with a quick quip or quicker fists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This minor Western was the second of three to team former boy rider Buzz Barton with handsome, young Francis X. Bushman, Jr., the son of the silent matinee idol. Barton played Buzz Davis, whose father is murdered by Buck Logan (Edmund Cobb) when the old man refuses to reveal the location of a mine. Before he expires, however, "Pap" Davis (Frank Ball) manages to secretly pass the location on to his son and heir. Harrassed by Logan and his gang, Buzz hooks up with old-timer Andy Wiggins (Charles W. Hertzinger); Andy's granddaughter, Sally (Caryl Lincoln); and young Jim Collins (Bushman, Jr.). Despite a kidnapping attempt and several outright attacks, the four friends manage to keep the mine safe from Logan and his boss, Matt Higgins (Francis Ford). Directed by the veteran J.P. McGowan, Tangled Fortunes was released to rural theaters by the low-budget Big Four Film Corp. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Former silent teenage star Buzz Barton headlines this juvenile Western from low-rent Big 4 Film Corp. directed by the veteran J. P. McGowan. The freckled Master Barton plays Buzz Dale, a young boy who becomes a local hero after stopping a runaway stage. Buzz's heroic act, however, does not sit well with Duke Remsden (Edmund Cobb), the secret leader of a gang of stagecoach robbers who plans to frame his romantic rival Bart Travis (Francis X. Bushman Jr.) for the attempted robbery. Dressed as Travis, Remsden commits another crime, but Buzz discovers his hideout and is able to alert the sheriff (Franklyn Farnum). In the end, Bart is saved in the nick of time from a necktie party by Buzz and black stable hand Snowflake (Fred Toones). Remsden is finally brought to justice. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Nothing in Riders of the Cactus is as entertaining as that title, which invokes all sorts of painful imagery. Hero Wally Wales comes to the rescue of heroine Lorraine LaVal when she finds herself in possession of a valuable treasure map. The villains, a band of smugglers, twirl their mustaches and emit evil snickers as they close in on the poor damsel, but Wales shows up in the nick of time, chasing down every one of the miscreants and beating them black-and-blue. The border patrol cleans up what's left, and Wales claims the girl. A few years later, leading man Wally Wales became a prolific character actor under the new moniker of Hal Taliaferro, often playing the same sort of bad guys he'd confronted in films like Riders of the Cactus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide