Lafe [Lafayette] McKee Movies

Cheapie king Sam Katzman was both producer and director of the Tom Tyler western The Lost Ranch. "Our Tom" essays his customary role of Tom Wade, troubleshooter for the Cattlemen's Protective Association. When cattle rancher Carroll (Lafe McKee) is captured by outlaws, Carroll's daugther Rita (Jeanne Martel) inaugurates a search. At first convinced that Wade himself is one of the villains, Rita finally wises up and allows him to join the search-and, of course, to rout the villains in the final footage. Billed third in Lost Ranch is former Mack Sennett leading lady Marjorie Beebe, essaying yet another wisecracking comedy role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Superior locations, above-average direction, better than usual lighting and competent acting were the ingredients that made producer Harry Sherman's Hopalong Cassidy vehicles perhaps the finest series of B-Westerns of its time. The fifth in the series, North of the Rio Grande introduced former grip Russell Hayden in the continuing role as young Lucky Jenkins and remains one of the best of the early entries. When Hopalong's brother Buddy is murdered during a train holdup, and it is pronounced an accidental death by the town's kangaroo court, Cassidy (William Boyd) and sidekick Windy (George Hayes) hasten back to Cottonwood Gulch. The former arrives disguised as Wild Bill Dynamite McGrew, a "notorious" train robber, while Windy obtains a job tickling the ivories at the local saloon. Hayes' stint as an Irish-accented bar pianist leads to one of the film's many delights, as veteran silent screen villain Walter Long leads the assembly in a sing-along of Wearing of the Green. Hopalong, meanwhile, robs a train to get the attention of the mysterious Lone Wolf, the master criminal responsible for his brother Buddy's death. Lone Wolf is soon revealed to be leading citizen Henry Stoneham (Stephen Morris alias Morris Ankrum), who in desperation kidnaps Windy and the train. With Hopalong, Lucky, and the posse in hot pursuit, the chase ends with Windy making the unwanted acquaintance of a painful-looking cactus. Saloon Belle Bernadene Hayes, the film's otherwise rather superfluous leading lady, is awarded the closing line: "Funny, all my life, men like Cassidy have been saying goodbye to me." Lee J. Cobb (billed simply as "Lee Cobb") made his screen debut as a railroad president, and Bernadene Hayes' sister Lorraine played Hopalong's grieving sister-in-law. With one "Hayden" and two "Hayes" already in the cast, producer Sherman renamed the actress Lorraine Randall for the occasion. North of the Rio Grande was filmed on locations at Sonora, California, with interiors done at the Grand National studios in Hollywood. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Robert Allen isn't particularly "reckless" in this rather pedestrian Western, which had the gall to cast the non-actor in dual roles. When Jim Allen (Allen number one) is lynched, his identical twin brother Bob (Allen number two), a Texas Ranger, takes his place in an attempt to flush out the man responsible. He proves to be one Barlowe (Harry Woods), a cattle baron who has hired a gang of ruffians to intimidate the local sheepherders. But when one of the gang members, Mort (Jack Rockwell), escapes from the law, the game is up and Bob's real identity is revealed. Attempting to warn her beau, pretty Mildred Newton (Louise Small) is abducted along with the late Jim Allen's young son, Jimmy (Buddy Cox). The latter, however, manages to free himself and while Bob hunts down the evil Barlowe. The sheep men, lead by Mildred's brother, Chet (Jack Perrin), bring the rest of the gang to justice. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Released to stony silence in February of 1937, this film was an atrocious musical western starring former silent screen cowboy Bob Custer. Custer played Santa Fe Evans, who -- with the cowboys of the Lazy D. Ranch -- auditions for a country radio show. Santa Fe's herd of cattle had been wiped out in a drought and the rancher plans to refurbish his stock from his prospected radio earnings. When Santa Fe's fiancée, Carol (Eleanor Stewart), learns that her younger brother (David Sharpe) is arrested for cattle theft, she blames Santa Fe. Excited over the rancher's vocal talents, the radio station follows Santa Fe as he sets out to clear Buddy's name. Along with "The Singing Cowboys" (Lloyd Perryman, Curley Hoag, and Rudy Sooter), Santa Fe warbles "Radio Gang Song" and "Travellin' Along", but takes time out to clear Buddy's name and catch the real rustler, Carver (Roger Williams). Hardly in a league with Gene Autry, Roy Rogers et al., Custer never made it as a singing cowboy; in fact, Santa Fe Rides was his final film. Ballyhooed as containing "bronzed sons of the West in a series of pulse-quickening adventures," this little horse opera was released by poverty row company Reliable Pictures Corp. The film was so bad that director Harry S. Webb felt forced to hide behind the pseudonym "Raymond Samuels." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The fourth of 12 singing Westerns starring the "Silvery-Voiced Baritone," Fred Scott, Melody of the Plains begins peacefully enough with Scott, as cowboy Steve Condon, warbling Don Swander and June Hershey's "Albuquerque." The story quickly takes a rather grim turn when one of Steve's colleagues, Bud (David Sharpe), is shot and killed after selling out to a gang of rustlers. Mistakenly believing he fired the deadly shot, a dejected Steve, along with sidekick Fuzzy (Al St. John), goes to work for Bud's father (Lafe McKee), a rancher nearly forced into bankruptcy by a crooked land developer (Hal Price). The latter hires Bud's real killer (Charles "Slim" Whitaker) to infiltrate the ranch hands, but Steve and Fuzzy see through the ruse and bring the villains to justice. In addition to "Albuquerque," Fred Scott performs "A Hideaway in Happy Valley," also by Swander and Hershey. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The Lonely Trail, directed by Joseph Kane, stars John Wayne as veteran Union officer John Ashley. Ashley (Wayne), upon his return to his hometown in Texas, finds his presence unwanted by his former neighbors, who have all sided with the Confederacy. Law and order is being maintained by the smooth-talking Benedict Holden's (Cy Kendall) armed troopers. Though initially duped by the seedy northerner, Ashley realizes that Holden (Kendall) is merely a carpetbagger who, without the knowledge of the governor, is killing, stealing, and taxing the local ranchers out of their property under the pretense of state authority. In an attempt to thwart Holden's continuous betrayal of the Texas citizens, Ashley himself enlists in Holden's troops. The Lonely Trail also features actors Sam Flint, Bob Kortman, and actress Anne Rutherford. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Produced for around 10,000 dollars by Gower Gulch entrepreneur Arthur Alexander, this the fourth of six Rex Bell Westerns was distributed through the newly founded Grand National exchanges. Jim Dean (Bell) and Dad Baxter (John Elliott) are postal inspectors assigned to investigate a series of gold shipment robberies from the mines near Goldflat. They quickly discover that the brains behind the robberies is Goldflat bank president Travis (Forrest Taylor, whose last name was misspelled "Tailor" in the onscreen credits). Travis is in league with young telegraph operator Billy Sawyer (George Ball), who warns his girlfriend, Laura Long (Joan Barclay), not to arrive on a certain stage earmarked for an attack. Laura never receives the message but Jim and Dad manage to get the passengers, including the girl, off the stage before the planned heist. Dad is later murdered by Travis' henchmen, Cole (Roger Williams) and Johnson (Charles King), and Billy is mortally wounded in the final shootout. Before he expires, Billy makes Jim promise not to tell Laura about his involvement. A handsome and personable former Fox star, Rex Bell was the husband of silent screen icon Clara Bow. He left films to successfully run for the office of lieutenant governor of Nevada. Men of the Plains was written by Robert Emmett Tansey who also functioned as Robert F. Hill's assistant director. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

In this western, a cowboy finds himself a mine owner and a daddy simultaneously when a friend dies and wills him his mine and his baby. The outlaws eying the mine try to frame the hero for the death. In one of the film's highlights Tarzan the horse takes care of the infant and even saves its life during a mine explosion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Gun Smoke was the second of a brace of "B"-westerns starring the now-forgotten Buck Coburn. The plot is as standard as standard can be: Rancher George Culverson (Henry Hall) and daughter Jean (Marion Shilling) are menaced by villains Sneed (Philo McCullough) and McGee (Bud Osborne). Hero Steve Branning (Coburn), riding out of nowhere, comes to the Culverson's rescue. The desperate baddies kidnap the heroine, but Steve brings her back home safe and sound after making with the fists and six-guns. Benny Corbett, vilified by many western fans as the least funniest "comedy relief" in film history, actually garners a few laughs. Like the first Buck Coburn starrer, Circle of Death, Gun Smoke was produced by actor-stuntman Montie Montana. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In his second of an unprecedented 131 Westerns for Columbia Pictures, handsome Charles Starrett donned his trademark white Stetson to portray Ranny Maitland, a Texas Ranger whose father (Lafe Mckee) is feuding with his neighbor, Lockhart (Edward Le Saint. Pretending to be on Lockhart's side in the feud, Ranny goes to investigate. Old man Maitland, meanwhile, is murdered and Lockhart arrested. Evidence found in Maitland's safe points to ranch foremen Brophy (Wheeler Oakman and Gilman (Dick Botiller), foremen of the respective ranches, as the culprits but the documents also incriminates Lockhart's son Lafe (Charles Locher). Believing Lafe to be innocent, Ranny organizes a posse to capture the foremen and the film concludes in a gigantic (for Columbia Pictures) battle at Blockade Canyon. Handsome young Charles Locher, in one of his earliest featured roles, later changed his name to Jon Hall and starred in escapist melodramas at Universal. As she had in Starrett's first Western for Columbia, brunette Joan Perry once again played the heroine, this time the daughter of the opposing rancher. Perry later married her boss, feared (and foul-mouthed) Columbia studio czar Harry Cohn. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Based on Tracks, a 1928 short story by Stephen Payne, this low-budget Western from Diversion Pictures told the ancient story of a carefree drifter falsely accused of murdering a rancher. As he had so many times before, Hoot Gibson played the drifter, Ralph Lewis, of the silent era, was the murder victim, and June Gale, Gibson's girlfriend at the time, played the murdered man's pretty daughter. The real culprit, as Gibson learns, is the victim's adopted son and foreman (Wally Wales), who is in cahoots with an unscrupulous attorney (William Gould). Like Gibson's other five Westerns from Diversion Pictures, Swifty proved a generally well-received 62 minutes of sagebrush entertainment. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Veteran silent screen star William Farnum earns one of his more prominent talking picture roles in this otherwise standard Bob Steele Western from Supreme Pictures. Farnum plays Sheriff Bill Mason who, after being forced to shoot outlaw Ben Brokaw (Frank Ball), promises the dying man to look after his young daughter Mary (Reetsy Adams) and never to tell the girl the truth about her father's occupation. Disgusted with himself for having had to actually kill someone, Mason resigns from his sheriff's job and becomes a stage driver. Years later, Steve Brent (Earl Dwire), a former accomplice of Brokaw's, blackmails Bill into helping him rob the stagecoach. Enter Ray Burton (Steele), the young ranger who is in love with the now grownup Mary (Joan Barclay), and Brent's days in the sun are numbered. As usual, this Bob Steele Western was directed by the star's real-life father, Robert North Bradbury. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a gun moll eludes the pursuing police by hiding out on a fishing vessel. There she meets and falls in love with captain. They get married, and she quietly--he knows nothing of her past--goes straight. Trouble ensues when the police finally capture her. Though she has a baby, they send her to prison anyway. This leads the captain to commit a crime so he can be near her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide