Vester Pegg Movies

It's always a pleasure to see ace western director Leslie Selander in action, and Riders of Vengeance is no exception. Originally released as The Raiders, this Universal programmer stars Richard Conte as a miner who leads an expedition of his compatriots to the California Gold Rush. Crooked Morris Ankrum sets about to cheat Conte and his friends out of their claims. The good guys stage a counteroffensive with the help of Mexican miner Richard Martin. Viveca Lindfors once more brings intelligence and charm to a two-dimensional role. Watch for future Gunsmoke star Dennis Weaver as "Logan". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The once-in-a-lifetime teaming of Mae West and W.C. Fields in My Little Chickadee had the potential for comic greatness: what emerged, though generally entertaining, was, in the words of critic Andrew Sarris, "more funny strange than funny ha-ha." Mae West dominates the film's first reel as Flowerbelle Lee, a self-reliant woman who is abducted by a mysterious masked bandit during a stagecoach holdup. Because she refuses to tell anyone what happened during her nocturnal rendezvous with the bandit, Flowerbelle is invited to leave her prudish hometown and move to Greasewood City. En route by train, Flowerbelle makes the acquaintance of con-artist Cuthbert J. Twillie (W.C. Fields), who carries a suitcase full of what seems to be large-denomination monetary notes. After a lively clash with marauding Indians, Flowerbelle tricks Twillie into a phony marriage; she does this so that she can arrive in Greasewood City with a modicum of respectability, and incidentally to get her hands on Twillie's bankroll. Once she discovers that Twillie's "fortune" consists of nothing but phony oil-well coupons, Flowerbelle refuses to allow Twillie into the bridal chamber (he unwittingly crawls into the marriage bed with a goat, muttering "Darling, have you changed your perfume?") Through a fluke, the cowardly Twillie is appointed sheriff of Greasewood City by town boss Joseph Calleila. The plot is put on hold for two reels while La West does a "schoolroom" routine with a class full of markedly overage students, and while Fields performs a bartender bit wherein he explains how he once knocked down the notorious Chicago Mollie. Jealous over the attentions paid to his "wife" by Calleila and honest newspaper-editor Dick Foran, Twillie decides to gain entry into his wife's boudoir by posing as the still-at-large masked bandit. His ruse is soon discovered by Flowerbelle, but the townsfolk capture Twillie as he makes his escape. They are about to lynch the hapless Twillie when Flowerbelle discovers that Calleia is the genuine masked bandit. She urges Calleia to save Twillie's life by making a surprise appearance at the lynching and by returning the money he's stolen. When all plot lines are ironed out, Flowerbelle and Twillie bid goodbye to one another. Borrowing a device utilized by ZaSu Pitts and Hugh Herbert in 1939's The Lady's From Kentucky, W.C. Fields invites Mae West to "come up and see me sometime," whereupon West appropriates Fields' tagline and calls him "My Little Chickadee." The script for this uneven comedy western was credited to Mae West and W.C. Fields, though in fact West was responsible for most of it. Fields willingly conceded this, noting that West had captured his character better than any other writer he'd ever met. Despite this seeming gallantry, it was no secret that West and Fields disliked each other intensely, a fact that had an injurious effect on their scenes together. My Little Chickadee has assumed legendary status thanks to its stars, and it certainly does deliver the laughs when necessary: still, it is hardly the best-ever vehicle for either Fields or West, two uniquely individual performers who should never have been required to duke it out for the same spotlight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Veteran second-unit director and stunt coordinator Ralph Cedar warmed the director's chair for the 1940 Charles Starrett oater West of Abilene. Frontiersman Tom Garfield (Starrett) and his pals endeavor to save their land from the clutches of slimy easterner Forsyth (Don Beddoe). The villain hires a bit of local muscle in the form of brutish Chris Matson (William Pawley), but he's no match for our hero. Stalwart Columbia contractee Bruce Bennett delivers a nicely understated performance as Garfield's brother, who is also the film's official romantic lead. The absence of such "regulars" as Iris Meredith, Dick Curtis and E. J. LeSaint and the presence of such comparative newcomers as heroine Marjorie Cooley and supporting player George Cleveland was indication enough that Columbia was endeavoring to remove the "rubber-stemp" onus from its Charles Starrett series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although there were Westerns before it, Stagecoach quickly became a template for all movie Westerns to come. Director John Ford combined action, drama, humor, and a set of well-drawn characters in the story of a stagecoach set to leave Tonto, New Mexico for a distant settlement in Lordsburg, with a diverse set of passengers on board. Dallas (Claire Trevor) is a woman with a scandalous past who has been driven out of town by the high-minded ladies of the community. Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt) is the wife of a cavalry officer stationed in Lordsburg, and she's determined to be with him. Hatfield (John Carradine) is a smooth-talking cardsharp who claims to be along to "protect" Lucy, although he seems to have romantic intentions. Dr. Boone (Thomas Mitchell) is a self-styled philosopher, a drunkard, and a physician who's been stripped of his license. Mr. Peacock (Donald Meek) is a slightly nervous whiskey salesman (and, not surprisingly, Dr. Boone's new best friend). Gatewood (Berton Churchill) is a crooked banker who needs to get out of town. Buck (Andy Devine) is the hayseed stage driver, and Sheriff Wilcox (George Bancroft) is along to offer protection and keep an eye peeled for the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), a well-known outlaw who has just broken out of jail. While Wilcox does find Ringo, a principled man who gives himself up without a fight, the real danger lies farther down the trail, where a band of Apaches, led by Geronimo, could attack at any time. Stagecoach offers plenty of cowboys, Indians, shootouts, and chases, aided by Yakima Canutt's remarkable stunt work and Bert Glennon's majestic photography of Ford's beloved Monument Valley. It also offers a strong screenplay by Dudley Nichols with plenty of room for the cast to show its stuff. John Wayne's performance made him a star after years as a B-Western leading man, and Thomas Mitchell won an Oscar for what could have been just another comic relief role. Thousands of films have followed Stagecoach's path, but no has ever improved on its formula. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Thunder Trail is a thoughtful, intelligent adaptation of the Zane Grey yarn. Arizona Ames. The storyline is a Grey favorite, concerning a pair of brothers separated at birth. One of the boys grows up to be an outlaw, while the other remains on the right side of the law. Meeting in adulthood as enemies, the brothers bury the hatchet when the "good" one kills the man responsible for the death of their father. The two heroes are played by Mexican actor Gilbert Roland and North American Native James Craig (to "explain" Roland's pronounced accent, it is shown that he is raised by Mexican J. Carroll Naish -- in real life an Irishman!) If the music score sounds familiar, it's because it was originally composed for Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman. Thunder Trail was reissued to television as Thunder Pass. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Paramount borrowed John Wayne from Republic Pictures for the studio's second screen version of Zane Grey's Born to the West, which was also the Western's original release title. A couple of drifters, Dare Rudd (Wayne) and Dinkie Hooley (Sid Saylor), arrive in a Wyoming town hoping for a handout from Dare's rancher cousin, Tom Fillmore (Johnny Mack Brown). Dare takes but one look at Tom's girlfriend, Judy Worstall (Marsha Hunt), and decides to stay in town. He obtains the job of chuck wagon cook, but Judy, who is falling for the charming newcomer, convinces Tom to give Dare a job with more responsibilities. To get rid of a potential rival and to prove Dare's irresponsibility once and for all, Tom assigns his cousin the job of selling the herd. Unbeknownst to either Tom or Dare, however, saloon owner Bart Hammond (Monte Blue) also has his greedy eye on the herd and sets a trap for Dare. Hell Town used quite a bit of stock footage from the original silent version, Born to the West, which had starred Jack Holt. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Will Rogers stars as Judge William "Billy" Priest, the common-sense Kentucky jurist created by humorist Irvin S. Cobb. The Judge's easygoing manner bothers many of the self-righteous good citizens of his small 19th-century hometown, imperiling his chances for re-election. The anecdotal plot boils down to a single storyline involving orphaned Anita Louise, reclusive David Landau (secretly Louise's father), and young attorney Tom Brown.The testimony that saves Landau from a murder charge is delivered by Civil War veteran H.B. Walthall, whose stirring loyalty to the Confederacy inspires everyone in town to organize an impromptu parade! Some of the best scenes are highlighted by Will Rogers' affectionate rapport with stereotyped black-actors Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel, though these scenes are frequently removed from TV showings of Judge Priest due to their undeniably racist overtones. If you haven't guessed by the first frame of the film that John Ford was the director, you'll recognize Ford's personal stamp the moment Will Rogers kneels by his wife's grave and carries on a warm conversation with his long-departed bride. Ford would remake (and improve upon) Judge Priest in 1953 as The Sun Shines Bright, with Charles Winninger as the judge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Also known as Jack O' Hearts, this inspirational drama was based on Jack in the Pulpit, a play by Gordon Morris. Cullen Landis stars as Jack Farber, a young clergyman railroaded into prison for a crime he didn't commit. At first, Jack nearly succumbs to anger and resentment. As time passes, however, his faith sees him through his awful ordeal. Finally managing to clear his name, Jack emerges a better man from his experience. Though the film includes all the "important" entertainment elements, Jack of Hearts found its biggest audience on the church-basement and civic-group circuit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although the story to this Harry Carey Western is pretty weak, it still has some amusing moments. Carey plays Blake, who is saved from a stampede by his pal Saunders (Charles LeMoyne). Saunders, however, is badly injured and winds up an invalid without the use of his legs. Blake loyally cares for his friend and then gets himself in a mess of trouble because of Saunders' son, Cons (Cullen Landis), who has turned into a desperado. A half-breed girl is upset with Blake because he is impervious to her charms, and she vindictively helps some bandits rustle his herd of cattle, which leaves him unable to pay a debt to the town's richest man. When the man is found dead, both Blake and Cons are suspects. Cons eventually reforms, Blake's innocence is proven, and he marries Diane (Vola Vale), his mail-order bride. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Forgotten silent Western star J.B. Warner had the lead role in this minor oater produced by Anthony J. Xydias' penny-pinching Sunset Productions. Warner played Certain Lee, a Texas Ranger who catches a gang of cattle rustlers. Falsely believing Certain has jailed her boyfriend, Rose Trimball (Josephine Hill) helps gang leader Harvey Bates (Vester Pegg) frame him. The plan misfires, and Certain not only brings Bates to justice but also wins Rose's affection. A handsome cowboy hero and not a bad actor, Warner, sadly, died of tuberculosis less than a year after making The Lone Fighter. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Veteran western star Harry Carey came up with the story of The Kick Back -- ranch owner battles villains attempting to take over his valuable property -- while George Edwardes-Hall, an old hand at this sort of thing, wrote the screenplay. In this above-average silent western, Carey plays "White Horse" Harry Redding, whose scheming neighbor (Henry B. Walthall) accuses him of cattle rustling during a buying expedition to Mexico. The federales believe the accusations, and "White Horse" finds himself in a Mexican jail. A kind senorita (Mogninne Golden) helps him escape, but a lynching party is awaiting him at the homestead. The Texas Rangers, meanwhile, are on to Walthall's schemes and arrive in the nick of time to prevent a grave injustice. Freed of all suspicions, Carey proposes to his girl (Ethel Grey Terry). Leading lady Terry is perhaps best remembered as the heroine in Lon Chaney's The Penalty (1920). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Film pioneer Colonel William N. Selig had watched his once-powerful organization, the Selig Polyscope Company, dissolve in 1918 because of his own aversion to multi-reel feature films. The colonel stayed in the business, however, and in the early 1920s produced a series of low-budget westerns starring Franklyn Farnum. The old Selig films were remembered for their fast-paced, no-nonsense style, and Selig had not lost his touch. In The Struggle, Farnum plays a war veteran defending a woman millworker in a fight with a notorious gang leader. Assuming he killed the brute, Farnum's Dick Storm flees out West, hiding out with a gang of outlaws. The gang plans to rob a ranch belonging to lovely Norma Day (Genevieve Bert), and Storm blows his cover to aid the defenseless woman. The gang, as it turns out, is led by the brute from back East, very much alive and ready for revenge. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The founder of the pioneering movie organization Selig Polyscope Company, Colonel William N. Selig continued producing low-budget films long after his company had floundered in 1918. In 1920-1921 he produced several westerns and one serial, Vanishing Trails, all starring veteran cowboy Franklyn Farnum. In The Last Chance, Farnum hits the bottle when his father dies. He loses his girl to a slick-looking neighbor and finds that life is no longer worth living. That is, until he meets a kind-hearted saloon belle, whose kidnapping spurs him back into action. Farnum's westerns were perhaps a bit more adult in themes than most of the oaters littering the Hollywood stage at the time, but they were no less pedestrian in execution. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide