Slim Pickens Movies
Though he spoke most of his movie dialogue in a slow Western drawl, actor Slim Pickens was a pure-bred California boy. An expert rider from the age of four, Pickens was performing in rodeos at 12. Three years later, he quit school to become a full-time equestrian and bull wrangler, eventually becoming the highest-paid rodeo clown in show business. In films since 1950's Rocky Mountain, Pickens specialized in Westerns (what a surprise), appearing as the comic sidekick of Republic cowboy star Rex Allen. By the end of the 1950s, Pickens had gained so much extra poundage that he practically grew out of his nickname. Generally cast in boisterous comedy roles, Pickens was also an effectively odious villain in 1966's An Eye for an Eye, starting the film off with a jolt by shooting a baby in its crib. In 1963, director Stanley Kubrick handed Pickens his greatest role: honcho bomber pilot "King" Kong in Dr. Strangelove. One of the most unforgettable of all cinematic images is the sight of Pickens straddling a nuclear bomb and "riding" it to its target, whooping and hollering all the way down. Almost as good was Pickens' performance as Harvey Korman's henchman in Mel Brooks' bawdy Western spoof Blazing Saddles (1974). Slim Pickens was also kept busy on television, with numerous guest shots and regular roles in the TV series The Legend of Custer, B.J. and the Bear, and Filthy Rich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1958
In the fifth episode of Walt Disney's six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett, Andy (Jerome Courtland and his fellow Mountain Men have been captured by the Blackfeet Indians. Through careful manipulation of his telescope, Andy convinces his captors that he is a friend of the Sun God. Chief Kiasak (Abel Fernandez) agrees to spare the lives of Andy his pals--but they're not out of the woods yet, thanks to jealous medicine man Mad Wolf (Iron Eyes Cody). "The White Man's Medicine" originally aired on the Disneyland anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
The Sheepman was touted as a comedy by some of MGM's publicity people. It really isn't, but this western does have its lighthearted moments. Glenn Ford stars as a hard-bitten sheep farmer, running up against the opposition of cattle ranchers. Shirley MacLaine is a no-nonsense frontier girl who becomes the bone of contention between Ford and cattle baron Leslie Nielsen. Ford is able to get a leg-up in the community by humiliating Nielsen's top gun (Mickey Shaughnessy) in public. The range war comes to an end when Ford and Nielsen go one-to-one. Because The Sheepman didn't do well in its initial engagements, MGM reissued the picture under the more aggressive title The Stranger With a Gun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine, (more)
- 1958
This Disney adventure differed from many films of its era in that it depicted an unusually humanistic view of Native Americans as it tells the story of a young Sioux who finds a wild horse, captures the magnificent animal, names him Tonka, and patiently gentles him. According to custom, he is supposed to give it to his elder cousin, a despicable and cruel fellow who takes pleasure in beating Tonka and who eventually sells him to the cavalry. A kindly cavalry captain buys Tonka and names him Comanche. Meanwhile, the grieving youth, decides he must be with his horse and so sneaks into the fort where he is promptly captured. Fortunately, the captain, who has come to love his horse as much as the boy does, understands the youth. Later the captain rides the horse into the fateful battle at Little Big Horn and in the end, Tonka is the only survivor. The youth takes his horse and is later made an honorary member of the cavalry. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sal Mineo, Philip Carey, (more)
- 1958
After a fistfight with his friend Gentleman Jack Darby (Richard Long) over the affections of beauteous dancer Elena Grande (Adele Mara), Bart is charged with Jack's murder. Somehow, this turn of events is connected with Bart's efforts to reclaim a gold mine--and in this endeavor, he is teamed up not only with Elena, but also with the not-quite-dead Gentleman Jack. (Trivia alert: guest star Adele Mara, a busy B-picture actress since the 1940s, was the wife of Roy Huggins, producer-director of Maverick). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this third episode of Walt Disney's six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett, Andy (Jerome Courtland, Joe Crane (Jeff York) and the other Mountain Men have finally arrived in New Mexico. The head of the local border patrol agrees to guide Jack Kelly (Andrew Duggan, the head Mountain Man, to the outpost of Taos. Awaiting Jack's return, Andy and his friends must suffer the anti-Yankee vitriol of Capitan Reyes (Britt Lomond)--while Andy himself has a brief fling with lovely senorita Estrellita (Adele Mara). "Andy's Love Affair" originally aired on the Disneyland anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this second episode of Walt Disney's six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett, easterner Andy (Jerome Courtland) and his trapper pal Joe Crane (Jeff York) have joined a group called the Mountain Men in their journey the west. In order to survive the rough terrain ahead, Andy trains himself to act, hunt and think like an Indian. But the trip may be over before it has begun: Bill Sublette (Anthony Caruso), head man of a rival group of mountaineers, has bribed the local blacksmith not to sell supplies to Andy and his pals. "Andy's First Chore" originally aired on the Disneyland anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Originally telecast on the Disneyland anthology, the six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett was the first of several efforts by Walt Disney to create a live-action property that would match the success of his Davy Crockett programs. Based on a novel by Stewart Edward White, Andy Burnett stars Jerome Courtland as the title character, the grandfather of an 18th century frontiersman who heads westward in 1820 in hopes of becoming a farmer. In the first episode, "Andy's Initiation", Andy meets a rough-and-ready trapper named Joe Crane (Jeff York who intends to ply his trade in the mountains of the west. At first reluctant to join Joe in this mission, Andy is forced to do so when his bankroll conveniently turns up missing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this western, the trouble begins when a ruthless outlaw impersonates a mine owner. When the sheriff begins to suspect him, the badguy kills him. A government agent, working undercover replaces the sheriff, exposes the crook and wins the love of a purty gal in the process. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joel McCrea, Mark Stevens, (more)
- 1956
In this crime drama, mobsters swear to get revenge upon a zealous public prosecutor as he tries to get them put into prison. The desperate mobsters try to stop him by using his innocent daughter in a blackmail scheme. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
Gun Brothers is a rehash of the "Cain and Abel" motif that has been popular amongst screenwriters since time immemorial. Buster Crabbe and Neville Brand star as brothers Chad and Jubal. While Chad remains on the straight-and-narrow and becomes a rancher, Jubal opts for the life of an outlaw. The siblings manage to keep peace in the family until a jealous Indian maiden (Lita Milan) tells Jubal that Chad has turned stool pigeon. Only a cathartic last-reel burst of violence convinces Jubal that his brother hasn't betrayed him to the authorities--but by then, of course, it is too late. Ann Robinson, leading lady of such early-1950s esoterica as War of the Worlds and Dragnet, costars as a saloon singer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Ann Robinson, (more)
- 1956
Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase is a dramatic retelling of the actual Civil War events which inspired the Buster Keaton comedy The General. Fess Parker stars as James J. Andrews, the famous Union spy who masterminded the theft of an entire Confederate train. To accomplish this mission, Andrews and his cohorts pose as Kentuckians, board the train, and bide their time until they can pull off the robbery. Unfortunately for the Northerners, plucky young conductor William A. Fuller (Jeffrey Hunter, in the "Keaton" role), resentful that his train was stolen out from under him, pursues Andrews' raiders by foot, handcar, and locomotive. No matter what obstacles are placed in his way by Andrews' men, Fuller persists in his chase. Eventually captured, Andrews and his cohorts plan a daring escape, which serves as the film's pulse-pounding climax. Filmed on location in Georgia, The Great Locomotive Chase was well-received by audiences and critics alike. The lone dissenter was Buster Keaton, who felt that Disney made a mistake by turning the Southern characters into the "bad guys." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fess Parker, Jeffrey Hunter, (more)
- 1956
Action specialist William Witney was the director of the leisurely, sensitive western Stranger at My Door. MacDonald Carey plays a frontier minister, who much against the wishes of his wife and child invites a fugitive outlaw (Skip Homeier) into his home. At first the outlaw takes advantage of Carey's largesse, but gradually feels the effect of the minister's kindness and altruism. This film has frequently been excerpted into TV documentaries on the basis of one single sequence: a beautifully staged confrontation with a wild, rampaging horse. The split-second editing and the undetectable combination of fact and artifice results in a superb setpiece which arguably represents William Witney's finest work. Stranger at My Door was scripted by Barry Shipman, the son of pioneering female producer/director Nell Shipman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- MacDonald Carey, Patricia Medina, (more)
- 1955
The Republic super-production The Last Command is a partial remake of the same studio's Man of Conquest (1939). But whereas the earlier film concerned itself with the exploits of Texas patriot Sam Houston, Last Command concentrates on Houston associate James Bowie, played by Sterling Hayden. When Texas is threatened by the armies of Mexican general Santa Ana (J. Carrol Naish), Bowie at first adopts a policy of peaceful coexistence. When this proves impossible, Bowie joins Davy Crockett (played as an irascible old cuss by Arthur Hunnicut) and the rest of the courageous defenders of the Alamo. The climactic confrontation between the heroes of the Alamo and Santa Ana is long in coming, but well worth the wait. Frank Lloyd's large-scale direction and the vibrant musical score of Max Steiner imbues Last Command with a "major studio" aura not often found in Republic productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sterling Hayden, Anna Maria Alberghetti, (more)
- 1955
This probing drama offers an inside look into corruption within the United Auto Workers and is loosely adapted from the true tale of the Reuther brothers. The story begins when someone bombs the union headquarters. Blair Vickers (Dennis O'Keefe), the head of the union, is an honest man whose brother is killed during the crime. The man behind the bombing, Gus Linden (Pat O'Brien), a gangster who has just finished serving time for labor racketeering, is determined to gain control of the UAW. Linden's children do not believe their father is capable of such a terrible crime, and accuse Vickers of having framed him. However, Vickers gradually turns them against their father by having them see for themselves that he is a corrupt, murderous thug who is unfaithful to their mother to boot. Eventually, with the reluctant help of Linden's mistress, Joni Calvin (Tina Carver), Vickers defeats the mob, and restores decency to the union. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis O'Keefe, Pat O'Brien, (more)
- 1955
In this western, a man is falsely accused of betraying a wagon train to the Apaches and is punished by his employers, but not fired. His boss gives him a second chance and the man is assigned to make sure that an arms shipment makes it safely through the Indian land. The woman who owns the valuable cargo finds herself courted by both men. The woman, however, was born of an interracial couple; she despises this fact as she must deal with constant degradation from her un-enlightened peers. When the wagon master finds out about her family, he too must deal with his own prejudice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, Faith Domergue, (more)
- 1954
Reminiscent of Destry Rides Again, this feature is about peaceable young lawyer Tom Brewster (Will Rogers Jr.), who sets up shop in a rowdy western town. Though perfectly able to wield a six-gun, Brewster refuses to use brawn when brain will do. He is galvanized into action when his old pal Wallace Ford is murdered by the villains. Brewster cleans up the town and wins the heroine (Nancy Olsen) in the bargain. One of two Will Rogers Jr. vehicles produced at Warner Bros. (the other was the life story of Rogers' famous father), The Boy From Oklahoma served as the basis for Warners' later TV series, Sugarfoot. Watch for a supporting appearance by a young and callow Merv Griffin! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Rogers, Jr., Nancy Olson, (more)
- 1954
In this western, the many travails of a wagonmaster on a Westward trek are chronicled. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Allen, Carla Balenda, (more)
- 1954
Jet Cosgrave (John Derek) is The Outcast in this big-budget Republic western. Thanks to the chicanery of his crooked uncle Major Cosgrave (Jim Davis), Jet has been cheated out of his father's property and branded a pariah. He spends the rest of the film trying to regain his birthright and clear his name. The two women in Jet's life are Judy Polsen (Joan Evans), who chases him for so long that he finally catches her, and Alice Austin (Catherine McLeod), Major Cosgrave's fianee. The supporting cast is dotted with such weatherbeaten western "regulars" as Slim Pickens, Bob Steele and Harry Carey Jr. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Derek, Joan Evans, (more)
- 1953
Singing cowboy Rex Allen joins the circus in Down Laredo Way. It all begins when Allen and his sidekick Slim Pickens come to the aid of little Taffy (Judy Nugent), whose acrobat father is killed in an accident. Or was it an accident? After all, the dead man's partner, Valerie (Marjorie Lord), has been keeping company with suspicious-looking Cooper (Roy Barcroft). It turns out that a diamond-smuggling racket is at the bottom of things. Livening up the proceedings in Down Laredo Way is peppery Dona Drake as a warm-hearted, hot-blooded gypsy gal. Like most of Republic's Rex Allen vehicles, the film benefits from better-than-usual production values. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Allen, Slim Pickens, (more)
- 1953
Director John Ford, notoriously difficult to please, regarded The Sun Shines Bright as his favorite film. Laurence Stalllings' screenplay is based on several short stories by Kentucky humorist Irvin S. Cobb, some of which had previously been cinematized in Ford's 1934 Will Rogers vehicle Judge Priest. Charles Winninger stars as Judge William Pittman Priest, whose down-home, common-sense approach to his job has endeared himself to most of the residents of his small Kentucky home town, while alienating many of the "better" people. Up for election, Judge Priest is challenged by a Yankee upstart who has most of the influential citizens in his pocket. Almost deliberately courting defeat, the doggedly honest Priest champions several unpopular causes. In the film's most memorable scene, the Judge arranges a fancy funeral procession for an impoverished town prostitute. The film retains much of the charm of its predecessor Judge Priest; unfortunately (at least by P.C. standards), The Sun Shines Bright also retains the most questionable aspect of the earlier film: the stereotyped routines of African-American comedian Stepin Fetchit. One hardly knows how to react to the sequence in which the supplicative Fetchit tries to hush up a defiant young black man who is in danger of being lynched (Ford plays this scene for laughs!) While Fetchit's participation will hardly endear the film to modern audiences, it is unfair to write off the rest of The Sun Shines Bright, which otherwise fully lives up to director Ford's affectionate assessment. Long available only in its 90 minute release version, the film has in recent years been restored to the 100-minute "director's cut." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Winninger, Arleen Whelan, (more)
- 1953
Shadows of Tombstone is a fair-to-middling Rex Allen western. This time out, Rex and his sidekick Slim (Slim Pickens) try to prove that sheriff Webb (Emory Parnell) is a crook. Webb is in league with shady saloon-owner Mike (Roy Barcroft) and renegade bandit Delgado (Ric Roman), who hold the territory in thrall. Alas, Rex can't shoot the broad side of a barn at the beginning of the film -- but he learns, he learns! Jeanne Cooper, future soap-opera diva and the mother of TV-star Corbin Bernsen, does a neat job as the film's unconventional heroine. Stuck with a so-so script, director William Witney saves the day by keeping things constantly on the move. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Allen, Slim Pickens, (more)
- 1953
Rex Allen, the last of Republic's singing cowboys, stars in Red River Shore. This time, it's up to Allen to prevent a major oil scam. The potential suckers have been enticed into the deal on the reputation of a recently deceased local hero. The problem here is to rout the crooks without dragging the dead man's name through the mud. Fortunately, providence, and the screenwriters, take a hand in things. Though Rex Allen usually gets the girl -- in this case, Lyn Thomas -- the romantic angle this time is handled by young swain Bill Phipps. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Allen, Slim Pickens, (more)
- 1953
Postal inspector Rex Allen rides hell bent for leather in order to save an innocent man from hanging in this enjoyable Western from Republic Pictures. When Allen suggests shipping the mail from San Francisco to San Diego via stagecoach instead of clipper ship, Roger McCall (Grant Withers), the crooked owner of the shipping line, does his utmost to prevent stage line operator Sam Sawyer (Forrest Taylor) from winning the contract, including having him falsely accused of murdering a longtime rival (George H. Lloyd). Rex, however, suspects that First Mate Orrin (Roy Barcroft) is the real culprit, but will he be too late to see justice done? ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Allen, Slim Pickens, (more)
- 1953
"Arizona Cowboy" Rex Allen heads the cast of Republic's Old Overland Trail. Rex plays an operative for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, assigned to pacify a disgruntled Apache tribe. Villain John Anchor (Roy Barcroft), a railroad contractor, has been stirring up trouble with the Indians as part of a complex scheme to build a spur line at slave-labor wages. Making things difficult for Rex is the fact that his wayward brother Jim (Gil Herman) has joined Anchor's gang. Of interest to audiences of the 1990s is the presence of Leonard Nimoy, here cast as Apache chief Black Hawk. Despite the surfeit of action in Old Overland Trail, Rex Allen finds time to sing three tunes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Allen, Slim Pickens, (more)
- 1952
Singing cowboy Rex Allen and his faithful horse Koko head the cast in Border Saddlemates. This time, Rex in on the trail of counterfeiters (Republic's favorite villains of the 1951-52 season). Criminal mastermind Steve Baxter (Roy Barcroft) is smuggling fake money across the Mexican border while using a fox farm as a cover. But Rex ends up (here it comes!) out-foxing Baxter in the exciting finale. Virtually the same plotline was used in the concurrently-released Republic oater Wild Horse Ambush, even unto casting Roy Barcroft as the villain (but then, wasn't he always the villain?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Allen, Mary Ellen Kay, (more)
