Bob Steele Movies
Bantamweight Western hero Bob Steele began making films as a teenager, co-starring with his brother in a series of "outdoors" short subjects produced and directed by his filmmaker father, Robert N. Bradbury. A star from 1927 onward, Steele gained popularity in several B-Western series of the late silent and early talkie era. Most of his films shared the same plot: Steele's character was forever searching for the murderer of his father (perhaps significantly, many of Steele's starring vehicles were scripted by his real-life dad). In addition to his many starring films, Steele contributed several rate supporting appearances in prestige pictures. Among his better-known non-Western roles included the hot-tempered Curley in Of Mice and Men (1939) and the vicious hoodlum who poisons Elisha Cook Jr. in The Big Sleep (1946). In films until the early '70s, Bob Steele also played the recurring role of Trooper Duffy, the self-styled sole survivor of the Alamo, on the TV sitcom F Troop (1965-1967). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1938
A B-Western of the old school, Durango Valley Raiders stars diminutive Bob Steele as Keene Cordner, a drifter who obtains the job of foreman for rancher Mac McKay (Karl Hackett). But Keene proves to be the son of Mac's old partner (Steve Clark), with whom he once had a dramatic falling out. A mysterious gang of killers has been targeting the area's ranchers and Mac begins to suspect Keene to be their illusory leader, the Shadow. In order to get to the bottom of the deplorable situation, the youngster plays along for a while and is finally able to unmask the real culprit, whose identity comes as a shock to the community. Produced independently by A.W. Hackel, Durango Valley Raiders was released under the Republic Pictures banner. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Louise Stanley, (more)
In this western, a good-guy must halt a battle between cattle ranchers and settlers. An outlaw exploits the feud by working on both sides and then buying up all of the land for peanuts as the two factions murder each other. The hero soon figures out the outlaw's scheme and brings him to justice via a showdown. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Marion Weldon, (more)
Ranger Bob Steele goes after the bandit who killed his colleague in this low-budget oater from Supreme Pictures Corp., which was picked up for distribution by Republic. When Dave Austin learns that Apache Joe (Ted Adams) is the killer of Ranger Carson (Julian Madison), he pretends to be an outlaw himself, and, with the assistance of Jean Drury (Marion Weldon), the innocent sister of one of the gang members, manages to capture not only Apache Joe, but also his boss, supposedly law-abiding businessman Martin Rand (Forrest Taylor). In the end, it is Jean's brother Dan (Rex Lease) who saves Dave's life by taking a bullet meant for the ranger. Grizzled Budd Buster provided a bit of comedy relief and the entire package came courtesy of low-rent producer A.W. Hackel. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Marion Weldon, (more)
- 1938
Bantam-weight cowboy star Bob Steele stars in Thunder in the Desert. If you're familiar with Steele, you'll know that he was a star with but a single plot: A young man searches for the murderer of his father. This time, however, a few changes have been made. Now Bob is on the prowl for the murderer of his uncle. With the help of Louise Stanley, he corrals the killer and claims his inheritance. Produced independently by A. W. Hackel, Thunder in the Desert was released by Republic Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Louise Stanley, (more)
- 1938
Less than a week after the release of the Bob Steele western Paroled-to Die came yet another Steele vehicle, Amateur Crook. Once again, the hero (Steele) is framed for a crime he didn't commit. Once again, he breaks jail to track down the culprit. And once again, he succeeds. Amateur Crook was part of a package of A. W. Hackel-produced westerns distributed by Republic. According to B-western historian Don Miller, it was considered the best of the batch (though it really wasn't), and used by Republic as an "ice breaker" to entice exhibitors to pick up the rest of the series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Marion Weldon, (more)
- 1937
Bob Steele -- or, as he was known in the trade papers, "Our Bob" -- stars as Tom Shaw, the courageous foreman of the ranch owned by Betty Duncan (Lois January). A group of mysterious riders, apparently determined to drive every cattle rancher out of the territory, has launched a bloody campaign of terror, leaving behind a handful of spent shells and a red-stained rope as a warning to the ranchers. The leader of the terrorists is Rattler Haynes (Lew Meehan), but Tom suspects that Rattler takes his orders from a never-seen "Mister Big." With a little diligence and plenty of fisticuffs, our hero outmaneuvers the villains and wins the girl. Based on a story by Johnston McCulley (of The Mark of Zorro fame), The Red Rope was one of the best Bob Steele westerns ever made. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Lois January, (more)
- 1937
Bob Steele once again goes in search for the outlaw who murdered his father in this average Western released by Republic Pictures. The killer, Jim Hatfield (Warner Richmond), is holed up in a South-of-the-Border cantina from whence he runs a series of cattle rustlings and assorted other crimes. The Hatfield gang kidnaps Don (David Sharpe), the young brother of waitress Jean Williams (Lorraine Hayes), and forces him to sign over some traveler's checks to Hatfield. Allowing himself to be captured by the gang, newly deputized Dave Austin (Steele) is sentenced to die at sundown, but by using trickery, the youngster manages to turn the outlaws against each other. Doomed at Sundown was filmed at Newhall and Chatsworth, CA. Leading lady Lorraine Hayes, aka Lorraine Randall, was the sister of popular screen actress Bernadene Hayes. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Lorraine Hayes, (more)
- 1937
As cattlemen battle, a gunman arrives in Arizona for peace and quiet only to be entangled in their mess so assists the good guys. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1937
The 1937 Bob Steele western Ridin' the Lone Trail was released by the legendary Republic Studios, but it was filmed independently, its production values on a par with Steele's previous poverty-stricken efforts at lesser studios. At one point, the silence of the lone frontier is broken by the sound of an airplane motor. In between the anachronisms is a story involving a stagecoach line plagued by robberies. "Battling Bob" (as he was known in the trade papers) is hired to ride shotgun and to expose the bandits behind the holdups. Ridin' the Lone Trail was one of several Bob Steele westerns produced by the pinchpenny A.W. Hackel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Claire Rochelle, (more)
A murdered entomologist, an inscrutable Asian, and a sinister cowboy with rape on his mind are but a few of the many strange characters inhabiting this unusually well-made, Bob Steele Western. Steele plays Larry O'Day, who, along with sidekick Lucky Smith (Don Barclay), comes to the rescue of Barbara Hartnell (Harley Wood), whose entomologist uncle (Frank Ball) has been found murdered at his laboratory near the border to Mexico. If the murder wasn't enough, poor Barbara is in trouble with a strange neighbor, Obed Young (Karl Hackett), who raves about an ancient curse threatening her hacienda. After a mysterious intruder attempts to strangle Lucky, Larry catches German scientist Dr. von Kurtz (John Peters) stealing specimens from the dead entomologist's lab. Barbara, meanwhile, is arrested for the murder by the sheriff (Horace Murphy) but is freed by Jim Barton (Perry Murdock). The latter, a forbidding-looking cowboy, arranges with Chon Lee (Miki Morita) to have Barbara smuggled across the border as a "picture bride," but she is rescued in the nick of time by Larry, who now has proof of who killed Professor Hartnell. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Harley Wood, (more)
- 1937
Though A.W. Hackel's Supreme Pictures went belly-up in 1936, he continued grinding out his popular Bob Steele westerns, shifting distribution to up-and-coming Republic. Steele plays Dan, the headstrong young son of a notorious outlaw. Dan is forced not only to live down his dad's reputation, but also his own, since it's been rumored that he has strayed to the wrong side of the law from time to time. He manages to prove that he's a good guy after all, but in a surprise development he doesn't win the film's official heroine Molly (Lois January), who has jilted him for another. Fortunately, second lead Betty (Joan Barclay) is there to pick up the pieces. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Lois January, (more)
- 1937
A disgruntled ranger quits his job after a crooked state's attorney manages to get a case of murder thrown out of court in this standard Bob Steele western released by Republic Pictures. But as Dan Larsen (Steele) soon learns, there is more to the murder suspect, Wally Smeed (Ernie Adams), than meets the eye and together they go after the state's attorney, Kemper Mills (John Merton), who has quite a few interesting secrets of his own. Like so many of his westerns, The Gun Ranger was directed by Steele's real-life father, Robert North Bradbury. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Eleanor Stewart, (more)
Paroled-to Die was one of Bob Steele's best starring westerns for producer A. W. Hackel. Wasting precious little time with plot or dialogue, the film gets down to business with a two-fisted opening action sequence. Thereafter, the thrills never let up, as hero Doug Redfern (Steele) tries to clear himself of a murder rap, orchestrated by crooked politico Harvey Meline (Karl Hackett). Offering aid and comfort to our hero are government agent Lucky Gosden (Horace Murphy) and heroine Joan Blackman (Kathleen Elliot). Originally slated for released through Hackel's own Spectrum pictures, Paroled-to Die was eventually distributed by Republic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Karl Hackett, (more)
- 1937
In this western, a cattleman's son and a homesteader's daughter fall in love, but find their love thwarted by a trouble-making lawyer who creates a conflict between the ranchers and the settlers by telling the ranchers that the cattleman's stock will die if the homesteaders are allowed to dam the river. Gunplay and mayhem ensues. Eventually love triumphs. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Karl Hackett, (more)
- 1937
To those well versed in the Bob Steelewesterns of the 1930s, it's hardly surprising to reveal that the plot of Arizona Gunfighter was motivated by the murder of the hero's father. One of the more novel plot twists finds good-guy gunfighter Colt Ferron (Steele) casting his lot with reformed outlaw Wolf Whitson (Ted Adams). The fight scenes are impressive, the straight-acting scenes less so: though he was capable of delivering a good performance, Steele often as not ran the emotional gamut from A to B. Arizona Gunfighter was one of several Steele westerns produced by A.W. Hackel for Republic release. Most of these were directed by Robert N. Bradbury, who happened to be the star's father. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Jean Carmen, (more)
- 1937
In this western, brand new rancher Bob Steele, a former gunslinger in search of a more peaceful life, finds his quiet shattered when he finds himself caught between two feuding neighbors. Matters become more complex when he falls in love with one of their daughters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Lois January, (more)
- 1936
Director Robert N. Bradbury puts his cowboy-star son Bob Steele through the customary paces in The Law Rides. The key to a series of murders is the gold coins left at the scene of each crime. It appears for a while as though "battling Bob" is responsible for the killings. He isn't, and it's not long before he ascertains who is. Bob Steele's leading lady in The Law Rides is the winsome Harlene Wood, who here as elsewhere is a lot better than her material. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1936
Bob Steele plays a Boy in Blue in the low-budget western Cavalry. The diminutive Steele leads his troopers against all manner of dangerous foes, all for the benefit of leading-lady Frances Grant. Naturally, Steele is also trying to avenge the murder of his father, just as he'd done in his previous 30 films. Steele's real-life father Robert Bradbury warmed the director's chair for Cavalry. Produced by A. W. Hackel's Spectrum Pictures, the film was distributed by Republic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1936
Last of the Warrens is ever-so-slightly better than most of Bob Steele's westerns for A.W. Hackel's Supreme Pictures. Once again, the hero, this time named Ted Warren, spends the lion's share of his screen time searching for the murderer of his father. In a unique twist, the bad guy turns out to be a government agent, which speaks not at all well for the G-Man screening process. At one point, the diminutive protagonist knocks out two hulking bad guys at once, a scene that really can't be watched with a straight face. Like most of Bob Steele's 1930s westerns, Last of the Warrens was written and directed by Steele's father Robert N. Bradbury. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Margaret Marquis, (more)
- 1936
Western favorite Bob Steele stars as Sundown Saunders, so named because of his remarkable ability to win at poker just at the moment when the sun goes down. Winning 640 acres of land in a pony race, Saunders leaves cards and chips behind to take charge of his property. He doesn't yet know that his is the finest grazing land in the territory -- but the villainous Taggart (Ed Cassidy) does know, and he does everything in his power to drive Saunders off the land. Even worse, Taggart is a backshooter, and Saunders had just turned his back! Sundown Saunders is an oddity in the Bob Steele canon, in that the hero's father isn't murdered. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Catherine Cotter, (more)
- 1936
Bob Steele was directed by his father Robert N. Bradbury in Brand of the Outlaws. Can it be that Our Hero has turned outlaw himself? It sure seems that way, given the fact that Bob comes to the aid of a gang of rustlers. But fear not: Steele is merely working undercover, in search of (you guessed it) the murderer of his father. Quality-wise Brand of the Outlaws is a big step up from his earlier efforts for A. W. Hackel's Supreme Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1936
Bob Steele goes in search of the outlaw who killed both his parents and stole a valuable ring in this pedestrian western from producer A.W. Hackle's ramshackle Supreme Pictures Corp. Left to die in the desert, Smokey Smith (Steele) is nursed back to health by the sheriff of Pecos, John Law (Earl Dwire), who makes him his deputy. But Smokey is determined to find his parents' killer and surreptitiously joins a gang of stage robbers. Lead by Blaze Bart (George "Gabby" Hayes), who is determined to "earn" enough to send his foster-daughter Bess (Mary Kornman) back East, the gang is feuding with outlaw Kent (Warner P. Richmond), the very man Smokey is hunting. Kent murders Blaze but is himself killed by Smokey, who manages to reach the gang's mounted machine gun in time to save both Bess and the sheriff's posse. Smokey Smith was remade by low-budget Lippert Prod. as Crooked River (1950), a vehicle for down-on-their-luck former western stars James Ellison and Russell Hayden. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1936
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
- 1935
Filmed simultaneously with the earlier release No Man's Range (1935), this Bob Steele Western featured the diminutive hero as John Clark, a young drifter who comes to the aid of beleaguered U.S. marshal Blyth (Jack Rockwell), who has been shooting it out with a gang of outlaws. Wounded but still alive, Blyth deputizes Clark and assigns him to capture the notorious Kootney Kid gang. The Kid (Earl Dwire) has intercepted a letter proclaiming John the heir to a piece of oil-rich land, and plans to obtain the property himself. John, meanwhile, is arrested for murdering the missing Marshal Blyth but escapes along with sidekick Bootch McCrumb (Buck Connors). The two witness the Kid kill his henchman, Simi (Steve Clark), and with the assistance of the recovered Blyth, they manage to clear John's name and bring the murderer to justice. Directed by the star's father, Robert North Bradbury, this Bob Steele Western was produced by A.W. Hackel for release by Supreme Pictures Corp. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1935
An apparently lost entry in the long-running Bob Steele Western series produced by A.W. Hackel, The Rider of the Law presented the diminutive Steele as an Arizona lawman trailing the Tolliver brothers, a gang of outlaws. Steele catches up with the brothers in Apache City, where they are blackmailing the local bank president. As he has done so many times before, our hero then engages in a bit of subterfuge by pretending to be an Easterner. Thus catching the Tollivers off guard, he manages to discover their mountain hideout and there is a final shootout. Like all of Steele's early Westerns for Hackel's Supreme Pictures, The Rider of the Law was directed by his real-life father, Robert North Bradbury. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
