Blackie Whiteford Movies
One of the meanest looking denizens of B-Westerns, John "Blackie" Whiteford could also play comedy. He made one of his earliest screen appearances as a fellow inmate in Laurel & Hardy's The Hoose Gow (1929). He was a comedy prisoner again in the boys' Pardon Us (1932), but from then on it was B-Westerns all the way. With his scowling demeanor and hefty physique, Whiteford almost always played a thug and usually his appearance went unbilled. If his character had a name, it was always something like Zeke, Jake, or of course, Blackie. He was billed John P. Whiteford in his final screen appearance, John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1938
The dangers experienced by a Pony Express rider are chronicled in this western. The hero rides between Missouri and California. As he gallops along, he encounters angry Indians, and the competitors of the Pony Express the stage coach drivers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buck Jones, Marjorie Reynolds, (more)
- 1938
Charles Starrett heads the cast; Sam Nelson directs; and the supporting players inlude Iris Meredith, Dick Curtis, Ed Cobb, Edward LeSaint and Bob Nolan. This could stand as the description for all of Starrett's 1938 westerns, not merely West of Santa Fe. In this one, US marshal Lawlor (Starrett) takes on a gang of cattle rustlers headed by Taylor (Dick Curtis). His reasons are partly personal: Conway (Edward LeSaint), the cattle-baron father of Lawlor's sweetheart Madge (Meredith), has been murdered by Taylor's minions. Yes, the film ends with yet another outsized fistic battle between Charles Starrett and Dick Curtis, who by now must have had all the moves memorized. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Dick Curtis, (more)
- 1938
In his second music Western for Monogram, Tex Ritter had the dubious honor of being accompanied by hillbilly acts Louise Massey and The Westerners. Clocking in at a short 55 minutes, Where the Buffalo Roam featured a grand total of seven music numbers, leaving little time for Ritter and co. to act out a rather moth-eaten story of a government agent tracking down a gang of Buffalo poachers while searching for the villain who killed his mother. The suspected leader of the poachers, "Three Fingers" (Karl Hackett) proves to be innocent and instead helps Ritter track down the villain, Foster (John Merton), who murdered his mother. Not too surprising for Ritter devotees, Foster's henchman, Bull, was played by Charles King, who would be found at the end of Ritter's fist in no less than 25 films and remained a valuable asset to the Ritter oeuvre. Not so Horace Murphy and Snub Pollard, unfunny sidekicks who unfortunately had followed Ritter from Grand National to Monogram. In addition to the seven music numbers, Where the Buffalo Roam was also saddled with extensive, and rather grainy, stock footage of a buffalo stampede. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tex Ritter, Dorothy Short, (more)
- 1937
With the increasing popularity of Republic's sagebrush crooner Gene Autry), rival company Columbia found it necessary to add a musical element to this Charles Starrett Western released in early 1937. As Starrett himself was no singer, the studio hired Donald Grayson to warble Lonesome River, Out in the Cow Country and Pancho's Widow, all by Ned Washington and Sam H. Stept. Grayson played Slim, a tenderfoot learning the ropes on a cattle run from Texas to Dodge City. The teacher is foreman Steve Braddock (Starrett), but training is interrupted by the news that the stagecoach has been held up by the Dawson gang and that Marian Phillips (Marion Weldon) is missing. Saving the girl from her kidnappers, Steve discovers that her father, Kenyon (Russell Hicks) is in cahoots with the gang, Suspecting that the man may be blackmailed by Dawson (Al Bridge), Steve infiltrates the gang by impersonating an outlaw. But Dawson sees right through the masquerade and demands to have him killed. Fortunately, the sheriff's posse arrive at that very moment and Steve can soon resume his courtship of Marian. Dodge City Trail was the first of many Starrett Westerns in which the hero's name is "Steve." The moniker was considered a lucky omen and Starrett retained it when playing his most enduring character, that of "The Durango Kid." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Donald Grayson, (more)
- 1937
In an effort to compete with Republic's popular songfest Westerns, fours music numbers -- including Tumbling Tumbleweeds -- were added to The Old Wyoming Trail, an otherwise average Charles Starrett vehicle. No singer, Starrett left the vocalizing to his sidekick Donald Grayson and the popular Sons of the Pioneers. En route to purchase a herd of cattle, Bob Patterson (Starrett) and his sidekick Sandy (Grayson) get in the way of a scheme to defraud the local ranchers of their possessions. Aware of the coming railroad, the villains, Lafe Kinney (Guy Usher and Slade (Dick Curtis plot to take over Jeff Halliday's (Edward J. Le Saint) ranch. When Bob and Sandy get suspicious, the villains kidnap Halliday's daughter Elsie (Barbara Weeks). A posse is formed and in desperation, Slade demands that Bob meet him unarmed if Elsie is to be saved. In the ensuing shoot-out, Slade is killed and Bob is free to continue his romance with Elsie. Like many of the Starrett Westerns, The Old Wyoming Trail was filmed at the Andy Jauregui Ranch at Placerita Canyon, California, Jauregui himself appearing as a member of the posse. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Donald Grayson, (more)
- 1937
In this classic Three Stooges short, the boys are tramps on the lam from the railroad police when they happen in on an athletic club. They are enlisted as sparring partners, but when a wrestler, Bustoff, takes a liking to them, they are given the tough assignment of keeping him sober until his big match that night. Of course they are unsuccessful -- in fact, they add insult to injury by knocking him out with a pair of barbells and a locker -- but, with a quick exchange of whiskers they decide that Curly Howard looks enough like Bustoff to go in the ring. Earlier in the picture, it has been revealed that Curly goes haywire when he smells the perfume "Wild Hyacinth," and luckily a woman in the audience has a bottle of the scent. Curly goes from being a sure loser to braining everyone in his general vicinity -- including himself, with the help of the bell. This short has quite a lot in common with the Stooges' 1934 comedy, Punch Drunks. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1937
The Three Stooges are lawbreakers in merry olde England in this comic short. For their crimes, the Stooges are sent to the American colonies to defend the Pilgrim settlement against Indians. They arrive, muskets in hand, and proceed to flirt with the daughters of the governor (Vernon Dent). But they get down to business soon enough, as the Indians demand "five thousands shekels" for peace, a far greater sum than the Pilgrims have. While hunting for turkey the Stooges head for the outskirts of Plymouth (you can tell they've reached it by the signs). They mistake the Indians' headdresses for birds and fire, and the battle is on. Larry is caught and tied to a tree. Moe and Curly come to his rescue, knocking out the Indians with their clubs, and then Curly knocks out Moe. Larry faints and when Curly tosses water on him, he misses and wakes up the unconscious Indians, who give chase. The Stooges finally escape in a motorized canoe -- a shot stolen from an earlier short, Whoops, I'm an Indian. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1936
In this western, a Spanish-American war veteran cannot find gainful employment. In desperation, he becomes a cattle rustler until he can get back on his feet. Just as he is ready to go straight, his girlfriend's younger brother is shot. The veteran kills the murderer, but is then arrested by the sheriff, who is also his best friend. Unfortunately for the veteran, justice prevails and he must hang. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Holt, Louise Henry, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Hoot Gibson, Ruth Mix, (more)
- 1936
The first of three inexpensive serials produced by Louis Weiss for Poverty Row company Stage and Screen Productions, The Black Coin centered around 12 black coins, who together form a treasure map. The plot was as old as the Hollywood Hills, and didn't quite deliver the same punch by 1936, despite the addition of the popular G-men to the proceedings. Secret Service agents Ralph Graves and Ruth Mix go in search of the villains who are using the Caswell Shipping Company as a front to their smuggling operation when they stumble over the secret of The Black Coin. Ruth Mix, the daughter of Tom, furnished much-needed name value to all three Stage and Screen serials. William Desmond, a major serial star in the silent era, plays a bit as a bartender in The Black Coin, while, more amusingly, veteran stunt man Yakima Canutt appears as a character named "Ed McMahon." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, 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
Produced by low-budget company Supreme Pictures (which weren't), this middling B-western was saved somewhat by its personable star, the strapping former footballer Johnny Mack Brown. Mack plays Dan Doran, the rogue of the title, who rescues a pretty missionary, Tess (Phyllis Hume), from the ubiquitous runaway team. In town, Doran not only leaves the welfare of the girl to Stella, the saloon hostess (Lois January), but admits to having earlier robbed the stage. Sent up the river for 20 years, Dan makes the acquaintance of Jim Mitchell (George Ball), a fellow inmate, and the two make their escape together. Returning to the scene of the crime, Dan joins Jim's gang of stage robbers. The town's natty-looking banker, Lige Branscomb (Alden Chase aka Stephen Chase) is observed courting Tess, who now owns the Golden Nugget coffee shop. Dan, who is in reality an undercover G-man, has Stella rescue Tess from marrying the villainous Branscomb who, of course, is the secret leader of the gang of stage robbers. Leaving Tess to her coffee shop, Dan proposes to Stella, who accepts. Although already beginning to exhibit the middle-age spread that would mar his later appearances, Johnny Mack Brown once again proves that he was a better actor than most of his B- western rivals. The same cannot be said for Phyllis Hume, who plays the missionary girl with only one expression, bewilderment, and whose only film this seems to have been. Max Davidson, an old-fashioned "Dutch-style" comic who had been in films before Charles Chaplin and almost everyone else, appears briefly and for no apparent reason in order to perform a bit of timeworn shtick as a Jewish salesman. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Lois January, (more)
- 1935
Toll of the Desert transcends its "B"-picture origins with a plotline that would have done Zane Grey proud. In one of his few starring roles, Fred Kohler Jr. plays hero Bill Carson. Apparently orphaned at the age of 4, Bill grows up to become a scrupulous honest, upright sheriff. In this capacity, he brings notorious outlaw Tom Collins (Roger Williams) to justice, never dreaming that the villain is his own father. Rather than compromise his son's integrity, Collins never reveals his true identity -- not even as he's being led to the gallows. Heroine Betty Mack, late of the Hal Roach Charlie Chase comedies, gets to sing a song or two. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Kohler, Jr., Betty Mack, (more)
- 1935
Directed by the veteran Elmer Clifton, Pals of the Range was yet another attempt at turning journeyman actor Rex Lease into a viable B-Western hero. Lease plays Steve Barton, a ranch hand promised 1,000 dollars if he can turn the Circle Ranch into a profitable venture. The dilapidated ranch has become the victim of the neighboring Circle B outfit who has been stealing the cattle and adding the letter "B" inside the brand. While investigating, Steve is accused of shooting and paralyzing Tom (Joey Ray), an innocent bystander, but manages to convince the sheriff (Bud Osborne) of his innocence. Tom reveals the true culprit, the rustlers are apprehended, and Steve earns enough money to bankroll his prospector friend Gold Dust (Milburn Morante). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Directed by his father, Robert North Bradbury, Bob Steele's third Western for independent producer A.W. Hackel remains one of the most bizarre and evocative B-Westerns of the 1930s. Written by set designer/supporting actor Perry Murdock, The Big Calibre is really a horror movie masquerading as a Western, complete with a mad, disfigured scientist who kills by employing vials of poison gas. Steele's onscreen father (Frank Brownlee) becomes the Mad Doc's first victim and the sheriff's investigation points to town chemist Otto Zenz as the killer. Before he can be arrested, Zenz escapes with Steele in hot pursuit. (Eerily, director Bradbury favored stories about sons hunting down their fathers' killers.) Along the way, the young cowboy stumbles over a mysterious and unsettling pile of dried-up bones, a stage hold-up that isn't quite what it appears to be, and a girl (Peggy Campbell) whose ranch is threatened by a greedy lawyer (Forrest Taylor). The latter's co-conspirator, the hideously deformed assayer Gadski, may or may not be the missing chemist/killer. Despite all that, Steele manages to revenge his father's death in a final, desperate struggle during which the maniacal killer is undone by his own murder weapon. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Peggy Campbell, (more)
- 1935
Although billed fourth, Veteran silent screen actor Franklyn Farnum is the real star of this ultra low-budget Western from the poorly named Superior Talking Pictures. Escaping from jail, Jim Bullard (Farnum) avenges himself on the thieving Raskobb clan by placing an ace of spade on every member he can kill. Enter the newly appointed deputy sheriff, Dave Danford (Rex Lease), who quickly finds himself in the crossfire between the warring Bullards and Raskobbs. The Ghost Rider and a subsequent Superior release, Cyclone of the Saddle (1935), were tagged as "Rough Rider" Westerns. Rex Lease and teenage rider Bobby Nelson co-starred in both. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1934
In this western, a band of avaricious men kill a rancher in order to take over his land. The dead man's nephew was slated to inherit the ranch, but he has vanished so the outlaws hire another to impersonate the heir. Trouble ensues when the real heir, a state ranger, appears, gets his revenge, and gets his ranch. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Maynard, Hooper Atchley, (more)
An above-average cast makes up for the lack of production values in this, the second of 32 Bob Steele Westerns produced by A.W. Hackel for the States' Rights market. Steele is Rod Kent, a rancher falling in love with his neighbor, Margie Orkin (Lucile Browne), whom he rescues from an irate bull. Margie, however, is soon in a different kind of danger altogether when her father's evil half-brother, Bill (George Hayes), suddenly appears on the property with blackmail on his mind. When Rod intervenes, his father (Charles K. French) is shot by one of Bill's nasty sons, Holt (James Flavin). Bill's attempt to pin the blame on his half-brother, Joe (William Farnum), fails. Assisted by Margie's kid brother, Budd (Mickey Rentschler), and his faithful pooch, Pardner, Rod rounds up the villains, who are hog-tied and delivered to the Sheriff (Jack Rockwell). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Lucille Browne, (more)
- 1934
- NR
Assigned to write and direct the John Wayne western West of the Divide, Robert N. Bradbury dug out the plotline he'd used so often and to such good effect in his son Bob Steele's vehicles. Wayne plays frontiersman Ted Hayden, who spends most of the picture searching for the man who killed his parents. Along the way, he "tames" spoiled heroine Fay Winter (Virginia Brown Faire) and rediscovers his long-lost brother Spud (Billy O'Brien). John Wayne's fistfights with chief heavy Yakima Canutt aren't in the same league as his later Canutt-supervised stunt sequences, but they're pretty good by their own standards. West of the Divide was the fourth entry in Wayne's "Lone Star" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Virginia Brown Faire, (more)
- 1934
In his first of thirty-two B-Westerns for producer A.W. Hackel, bantamweight Bob Steele plays Bob Worth, a cowboy seeking employment at Lita Morton's (Gloria Shea) New Mexico ranch. Lita's brother Bud (Nick Stuart) turns him down flat and instead puts the property up for sale. The buyer, Dyer (Walter McGrail), has Bud assassinated on his way to deposit the first payment and Bob, who merely happens to find the body, is accused of the deed by Lita. Wounded by Dyer, Bob finds shelter with Mexican outlaw Gallindo (Don Alvarado) and concocts a plan to trap the killer. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1933
Cowboy star Rex Bell revives a favorite plot device of silent westerner William S. Hart in Crashin' Broadway. Bell temporarily leaves the Wide Open Spaces to conduct business in New York City. He runs afoul of gangsters, who prove no match forBell. Doris Hill is the leading lady whom Bell charms during his visit to the Big Apple. Crashin' Broadway was one of Rex Bell's last starring vehicles; soon afterward, he entered politics, eventually becoming lieutenant governor of Nevada. And as a bonus, he married Hollywood's "It" girl Clara Bow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this western, John Wayne plays a bronc buster who flees to Mexico after he is falsely accused of rigging a stagecoach race. Living as an outlaw, he joins a gang and finds that the son of his old rodeo boss has been roped into joining them. While trying to save the youth from a life of crime, The heroic Wayne also manages to save a silver mine and find true love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry B. Walthall, Shirley Palmer, (more)
A good idea never really gets off the ground in this circus melodrama/western starring Bob Steele. The bantamweight cowboy plays Kit Denton, whose father, Charles (George Hayes), the owner of a traveling circus, is forced to admit that he is unwanted in the western town of Big Ben. As Charles explains, he has been on the run for 18 years after being falsely accused of a murder he didn't commit. To elude the law in general and Big Ben politico Chris McDonald (John Elliott) in particular, Charles must wear his clown makeup at all times. McDonald, however, takes umbrage to any circus visiting his town, especially since his wife, Martha (Vane Calvert), ran off to join one 18 years earlier. Is Kit actually Martha's son and will the Flying Dantons get through their act without interference from McDonald and his lackeys? Like most of Bob Steele's early talkie western melodramas, The Gallant Fool was directed by his real-life father, Robert North Bradbury. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1933
Alison Skipworth and W.C. Fields play Tillie and Augustus Winterbottom, a husband-and-wife team of con artists. The larcenous couple is summoned to a small town by their niece (Jacqueline Wells) and her husband (Clifford Jones) when the niece's father dies. Hoping for a sizeable inheritance, Tillie and Gus discover that the legacy consists of one rundown ferry boat. When they notice that a local lawyer (Clarence Wilson) seems unusually interested in obtaining this seemingly worthless vessel, T and G decide to help their niece restore the boat and keep the ferry line running. The climax occurs during a boat race between Tillie & Gus and the duplicitous lawyer; the prize is a large cash settlement from a major ferry franchise. Disappointingly restrained for a W.C. Fields film, Tillie and Gus is still good for a few quiet chuckles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- W.C. Fields, Alison Skipworth, (more)
In a slight change of pace, low-budget Western star Bob Steele plays a cowboy-turned-race car driver in this otherwise typical Paul Malvern production directed by the star's father Robert North Bradbury. Steele's happy-go-lucky Speed Brent gets involved with escaped prisoner Killer Joe (Ernie Adams), who hires him to drive him to the Mexican border. Knocked unconscious by one of Joe's henchmen, Speed recovers to find Judge Stafford (John Elliott) seriously wounded and the victim of theft. Along with the judge's bearded foreman Chuck Wiggins (George "Gabby" Hayes), Speed vows to track down the gang and later hooks up with Sonia (Marion Byron), a government agent masquerading as a saloon girl. Killer Joe, meanwhile, attempts to escape by car, but is chased down by Speed, who forces him over a cliff to his death. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Marion Byron, (more)
