Johnny Mack Brown Movies
Former All-American halfback Johnny Mack Brown was a popular screen cowboy during the 1930s. Already in the public eye for his athletic prowess, Brown was persuaded by a friend to give Hollywood a try after graduating from the University of Alabama. In 1927, the muscular macho man was signed by MGM where he played in a number of leading roles opposite popular actresses such as Garbo, Pickford, and Crawford for several years. But Brown never really found his acting niche until he starred in King Vidor's Billy the Kid (1930). From then on he was happily typecast as a cowboy actor, and became a hero to millions of American boys, appearing in over 200 B-grade Westerns over the next two decades. From 1942-50 he was consistently among the screen's ten most popular Western actors. Brown formally retired from movies in 1953 but made occasional return appearances as a "nostalgia" act. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1946
Monogram added a bit of music to this otherwise standard Johnny Mack Brown oater, courtesy of former star Smith Ballew, who performs Cindy Walker's "The Strawberry Blonde" and Don Swander and June Hershey's "Livin' Western Style" accompanied by Dusty Rhodes and the Sons of the Sage. Mack Brown, meanwhile, plays Dusty Smith, a drifter coming to the aid of Bill Simpson (Riley Hill), a young hothead accused of wounding a town bully (Reed Howes). Along with old-timer Santa Fe Jones (Raymond Hatton), falsely accused of rustling by smooth saloon owner Blackie Evans (Tristram Coffin), Dusty obtains a job as ranch foreman at the Simpson spread, much to the ire of Blackie, who proves to be the real rustler. Young Bill pays his debt to Dusty by springing him from jail after the latter has been falsely jailed for killing one of the gang and together they track down the villainous saloon owner. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1946
Monogram added several songs and a barn dance to this otherwise standard Johnny Mack Brown hay burner, in which the veteran cowboy star comes to the aid of a beleaguered female rancher. Just "drifting along," Steve Garner (Mack Brown) obtains the job of foreman on a spread belonging to pretty Pat McBride (Lynne Carver). Unbeknownst to Pat, local banker Jack Dailey (Douglas Fowley) not only holds the mortgage on the ranch but is also the man responsible for the death of Pat's father. Aided by old-timer Pawnee Jones (Raymond Hatton), Steve begins an investigation into Dailey's dirty dealings and barely escapes an accusation of rustling. In order to elude the law, Dailey plans to have Steve arrested for murdering one of his henchmen, Lou Woods (Steve Clark), but the scheme backfires and the sheriff (Jack Rockwell) instead apprehends Dailey and his gang. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Lynne Carver, (more)
- 1946
Veteran cowboy star Johnny Mack Brown plays a cattle buyer turned prairie sleuth in this low-budget oater from Monogram, which co-stars perennial old-timer Raymond Hatton as a retired U.S. Marshal assigned to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a rancher. As the two old friends soon learn, a gang of smugglers headed by the town's banker (Frank LaRue) needs the use of the Flying Arrow Ranch for their nefarious purposes. But one of the gang members turns informant and the kidnapped rancher is reunited with his pretty daughter (Jan Bryant). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Though it wasn't the first of the batch, The Stranger from Pecos would have been an excellent starting point for Johnny Mack Brown's Monogram western series. Containing a great deal more excitement than the official first entry (The Ghost Rider), the film casts Brown as Nevada, a US marshal assigned to squelch a crooked land-grab. Unfortunately, the head villain as the corrupt local sheriff in his pocket, which stymies Nevada's efforts during the first 4 reels. But justice prevails during the final 2 reels, as Johnny Mack Brown fans knew it would. The romantic subplot is handled by a pair of pop-culture icons: Kirby Grant, star of TV's Sky King, and Christine McIntyre, leading lady of many a 3 Stooges short. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1945
Flame of the West has always attracted more attention than most of Johnny Mack Brown's Monogram westerns, if for no other reason than the offbeat casting of Douglass Dumbrille. Usually seen in villainous roles, Dumbrille herein offers a sincere, effective performance as a scrupulously honest US marshal named Nightlander. When he takes on a gang of crooked gamblers, Nightlander is shot down in cold blood, compelling frontier doctor John Poore (Johnny Mack Brown) to put his Hippocratic oath on the back burner and strap on the shootin' irons. Raymond Hatton contributes his usual grizzled comedy relief in Flame of the West, while Joan Woodbury is interestingly cast as a saloon-hall girl without a heart of gold. Flame of the West works so well on a dramatic level that the musical interludes of Pee Wee King seem downright intrusive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1945
A bit paunchier but no less energetic, Johnny Mack Brown is back as Nevada Jack McKenzie in Frontier Feud. Once again, Nevada and his grizzled sidekick Sandy (Raymond Hatton) are US marshals posing as drifters. Rancher Joe (Dennis Moore) is accused of a series of murders, but Nevada and Sandy manage to prove that another man is the guilty party. Christine McIntyre, leading lady of many of 3 Stooges comedy, is cast as the heroine in Frontier Feud, a departure from the brassy villainesses she usually played in the Johnny Mack Brown westerns. Director Lambert Hillyer wraps it all up in a breathless 54 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1945
Having briefly abandoned his standard "Nevada Jack McKenzie" characterization in Flame of the West, cowboy star Johnny Mack Brown was back as Nevada Jack in Monogram's The Lost Trail. Vowing to bring in a gang of stagecoach outlaws, Nevada redoubles his efforts when he learns that the owner of the stagecoach line is pretty Jane Burns (Jennifer Holt). Meanwhile, comic-relief Sandy (Raymond Hatton) is appointed sheriff of the town by local bigwig John Corbett (Kenneth McDonald), who hopes to deflect suspicion by turning public opinion against the new lawman. Imagine Corbett's dismay when he discovers that Sandy is actually a federal marshal, and that he's been working undercover with Nevada all along. Reviewers of The Lost Trail noted that, by 1945, former football star Johnny Mack Brown was not so much tall in the saddle as he was wide. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1945
Burly Johnny Mack Brown once again plays undercover U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie in this overly complicated series oater from low-budget Monogram. This time, McKenzie, who goes under the alias of Roy Ferris, is waylaid by would-be stage robber Cy Manning (John Merton) en route to the Bar X Ranch. Manning forces Nevada to partake in a stagecoach robbery arranged by his girlfriend, Dale Grimes (Joann Curtis), who, as our hero soon learns, is in cahoots with her nasty brother, Ned (Jack Ingram). The latter is secretly attempting to force his fiancée, Marsha Earley (Beatrice Gray), off the Bar X and when Dan Murray (Jimmie Martin) shoots and kills Manning in self-defense, Grimes blames Nevada, Marsha's new foreman. Hooking up with fellow undercover marshal Sandy Hopkins (Raymond Hatton), Nevada eventually manages to prove his own innocence in the shooting and arrest of the entire Grimes gang. Stranger From Santa Fe was based on a "Pilgrim Ramrod for Hell's Range", a Charles N. Heckelmann short story that appeared in Big-Book Western magazine. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton once again play undercover U.S. marshals Nevada McKenzie and Sandy Hopkins. This time, Sandy's sergeant, Trevor (Jasper L. Palmer), is shot in the back by Slim Ramsey (Raphael Bennett), an outlaw he had been tracking. Masquerading as a desperado himself, Nevada manages to infiltrate Ramsey's gang and learn the identity of its leader, a villain named Farr (Edmund Cobb). Sandy, meanwhile, pretends to be an Indian trader and the undercover agents are helped in their investigation by Tober (Tom Quinn), a defecting gang member. The latter is being questioned by Paul (Riley Hill) and the murdered sergeant's pretty daughter, Mary (Jennifer Holt), when their cabin comes under attack from Farr and his henchmen. Happily, Nevada and Sandy arrive just in time to prevent a massacre. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1944
Supernatural events on the range prompt an investigation by cowboy Brown in this western. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1944
Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton return to the screen as saddle pals Nevada and Sandy in Monogram's Pals of the Border. In this one, our heroes are US marshals, hot on the trail of cattle rustlers. To rout out the thieves, Nevada poses as a crook, while Sandy pretends to be hard of hearing. The criminals, it seems, have more than cattle on their minds: they've been trading their stolen goods for priceless jewels. As was customary, Johnny Mack Brown avoided any and all romantic entanglements in Raiders of the Border, allowing supporting actors Craig Woods and Ellen Hall to handle the smooching and hand-holding. The film was adapted from a short story by Johnston McCulley, of "Zorro" fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1944
Saddle pals Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton give as good as they get in the action-packed Monogram oater Law of the Valley. In trying to rescue a small western town from the grip of the villains, Brown and Hatton are pummeled and shot at from all directions. But, as every Brown fan can tell you, the tables will be turned by the last reel. Pretty Lynne Carver is the romantic interest, while unpretty Charles King is among the nastier of the villains. Director Howard Bretherton knows his way around westerns, all right; there's nary a dull moment in Law of the Valley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1944
Range Law stars Johnny Mack Brown as "Nevada" and Raymond Hatton as "Sandy", the same characters they played in most of their mid-1940s Monogram westerns. This time, Nevada and Sandy, US marshals both, set out to collar some renegades who've been driving out the local ranchers. It's just possible that one of said ranchers is behind this land-grabbing scheme. The motive: the land is rich with silver. The formidable bad-guy lineup includes Jack Ingram, Stanley Price, and Lynton Brent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1944
Originally titled They Shall Have Faith, Forever Yours was designed as Monogram's "prestige" release for 1945. Musical favorite Gale Storm goes dramatic as Joan Randall, a young debutante who is confined to a wheelchair after contracting infantile paralysis. Neither her doctor father (Conrad Nagel) nor her physician grandfather (C. Aubrey Smith) can offer much help to the courageous but disconsolate Joan. But Army medico Tex (Johnny Mack Brown, in a break from his western roles) may have developed a revolutionary new means of curing the girl. Over the protests of her family, Tex applies his theories to the heroine, falling in love with her along the way. The old-fashioned plotting and archaic dialogue of Forever Yours is redeemed somewhat by an early song-and-dance number featuring Gale Storm and Johnny Downs-the sort of escapist fare that Monogram did far better than lachrymose melodramas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Storm, C. Aubrey Smith, (more)
Law Men is a typically austere entry in Johnny Mack Brown's Monogram western series. This one finds saddle pals Nevada (Brown) and Sandy (Raymond Hatton) working as undercover US marshals. Hoping to thwart a gang of stage robbers, Nevada joins the gang, while Sandy poses as a shoemaker in order to keep tabs on local gossip and heresay. Somewhere around reel five, Nevada is exposed as a lawman; and somewhere around reel six, he and Sandy round up the bad guys. Billed fourth in Law Men is orchestra leader Kirby Grant, later famous as TV's Sky King. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1944
The old bromide about the western town run by outlaws as a hideout for their fellow crooks makes a return appearance in Monogram's Land of the Outlaws. Since the crooks include such reliable disreputables as Charles King and John Merton, the good guys really have their work cut out for them. But not to worry! The heroes are Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton, whose B-western track record is unbeatable. Land of the Outlaws was directed by Lambert Hillyer, whose sense of rhythm and pace had saved many another inexpensive oater. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1944
This Johnny Mack Brown western once more teams its star with leathery Raymond Hatton. The boys are cast as U.S. marshals Nevada and Sandy, assigned to solve a series of frontier murders. The victims are all ranchers, with no apparent connection between the killings. To everyone's surprise but the audience, the mystery villain intends to scoop up all the local land for himself. Christine McIntyre, soon to become the Three Stooges' favorite leading lady, registers well in an unsympathetic role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1943
The Lone Star Trail was the last of Johnny Mack Brown's series westerns for Universal; thereafter, he pitched camp at Monogram. In this one, Brown plays Blaze Barker, who spends two years in jail on a trumped-up train robbery charge. Upon being paroled, Barker makes it his mission to track down the men responsible for the holdup-and for his unjust incarceration. The film's highlight is a no-holds-barred saloon brawl, with the star in fine fighting fettle opposite some of Hollywood's most formidable stunt men. Robert Mitchum appears briefly in an uncredited bit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, (more)
- 1943
Johnny Mack Brown's Universal western series was drawing to a close when Cheyenne Roundup was released in mid-1943. Brown is herein cast in a dual role, as honest Gils Brandon and his less-than-honest brother Buck. Pursued by lawman Steve Rawlins (Tex Ritter), Buck tries to pass himself off as the upright Gils. But in the end, the good brother is forced to make the bad one pay the price for crime. Jennifer Holt, daughter of cowboy favorite Jack Holt, is the leading lady; Fuzzy Knight socks over his usual unsubtle comedy relief; and music is provided by The Jim Wakely Trio, soon to star in their own series of sagebrushers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, (more)
- 1943
Johnny Mack Brown heads the cast of Monogram's Outlaws of Stampede Pass. Per the title, the film concerns a western community held in the grip of a gang of desperadoes. Brown and his dusty sidekick Raymond Hatton set about to round up the bad guys. We know what's going to happen, but as always, Johnny brings a sense of freshness and spontaneity to the proceedings. Outlaws of Stampede Pass was adapted from a story by Johnston McCulley, of "Zorro" fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1943
Like many of Johnny Mack Brown's western vehicles of the 1942-43 season, Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground draws its title from a popular song. Brown plays Wade Benson, head of a road-building project in the wild frontier. In their efforts to sabotage Benson's efforts, the villains lure his workers into the raucous saloon owned by dance-hall girl Kay Randolph (Jennifer Holt). But when the baddies resort to murder, Kay aligns herself with Benson, saving the day for both the road project and an ancillary government mail contract. Since Johnny Mack Brown could hardly qualify as a singer (as his later attempts at carrying a tune in his Monogram films would prove), the film's title song is warbled by Jimmy Wakely. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, (more)
- 1943
Though the film's title is The Texas Kid, the film's star Johnny Mack Brown plays a cowboy named Nevada. The titular "kid", played by Marshall Reed, is a former bandit leader who decides to go straight-and gets a bullet in his back for his trouble. Nevada and his sidekick Sandy (Raymond Hatton) take over from the Texas Kid, seeing to it that the stagecoach carrying the payrolls for local ranches aren't molested by the Kid's old gang members. As Monogram pictures go, this one goes rather well, with some well-lensed location shots. The Texas Kid was scripted by Lynton Brent, a general-purpose actor who also plays a small role in the film; Brent is perhaps best known today for his work in Columbia's "Three Stooges" comedies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Raymond Hatton, (more)
