Russell Hayden Movies

Valley of Fire is a fairly gutsy title for this formula Gene Autry western. This time, Autry plays the reform-minded mayor of a wide-open western town. The villain of the piece, Tod Rawlings (Harry Lauter), decides to undermine Gene by convincing a band of disreputable miners to hijack a wagon train which is bringing mail-order brides into the community. Fortunately, the community's "good" miners thwart Rawling's plan and claim the brides for themselves (fear not: the ladies are more than willing to be claimed). One of Rawling's partners in crime is played by Russell Hayden, who only a few months earlier had been the clean-cut hero of Lippert's "Four Star Western" series. Once again, Gene Autry's feminine vis-a-vis in Valley of Fire is Gail Davis, who went on to star in TV's Annie Oakley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Sudden Death is the TV title of the 55-minute western Fast on the Draw. Colorado Ranger Jimmy Ellison has a phobia about handling guns, but it's his job to keep the peace. So Ellison poses as a famous gunslinger, hoping to intimidate a crooked land baron into capitulation. There comes a time in the course of the film that the Ranger must prove that he isn't all talk. Fast on the Draw was one of six Lippert "Four Star" westerns filmed back to back in the space of one month; all six films starred Ellison, Russell Hayden, Raymond Hatton and Betty (later Julie) Adams. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Fast on the Draw was one of six Lippert Studios "Four Star" westerns, all of which were filmed simultaneously in the space of a single month. Jimmy Ellison plays Shamrock, a Colorado Ranger who suffers from a fear of firearms. Despite this handicap, Shamrock is assigned to pose as a gunman, the better to get the goods on a crooked land baron. As in the early "Four Star" outings, Ellison's co-stars are Russ Hayden, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight and Betty (later Julie) Adams. Cast as the outlaw leader is Tom Tyler, whose performance is hampered somewhat by encroaching arthritis. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this western, a cowpoke and his pardner take off to see his step daddy and wind up embroiled in a range war. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Crooked River is another of Lippert Studio's "Four Star" western series. These six films were shot back-to-back in the space of a month; all were directed by Thomas Carr, and all starred Russell "Lucky" Hayden, Jimmy "Shamrock" Ellison, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight and Betty (later Julie) Adams. This time, Shamrock hopes to avenge the murder of his parents. The clue to the killer's identity is a ring, stolen from Shamrock's father. Director Thomas Carr was later a leading light of TV's Superman. Crooked River was released to television as The Last Bullet. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Marshal of Heldorado is one of six "Four-Star" westerns produced and released by Lippert Pictures in 1950. If these six films tend to look alike, it isn't surprising. All six were filmed at the same time within a space of four weeks, and all starred Russell "Lucky" Hayden, Jimmy "Shamrock" Ellison, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight and Betty (later Julie) Adams. In this outing, Shamrock and Lucky come to the aid of a banker (Hatton) with an unsavory past. A gang of crooks has been blackmailing the banker into cooperating with their robbery schemes, but Our Heroes scotch this little racket in record time. Marshal of Heldorado was released to television as Blazing Guns. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Apache Chief was the second film to be lensed with the Garutso Balanced Lens, which gave the illusion of a three-dimensional effect (the first was Deputy Marshal). Alan Curtis plays the title character, a pacifistic Native American named Young Eagle. When his tribesmen begin killing off white settlers, Young Eagle is opposed to the carnage. In order to assure a lasting peace, however, the chief must deal with renegade Apache Black Wolf (Russell Hayden). The white soldier gives Young Eagle six days to bring Black Wolf to justice before they strike back. Produced under the Screen Guild banner, Apache Chief was released by that company's successor, Lippert Films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on a novel by Charles Huckelmann, Deputy Marshal was a "special" by the standards of cost-conscious Screen Guild productions. The film stars Jon Hall and Frances Langford, who were Mr. and Mrs. at the time. Hall plays the title character, aka Ed Garry, while Langford essays the role of Janet Masters, a Wyoming ranchowner threatened by land thieves. While Garry does the dirty work so far as keeping the villains at bay, Janet gets to sing a couple of pleasant songs. Deputy Marshal was promoted on its novelty value; the film was photographed by Carl Berger with the Garutso Balanced Lens, a deep-focus apparatus that simulated a 3-D effect. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this western, an ol' cowhand and his grandson enter a nice, but lame horse in a trotting race in hopes of raising enough money to save the little town church. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A plane crash over the Pacific leaves seven survivors stranded in a life raft in this war-time disaster movie. One of the passengers is a captured Japanese official en route to stand trial for war crimes. Two of the survivors spent time in a Japanese prison camp. Both pilots survived as did a pretty nurse. The rescue sequences are comprised of documentary footage of an actual rescue by the Air-Sea Rescue Service. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Randolph Scott puts in time with Paramount's Pine-Thomas unit in the big-budget western Albuquerque. Scott is cast as Cole Armin, the nephew of tyrannical town boss John Armin (George Cleveland). Defying his grasping uncle, Cole sides with a small wagon-train line which the elder Armin hopes to drive out business. In his spare time, he is wooed by local lovelies Letty Tyler (Barbara Britton) and Celia Wallace (Catherine Craig). Taking a break from his B-western duties, Russell Hayden plays Cole Armin's best buddy, while Lon Chaney Jr. does his usual as John Armin's chief henchman. Albuquerque was based on a novel by the prolific Luke Short. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi