Charles King Movies
Though never officially billed as Charles "Blackie" King, American actor Charlie King played so many "Blackies" in B-westerns that one is astounded to discover that it wasn't his middle name. Drifting into films in the '20s, the squat, stubble-chinned, mustachioed King picked up minor roles as chauffeurs, interns and bridegrooms in the two-reel comedies of such performers as Our Gang, the Three Stooges and Leon Errol. It was during the B-western boom of the early talkie era that King really came into his own, showing up in virtually every other poverty-row oater as a gang boss, lynch-mob leader or sinister henchman. Evidently King felt the day was wasted if he wasn't dynamiting a dam, setting fire to homesteaders' shacks, or engaging the hero in a fistic battle. Outtakes of these westerns have revealed that this "human monster" was actually shy and soft-spoken, never reverting to profanity when blowing his lines (more than can be said for some of the "clean-living" western heroes of the era). In fact, King's private life was governed by his formidable wife, who had spies posted at the studio to make certain that King came home right away with his paycheck without any side trips to bars or gaming tables. Gaining a beard and excess weight in the late '40s, King began appearing less frequently as villains and more often as roly-poly comedy relief. King literally died with his boots on, suffering a heart attack after shooting a 1957 episode of Gunsmoke -- in which he played a corpse! William K. Everson's 1964 coffee-table book The Bad Guys was affectionately dedicated to the scurrilously prolific Charles "Blackie" King. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1921
Early silent screen hero William Russell starred as a miner killing a claim jumper in self defence in this average Western from the Fox studios. Fleeing the scene of the crime, Russell is soon a wanted man but the sheriff's daughter (Vola Vale) believes in him and helps clear his name. Charles King, one of the legendary villains of B-Westerns, made one of his earliest screen appearances in this film. A popular star since playing Robin Hood in 1913, William Russell continued as an action adventure hero through the 1920s. His death at 42 in 1929 was attributed to a bout with pneumonia. He was survived by his wife and sometimes leading lady, Helen Ferguson. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Russell, Clark Comstock, (more)
- 1922
This mystery is based on the novel by Louis Joseph Vance. While on vacation, Billy Kirkwood (Herbert Rawlinson) meets pretty Dorothy Calender (Virginia Valli) when she dashes alone into the restaurant where he is dining. Dorothy, who is in possession of a valuable necklace, is trying to avoid a strange man who seems to be pursuing her. Kirkwood attends a summer resort on Long Island so he can continue to see Dorothy, but he is told she is a crook. When he finds the necklace in Dorothy's room he really believes that she is a thief and steals it himself so that he can return it to the jewelry store. When Dorothy finds the necklace missing, she assumes that Kirkwood is a burglar and sets the police after him. Only after they take him in does the whole truth come out -- the strange man who was following Dorothy is the thief. The necklace is hers -- she got it from her uncle's jewelry shop. Incidentally, it was quite obvious to those who were familiar with Long Island that this picture was filmed in California. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Herbert Rawlinson, Virginia Valli, (more)
Best known today as the film which cost director Erich Von Stroheim his job at Universal Studios, Merry Go Round contains enough Von Stroheim touches to suggest that "official" director Rupert Julian merely tied together the film's loose ends. The titular merry-go-round is owned by the unspeakable George Siegmann, who inflicts all sorts of casual cruelties upon organ-grinder Mary Philbin. In addition to enduring Siegmann, Philbin must decide whether or not Austrian-count Norman Kerry truly loves her, or is merely toying with her in the months before his arranged marriage with countess Dorothy Wallace. The latter seems to be the case when Kerry goes through with his marriage. While fighting in the Franco-Prussian war, Kerry fortuitously comes across Philbin's dying father (Cesare Gravina), who roundly chastises the count before expiring. After the war, an impoverished and widowed Kerry tries to make amends to Philbin, who by now is herself engaged to hunchbacked circus performer George Hackathorne. A happy ending is in store for all concerned except the villainous Siegmann (remember him?), who suffers an appropriately grisly demise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Kerry, Mary Philbin, (more)
- 1925
Produced and directed by low-budget entrepreneur Ward Lascelle, this obscure Western starred Lester Cuneo, an also-ran Western hero who had begun his career supporting Tom Mix in the 1910s. Cuneo played a young cowboy who joins a gang of cattle rustlers. More a Robin Hood character than a brutal bandit, Lester reforms for the sake of his kid sister. Playing only the hinterlands, the Cuneo Westerns were not successful, a circumstance that led to the veteran actor's November 1, 1925 suicide. Hearts of the West contains one of the earliest appearance by future B-Western villain Charles King. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lester Cuneo, Charles King, (more)
- 1927
Second-string Universal cowboy Fred Humes starred in this familiar silent Western about a returning war veteran who finds himself falsely accused of murder. With the help of the rancher's pretty daughter (Gloria Grey) and a spunky 12-year-old (Dick Winslow), the veteran manages to unmask the real murderer, a supposed pillar of the community (William A. Steele). The familiar story by Gene Markey had been filmed previously by Universal as Blinky (1923), starring Hoot Gibson. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Humes, Gloria Grey, (more)
- 1928
Originally released on April 7, 1928, "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." was the first "Our Gang" silent comedy to be released with a synchronized musical and sound-effects track. All of the action takes place at the fashionable Ritz-Biltmore hotel, where the Our Gang kids have elected to stage a circus. The fun really begins when the circus animals escape and begin roaming in and out of various hotel rooms. And when an ostrich manages to consume a full bottle of bootleg booze, it's "Katie Bar the Door." Watch for brief appearances by character actor Eugene Pallette as a house detective, future B-western heavy Charles King as a would-be Romeo, and comedian Oliver Hardy as a startled guest. (Ollie is in fact, so startled that he swallows a cork!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Cobb, Farina Hoskins, (more)
- 1928
Though currently unavailable for viewing, the Hal Roach/MGM "Our Gang" silent comedy "Fair and Muddy" would seem to be a remake of the earlier two-reeler One Terrible Day. According to existing records, the plot concerns an elderly dowager who decided to "adopt" the Our Gang kids, much to the consternation of her flustered chauffeur (played by future B-western villain Charles King). When the kids all showed up in spotlessly clean white sailors suits, the audience knew well in advance that those outfits would end up stained beyond repair by the end of the film --- and thanks to one of those outsized mud puddles which existed exclusively in the world of Hal Roach comedies, that is exactly what happened! "Fair and Muddy" was originally released on May 5, 1928. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Cobb, Farina Hoskins, (more)
- 1929
In the third of five inexpensive silent crime melodramas produced by Universal, former B-Western ace Bill Cody played Wellsley, a wealthy young clubman forced at gunpoint to drive a pretty art thief (Duane Thompson) to her apartment. The place is raided by the cops, and young Wellsley is mistaken for a member of the crime ring. He manages to elude the law, however, returning to confront the long-fingered Kate. This time around, the unfortunate young man earns a swift conk to the head from Kate's accomplice, the nasty Donovan (Wilbur Mack). Regaining consciousness, Wellsley gives chase, captures Donovan, and returns the painting to its rightful owner. When Kate repents, Wellsley asks her to be his wife. An aging cowboy hero, Cody was hoping to change his image by signing with Universal for this series of non-Westerns. Talkies got in the way of his efforts, however, and he was soon back in the saddle. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Duane Thompson, Arthur Morrison, (more)
Disguising himself as a bandit, diminutive cowboy star Bob Steele infiltrates the gang who abducted his father, the sheriff. The second of eight Steele Westerns produced by Trem Carr for Tiffany release, this minor Western included three songs crooned by a star not necessarily known for any great vocal abilities. With non-vocalists like Steele and fellow Tiffany star Ken Maynard constantly warbling by the camp fire, it is a wonder that their Westerns remained the floundering company's only real moneymakers. The singing cowboy vogue had come to an end by 1931 and (thankfully, some say) was not revived until the emergence in the mid-'30s of radio crooner Gene Autry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1930
Lawman Dan Barton (Ken Maynard) is framed for the murder of his partner. Even the dead man's sister (Jeanette Loff) believes him to be guilty, leaving her inheritance in the hands of an unscrupulous lawyer who, the hero later proves, is the real murderer. Beautiful blonde Jeanette Loff enjoyed quite a vogue in early talkies after appearing in the Paul Whiteman extravaganza The King of Jazz (1930). But fame was fleeting for Loff, who died completely forgotten in 1943. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Maynard, Jeanette Loff, (more)
- 1931
A fine early sound Western, this Buck Jones series entry from his Columbia period told the well-known story of a feud between cattle barons and sheep men. When Mart Denton (Charles Morton), son of a wealthy cattle man, kills a homesteader during a quarrel, Sheriff Larry Williams (Jones) faces a difficult dilemma. The sheriff is not only Mart's best friend but also engaged to the young man's sister, June (Miriam Seegar). But the law is the law and Mart is arrested. The angry cattlemen help the youngster escape and Larry is wounded. The escaped prisoner, however, is later killed by his own father (Erville Alderson) who mistakes him for one of the sheepherders. This final tragedy helps bring the old feud to a peaceful conclusion. Although the story was hardly new, The Dawn Trail was told forthrightly by veteran director W. Christy Cabanne who stretched realism over romance. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erville Alderson, Miriam Seegar, (more)
- 1931
Considered by many the prototypical low-budget Ken Maynard oater, Range Law starred Maynard as Hap Connors, a prisoner making a daring escape -- in a garbage truck, no less -- to search for the villain who framed him. En route, he obtains a job on a ranch belonging to blond Ruth Warren (Frances Dade), whose fiancé, Blont (Frank Mayo), proves to be the villain who framed the innocent cowboy in the first place. Arrested by the sheriff (Jack Rockwell), Hap manages to escape with the help of one of Blont's henchmen, Blont hoping to get a better shot at his rival. The scheme, of course, backfires and a vindicated Hap is reunited with Ruth. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances Dade, Frank Mayo, (more)
In his third Western for low-budget company Tiffany, Ken Maynard plays Ken Neville, a cowboy returning to the old homestead to find his father (Lafe McKee) and a fellow rancher (Robert Homans) killed. The dead neighbor's daughter, Mary Warner (Virginia Brown Faire), blames Ken, whom she believes to be the leader of a gang of rustlers. Overhearing a plot by Rance Collins (Frank Mayo) to rustle Mary's steers, Ken pretends to be looking to join the gang. Unfortunately, Ken's sidekick "Repeater" Simpson (Irving Bacon) unwittingly gives away his real identity and Rance has him locked up in a cabin. Aided by his wonder horse Tarzan, who breaks through a window, Ken makes his escape and is later able to round up the entire gang. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Maynard, Virginia Brown Faire, (more)
Two Gun Man was one of the better entries in Ken Maynard's variable western series for Tiffany Productions. Armed with a brace of six-shooters, Maynard takes on a gang of cattle rustlers. For a while it looks as though he's one of the crooks himself, but Ken would never disillusion his millions of fans (not while the cameras were turning, anyway). It turns out that the thieves are themselves cattlemen, bound and determined to drive all competition out of the territory. Lucille Powers, Charles King and Lafe McKee fulfill their usual "B"-western roles as heroine, villain and grizzled comedy sidekick, respectively. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucille Powers, Nita Martan, (more)
- 1931
Ken Maynard's Branded Men wasn't up to the standards of his previous Range Law, but it was still better than the usual "B"-western of the era. On this occasion, hero Maynard is travelling in the company of pint-sized comedy relief Billy Bletcher (later the voice of the Big Bad Wolf and Black Pete in the Disney cartoon) and gangly Irving Bacon. Falsely accused of a crime, the intrepid trio spends the rest of the picture clearing themselves, but not before being forced to divest a pompous judge (Wilfred Lucas) of his fancy clothes. June Clyde, a busy musical comedy star, may well be the most talented of Maynard's early-talkie leading ladies. For some reason, Branded Men is the one Ken Maynard western which still pops up with frequency on television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Maynard, June Clyde, (more)
- 1931
Apart from the fact that screenwriter John Francis Natteford named his lead heavy "Cole Porter," this Ken Maynard Western from low-budget producer Tiffany is regulation sagebrush fare. The nasty Mr. Porter (Hooper Atchley) is in the business of buying cattle from the ranchers, only to kill the men afterwards and retrieve the money. One of the intended victims, the Arizonian (Maynard), is found wounded in the desert by Kay Moore (Lina Basquette), who nurses him back to health. But Kay's father (Murdock MacQuarrie) is the next murder victim and the girl suspects the Arizonian, who is forced to flee. He hooks up with Emilio Vasquez (Michael Visaroff), a gregarious Mexican outlaw, and together they successfully trap Porter and his gang. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Maynard, Lina Basquette, (more)
- 1931
The Pocatello Kid must have been sheer ambrosia for Ken Maynard fans, offering their idol in a dual role. Maynard is cast as the title character, a good-bad outlaw, and his exact double, a bad-bad corrupt sheriff. When the sheriff is killed, the Pocatello Kid is persuaded to take his place by a local rustler. It is the rustler's hope that the outlaw will follow the sheriff's crooked footsteps, but the Kid spoils this scheme by suddenly going straight. While the film hasn't got the budget for expensive split screens and optical effects, Ken Maynard does a nice job differentiating the two distinct personalities he's called upon to play. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marceline Day
- 1932
As he had so many times before, Hoot Gibson pretended to be a dimwit in this low-budget Western, his penultimate for penny-pinching producer M.H. Hoffman. Naturally, Gibson, as Ace Cooper, only pretends to be cowardly and stupid in order to investigate the mysterious killing of Dad Mason (Gordon De Main) in a hotel room. He does that disguised as "the Dude Bandit," quickly determining that Dad was murdered by greedy cattle baron Al Burton (Hooper Atchley). But how? Burton was observed by several witnesses as the fatal shot rang out. Aligning himself with old friend Skeeter (Gibson regular Roy "Skeeter Bill" Robbins) and the dead man's pretty daughter, Betty (Gloria Shea), Ace learns how Burton was able to establish an alibi for the murder. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hoot Gibson, Gloria Shea, (more)
- 1932
Hoot Gibson's first 1932 western was the breezy The Gay Buckaroo. The ol' Hooter plays Clint Hale, a rancher in love with winsome Mildred Field (Merna Kennedy), the daughter of his best customer. But Mildred is sweet on suave gambler Dave Dumont (Roy D'Arcy), who happens to be a crook. Ultimately, Clint forces Dave to reveal his true colors, leading to the inevitable Ride Into the Sunset with sweet Mildred. With characters like "Hi Low," "Faro," and "Sporty Bill," one might conclude that Gay Buckaroo was a stray Damon Runyon yarn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hoot Gibson, Merna Kennedy, (more)
- 1932
Ghost City was one of eight Monogram westerns which teamed veteran cowboy star Bill Cody with juvenile performer Andy Shuford. The motivating factor in this one is a valuable gold mine which rightfully belongs to heroine Helen Foster. The deed to the mine is currently (and illegally) in the possession of villain Walter Miller, but Cody aims to alter this status quo. The film is dominated by fight scenes and riding interludes, with scant attention paid to the romantic subplot (much to the relief of Bill Cody's younger fans). Jack Carlyle, who later had a career in "exploitation" pictures, plays a surly deputy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cody, Andy Shuford, (more)
- 1932
Tall, steely-eyed Tom Tyler makes a physically impressive RCMP officer in Honor of the Mounted. Tyler manages to "get his man" early in the proceedings, only to lose him immediately when he's knocked unconscious in a fall. After a treacherous canoe trip down the rapids, our hero catches up with the villain (Stanley Blystone), but again the scoundrel slips through his fingers. This goes on for several more reels until the bad guy is finally vanquished. Excellent photography and well-chosen locations are the most tangible assets of this "northern western." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis McDonald
- 1932
Not the best of Tim McCoy's 16 Westerns for Columbia (1931-1932), Cornered, directed by action specialist B. Reeves Eason, was also far from the worst, with plenty of fast riding and shooting to please the small fry. McCoy played Sheriff Tim Laramie whose best friend, Moody Pearson (Niles Welch), is accused of killing the father of his girlfriend, Jane Herrick (Shirley Grey). Tim staunchly proclaims his friend innocent until proven guilty but when Moody escapes, the townsfolk fire him. Tim and Moody join a gang of outlaws headed by Red Slaven (Noah Beery), whom the latter believes killed old man Herrick. When cornered, Slavens freely admits to the murder, but then orders his men to kill Tim. The ranchers, aroused earlier by Tim, arrive in the nick of time and, having cleared his name, Moody begins preparations to marry Jane. As always, this McCoy-Columbia Western was cast with seasoned veterans such as the always hissable Beery and Walter Long. Raymond Hatton played McCoy's comic sidekick and Walter Brennan and silent Western star Edmund Cobb appeared in unbilled bits as a court clerk and ranch hand, respectively. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1932
Released by Syndicate, a forerunner of sorts to Monogram Pictures, this Western serial stars veteran silent actor Robert Frazer as Jack Logan, the heir to half of a map to a hidden Indian mine. Evil French-accented trader Jean Gregg (Al Ferguson) sends his chief henchman Mack (Charles King) to make life difficult for Logan, who is aided in his quest by the heirs to the other half of the map, Helen (Blanche Mehaffey) and her kid brother Billy (Buzz Barton), and, most importantly, a uniformed mystery man known only as The Mystery Trooper. Produced by Harry S. Webb and one of Hollywood's few women executives, Flora E. Douglas, The Mystery Trooper has, somewhat unfairly, gone down in history as one of the worst serials made in the sound era. The surviving print is a 1938 reissue, retitled Trail of the Royal Mounted and complete with new, and more colorful, chapter titles. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blanche Mehaffey, Buzz Barton, (more)
