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- 1945
In this western, the Texas Rangers must stop a range war between sheepherders and cattle ranchers from erupting. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John) discovers that he may be an heir to a ranch in this ho-hum entry in PRC's Billy Carson Western series. But as Fuzz and Billy (Larry "Buster" Crabbe) soon learn the hard way, other parties arrive to claim the inheritance, including pretty Helen Stockton (Lorraine Miller), the dead man's niece. Merritt (Charles King), who is hoping to grab the loot himself, has Helen kidnapped and substituted with a tough-looking underling, Roxie (Marilyn Gladstone), but Billy and Fuzzy are right there to rescue the damsel-in-distress. As it turns out, Fuzzy is only the late rancher's 35th cousin and his inheritance consists of exactly one dollar and a bundle of unpaid bills. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Lorraine Miller, (more)
- 1945
Undoubtedly inspired by Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians, filmed the same year by United Artists as And Then There Were None, this 15 chapter serial told the drawn-out story of a family who is about to be decimated, one by one, by a mysterious master criminal. Just like in the classic Christie whodunit, the culprit fakes his own death to be able to continue his rampage undetected. Adhering to serial traditions, the murderer makes himself heard occasionally as "The Mystery Voice." Former Fox leading man Robert Kent played the detective, who in the final chapter unmasks "The Guilty One," with Amelita Ward as the love interest and vaudeville comic Tim Ryan providing comedic relief. The serial was produced for Columbia by penny-pinching entrepreneur Sam Katzman. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
A great old Western filled with Tex Ritter's songs, this one revolves around a manhunt by the Texas Rangers who are trying to find the outlaw gang who, years before, broke into a safe and hid the money. Good Western comedy. ~ Tana Hobart, 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
- 1945
The penultimate entry in the Texas Rangers lineup, PRC's super-low-budget rival to Republic Pictures' Three Mesqueteers series, Frontier Fugitives once again stars Tex Ritter, Dave O'Brien, and Guy Wilkerson. This time, the trio are on to a gang that preys on both traders and Indians. Trailing the main suspect in the killing of Trader Williams (George Morrell), Tex is accused by a fake Indian agent (Jack Ingram) of murdering a brave. The latter, however, proves to be merely another member of the gang in disguise but before he can clear his good name, Tex has to get himself out of jail. When not battling crooked Indian agents and comic opera braves, Ritter performs Al Dexter's "Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry" and "I'll Wait for You, Dear." The Western was filmed on location at Chatsworth, CA. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
A gang which frees criminals and kills them to collect their reward is broken up by the Texas Rangers who plant one of their men in jail in order to be freed by the gang. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1945
One of the screen's favorite tough blondes, the delightful Veda Ann Borg, stole the show in this low-budget serial produced by Sam Katzman for Columbia Pictures. Although star-billed (with leading man Kane Richmond and comic relief Eddie Quillan), Veda was the serial's villainess, making life difficult for placid little Janet Shaw, the nominal heroine. The sarcastic Borg played the alluring accomplice of nasty Jake Regan (Western bad man Charles King), a typical serial rotter who will leave no stone unturned in his search for a priceless African treasure. Having kidnapped Dr. Reed (Budd Buster), the villains have to deal with the man's daughter (Shaw) and her gallant boyfriend, Bob Moore (Richmond). Things get complicated when Zara (Carol Hughes), the beautiful High Priestess, sides with Regan, but, as always, justice prevails in the 15th, and final, chapter, "The Jewels of Arzac." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
Larry "Buster" Crabbe and Al St. John -- "Our Old Pals," as they were billed -- get in trouble with a murderous Charles King in this typical "Billy Carson" Western from Poverty Row company PRC. Billy and railroad agent Dave Hanley (Karl Hackett) are discussing plans to run the new railroad through Red Rock, but their discussion is overheard by crooked hotel operator Steve Landreau (King), who unbeknownst to Billy kills Hanley for a map of the proposed line. In Red Rock, Billy discovers that Steve opportunistically has bought the local saloon, which he is planning to turn into a gambling den. Jealous of Billy's growing friendship with pretty Babs Darcy (Donna Dax), rancher Clay Kincaid (Edward Hall) becomes beholden to Steve, who wants his valuable land before news of the planned railroad arrives. Billy, who is suspicious of both Steve and Clay, confronts the latter in the saloon. In the ensuing gunfight, Steve and his men are apprehended. Clay repents, and Fuzzy (St. John) later officiates at his wedding to Babs. Busy B-Western heroine Lorraine Miller was cast as the leading lady in this film but was replaced in the last minute by Donna Dax, whom PRC borrowed from Columbia Pictures' large stable of starlets. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 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
Fighting Bill Carson, as any B-western aficionado can readily tell you, is played by Buster Crabbe. And where there's Bill Carson, you'll also find faithful sidekick Fuzzy Q. Jones, portrayed as ever by Al "Fuzzy" St. John. This time around, Bill and Fuzzy rescue the lovely Lorraine Miller from stagecoach bandits. Little do they know that Lorraine is actually a member of the gang. Once they do know, Bill and Fuzzy use Lorraine to lure the other crooks into the calaboose. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1945
An otherwise typically cheesy Billy "the Kid" Carson B-Western series entry from Poverty Row studio PRC, His Brother's Ghost is unusual in having no leading lady. Yes, that's right: no rancher's daughter or schoolmarm for Larry "Buster" Crabbe to romance and embrace at the fade-out and no damsel for the evil Charles King to bring in distress. In what could have been another departure from the norm is the fact that the comic sidekick is killed off early on. That, of course, is merely a plot contrivance to bring on his identical twin brother, who then goes about scaring the living daylights out of the gang that has been terrorizing Wolf Valley. The outlaws are so frightened that their leader, Thorne (King), takes the extreme measure of exhuming the dear departed to prove that he really is completely and irrevocably dead. Al St. John, as Andy Jones and his twin, Jonathan "Fuzzy" Q. Jones, had a field day playing the dual role, and Charles King got to utter such lines as "the only good sharecropper is a dead one." But all in all, His Brother's Ghost is typical PRC: shoddy production values (the bandits' hideout resembles, and probably was, a nice suburban tract house in the San Fernando Valley), occasionally inept direction, murky photography, and a wonderful overall sense of fun. But what happened to the girl? The handsome but somewhat stuffy Crabbe seemed lost without her. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
The "urban" nature of the title notwithstanding, Gangster's Den is another PRC Studios B-western. Buster Crabbe and Al St. John, as usual, fill the roles of cowboys Billy Carson and Fuzzy Q. Jones. This time, Billy and Fuzzy are partners in a gold mine. Using his earnings, Fuzzy opens a saloon, which unfortunately turns into a safe harbor for every thief and varmint within shouting distance. Billy comes to Fuzzy's rescue, dispersing the crooks and bringing the worst of the bunch to justice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1944
Two wild western towns battle it out for the position of county seat. Fortunately, Red Ryder and his little side-kick are around to restore the peace. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1944
Having worked as a duo in the first three entries of Monogram's low-budget "Trail Blazers" series, veteran Western stars Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson were joined by Bob Steele in the fourth, Death Valley Rangers -- reportedly much to Maynard's dismay. Although not much younger than his august partners, Steele was still nimble enough to take care of the more strenuous fisticuffs and he was even somewhat believable in romantic clinches -- as opposed to his co-stars, whose ever expanding waistlines did not allow for tender scenes. This time, "The Trail Blazers," government agents, investigate a series of gold shipment thefts in Death Valley committed by a gang headed by Jim Kirk (Weldon Heyburn, whose name was misspelled "Hayburn" in the on-screen credits!). Kirk has hired a crooked scientist, Doc Thorne (Karl Hackett), who has discovered a method to pour the stolen gold back into the rock, where it will be indistinguishable from virgin ore. Steele infiltrates the gang and with the help of his partners, Death Valley is soon safe from Kirk and his gang. Like most of the "Trail Blazers" Westerns, Death Valley Rangers was filmed at Corriganville, actor Ray "Crash" Corrigan's movie ranch in Simi Valley, California. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Maynard, Hoot Gibson, (more)
- 1944
Larry "Buster" Crabbe, as Billy Carson, and his sidekick Fuzzy (Al St. John) decide to turn in their spurs and instead operate a general store in this low-budget Western from PRC. But owning a shop in the wild and woolly West can be hazardous, as our heroes discover when they land in the middle of a range war between a group of cattle ranchers led by pretty Dale Kirby (Mady Lawrence) and the local homesteaders. In reality, the ranchers have been misled by crooked money lender Steve Kinney (Jack Ingram) and his vile henchman Mort (Charles King), who are hoping to gain control of the range. It all comes to a head when farmer Dan Harper (Karl Hackett) is falsely accused of killing one of Dale's cowhands. But Billy, on his steed Falcon (which earned second billing!), comes to the rescue with guns a-blazing. When the Crabbe series changed its name from "Billy the Kid" to "Billy Carson" in 1944, the unit also had a change of cameramen (from Jack Greenhalgh to Robert Cline). The murkiness of the photography, alas, prevailed. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1944
Filmed at Corriganville, actor Ray "Crash" Corrigan's movie ranch in Simi Valley, Sonora Stagecoach was the last of Monogram's eight ramshackle "Trail Blazers" Western. The series had already suffered the loss of veteran star Ken Maynard -- who had become too difficult and costly -- and both Hoot Gibson and Bob Steele were nearing the end of their starring careers. This time, the "Trail Blazers," Gibson, Steele and Maynard's odd replacement, Chief Thundercloud), are escorting prisoner Rocky Camron (aka Gene Alsace) to trial in Sonora. Sheriff Hampton (Henry Hall) warns the three marshals that a gang of outlaws may attempt to assassinate Camron, whom the sheriff believes to be innocent. And sure enough, Blackie Reed (Charles King) and his gang do their best to get to the prisoner, who is given a gun in order to defend himself. Rocky, as it appears, was framed for the murder of two deputies, a deed actually committed by Blackie on behalf of stagecoach office manager Paul Kenton (Glenn Strange) and his banker brother, Joe (Karl Hackett). With the help of Betty Miles), Rocky's girlfriend and Weasel (Charles Murray, Jr.), a henchman turned state's evidence, the "Trail Blazers" clear Rocky of all charges and arrest both Blackie and his backers. Gibson and Steele went on to appear together in three additional Monogram Westerns -- Marked Trails, Trigger Law and Utah Kid (all 1944) -- but although they are often designated as "Trail Blazers" Westerns today, they were never produced or advertised as such. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hoot Gibson, Bob Steele, (more)
- 1944
Buster Crabbe is back as Billy Carson, aka Billy the Kid, in the PRC western The Devil Riders. In this one, Billy and his saddle pal Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John) try to keep an beleagured stagecoach line in business. This they can do only after foiling the outlaw gang that has been raiding the coach during its runs for the Pony Express. The bad guys include Charles King and John Merton, formidable foes indeed (did those guys ever shave?) Patti McCarthy handles the leading lady duties in Devil Riders as the obligatory daughter of the stagecoach operator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Patti McCarty, (more)
- 1944
A "Texas Rangers" series entry from PRC, this low budget western features Dave "Tex" O'Brien as a stranger in town introducing himself as the notorious bandit Spade Norton. Crooked saloon owner Red Hayden (I. Stanford Jolley) believes him at first but then the real Spade (Jack Ingram) turns up and all hell breaks loose. Guy Wilkerson and James Newill plays O'Brien's ranger colleagues, the latter performing Speed Hansen's "Someone Is Waiting", "Forget Me Not" and "When the Western Sun Is Sinking". ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Newill, Dave "Tex" O'Brien, (more)
- 1944
In the penultimate "Trail Blazers" B-Western, the often difficult Ken Maynard found himself summarily replaced by Chief Thundercloud, a somewhat original casting concept for Monogram, a stolid poverty row company that rarely took chances. Thundercloud joined veteran "Trail Blazers" Hoot Gibson and Bob Steele and yet another newcomer, Rocky Camron (aka Gene Alsace), in pursuing nasty "Honest John" Travers (Cy Kendall), a banker who rules the Johnstown area with an iron fist. "Honest John's" supremacy is threatened by the arrival of beef packing company buyer Carl Beldon (George Eldredge), there to purchase cattle from the very same ranchers Travers is trying to freeze out. When Beldon mysteriously disappears and rancher Bob Thornton is mortally wounded by renegades, U.S. Marshals Gibson, Steele and Thundercloud are assigned to investigate. With the assistance of Thornton's pretty daughter Alice (Jennifer Holt) and Sheriff Rocky Camron), the three "Trail Blazers" manage to get the goods on "Honest John," proving that the banker's henchman, Chuck Walters (Charles King), killed both Thornton and Beldon. In no less than her fifteenth B-Western, leading lady Jennifer Holt, daughter of Jack and sister of Tim, suffered the indignity of having her first name misspelled "Jenifer" in the on-screen credits. She shared the humiliation with legendary Native-American athlete Jim Thorpe, whose name read "Thorp." Monogram was just that kind of company. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hoot Gibson, Bob Steele, (more)
- 1944
This PRC "Billy the Kid" western once more teams Buster Crabbe, as Billy Carson, with Al St.John, as perennial sidekick Fuzzy Q. Jones. Motivating the plot is the wholesale slaughter of two families by a gang of outlaws. Twenty years later, Billy and Fuzzy, survivors of the massacre, return to the small town where the instigator of the killings resides. Out of several suspects, our heroes narrow down the culprit by means of a twitching eye-the same device used by Hitchcock in Young and Innocent (1937). Evelyn Finley, who'd been a western ingenue since the 1930s, doesn't look a day older as the film's heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Evelyn Finley, (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
One thing is certain in Frontier Outlaws. Despite evidence to the contrary, Billy Carson (Buster Crabbe) and Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John) do not play the title characters. It's true that Billy joins the outlaws for a spell, but that's only so he can trap them in the act. Outside of the usual sagebrush stuff, the highlight of Frontier Outlaws is a riotous courtroom sequence, presided over by grizzled judge Emmett Lynn. With such villains as Charles King and Jack Ingrim on hand, not to mention two formidable comedy-relief actors (and be assured that Emmet Lynn and Al St. John indulge in scene-stealing aplenty), Buster Crabbe really has to keep his head about him in this 6-reel PRC oater. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Frances Gladwin, (more)
- 1944
Paramount Pictures did their patriotic duty with this World War II era musical, with a number of the studio's biggest stars making cameo appearances. Tony West (George Raft), his sister Kitty (Grace McDonald), and their father Nick (Charles Grapewin) tour together as The Three Wests, a failing act just scraping by in the latter days of vaudeville. With job opportunities drying up on the East Coast, Tony persuades the family to take their chances in California, and for once luck is with him. Not long after arriving in Hollywood, Tony is hired as a chorus boy on a musical starring Latin bombshell Vera Zorina (Gloria Vance). Cocky Tony offers Vera some much-needed advice on her dancing. She's intrigued by his confidence, and a romance blooms; soon, the two marry. Tony becomes a major star as Vera's on and off screen dancing partner, but when World War II breaks out, Tony's conscience gets the better of him. Tony is 4-F because of a bad knee, but he's ashamed to admit this, even to Vera, who thinks he's avoiding the service out of cowardice. Vera eventually gives Tony his walking papers, and desperate to show his support of our troops, Tony organizes an all-star U.S.O. revue bringing much needed entertainment to America's fighting men overseas. Follow the Boys also features guest shots by Marlene Dietrich, W.C. Fields (demonstrating trick billiard shots), Orson Welles (doing his magic act), Dinah Shore, The Andrews Sisters, Jeanette MacDonald, Sophie Tucker, Randolph Scott, Lon Chaney Jr., and Maria Montez, among many others. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Raft, Vera Zorina, (more)
- 1944
In this western, Billy the Kid must convince Fuzzy not to leave the trail. Fuzzy tries anyway and buys a small-town newspaper. It doesn't take him long to find himself accused of embezzling money from his new business. Unfortunately for Fuzzy, he is innocent. It is his pal the Kid that rides to his rescue, and kills the real embezzler. Fuzzy decides that newspaperin' ain't for him and so leaves the city and attempts to find a quiet place in the country. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
