Jack Natteford Movies

The movie opens as two outlaws are just being rescued from being hung as thieves by an old friend. They go their separate ways, but keep running into each other across the country on their way to California as they alternately are on the good and bad side of the law. Their rescuer becomes the infamous "Black Bandit," the nemesis of the Wells Fargo line, they work for the line and have to protect it. They decide to rob the line.... ad infinitum. Good working relationship between the actors makes this a much more comfortable movie than it might have been with the hackneyed plot line. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

This Sam Katzman-produced sci-fier was originally released on a double bill with Katzman's Giant Claw. The plot is motivated by a newly discovered element called E-112, which festers at the Earth's core. Rising to the surface in the form of liquefied stone, E-112 becomes extremely dangerous when it is mixed with nitrogen. Before long, the entire world is threatened with the explosive power of the volatile element. To save Mankind from being blown to smithereens, seismologist David Conway (William Leslie) tries to neutralize E-112 with a combination of volcanic gases and silver iodide. Despite all the scientific doublespeak, The Night the World Exploded is doggedly nonintellecutal in its execution and appeal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cattle Drive stars Joel McCrea as boss drover Dana Mathews. It is Mathews' task to make a man out of Chester Graham Jr. (Dean Stockwell), the spoiled-rotten son of railroad executive Chester Graham Sr. (Leon Ames). Accidentally left behind when his dad's train pulls out of a small cow town, Chester Jr. resents being forced to work side by side with Mathews and his drovers, but soon proves to be every bit as virile and capable as his co-workers (shades of Captains Courageous). Reportedly, much of the cattle utilized in Cattle Drive came from Joel McCrea's own ranch. Though the film has no leading lady, a photograph is briefly shown, revealing that Dana Mathews' sweetheart is none other than McCrea's real-life wife Frances Dee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Republic's program westerns of the 1940s fell into two categories: the Saturday-matinee fare of Roy Rogers, Allan "Rocky" Lane et. al., and the more adult-oriented William Elliot vehicles. In The Last Bandit, Elliot and Forest Tucker play a couple of James-like bandit brothers, Frank and James Plummer. Deciding to go straight, Frank adopts a new name and takes a job as an express guard. James assumes that Frank is merely playing possum, intending to return to banditry when the time is ripe. But Frank is serious about reforming, setting the stage for an extreme and violent form of sibling rivalry at the climax. Andy Devine eschews his usual comedy relief as the railroad detective who decides to risk hiring Frank, while Adrian Booth offers another of her intelligent leading-lady characterizations. The Last Bandit was lensed in Republic's Trucolor process, which made up in vibrancy what it lacked in stability. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The success of 1947's Badman's Territory prompted RKO Radio to assemble another "outlaw rally," Return of the Badmen. Randolph Scott plays US marshal Vance, assigned to rid the Oklahoma Territory of outlaws. This proves to be quite a challenge, inasmuch as virtually every frontier bad guy has converged upon the territory. Led by the surly Sundance Kid (Robert Ryan), the rogue's gallery includes the Younger Brothers (Steve Brodie, Richard Powers, Robert Bray), the Daltons (Lex Barker, Walter Reed, Michael Harvey) and Billy the Kid (Dean White). For all the formidable villainy, the film's most fascinating conflict develops between the two heroines: feisty Cheyenne (Anne Jeffreys) and prim 'n' proper Madge Allen (Jacqueline White). Return of the Badmen posted a huge profit, spawning yet another "all-star" western from RKO, 1951's Best of the Badmen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gene Autry is back near the saddle, trying to help out a crippled jockey. Gene is certain that the jockey can ride in the Big Race if the lad can regain his self-confidence. Meanwhile, Gene and comical sidekick Sterling Holloway have another problem on their hands: A rogue stallion has "kidnapped" Gene's prize mare. Piloting a plane, Autry seeks out and locates the stallion. The jockey and mare enter the race, and win. Director John English keeps Trail to San Antone constantly on the move, resulting in one of the better postwar Gene Autry vehicles for Republic Studios. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this is '40s western a U.S. marshal chases a band of big-name bandits into no-man's territory (land outside of U.S. government jurisdiction) as he's trying to locate his little brother. He ends up facing off with none other than the James Boys, the Daltons and other notorious fellows. Badman's Territory proved so successful that the formula was repeated several times by RKO and other studios. ~ All Movie Guide

Directed by serial specialist Spencer Gordon Bennet, They Raid by Night is a PRC "special" dealing with the activities of the commandos in WWII. Lyle Talbot plays Capt. Robert Owen, the head of a three-man commando squad who parachute into Norway to rescue an Allied general (Paul Baratoff) from a Nazi concentration camp. One of the men is Norwegian-born Von Ritter (Victor Varconi), who is reunited with his former sweetheart Inga (June Duprez). Unbeknownst to our heroes, Inga has turned "Quisling," and tips off the local Nazi commandant as to the commandos' whereabouts. Later on, Von Ritter is captured by the Gestapo and tortured into revealing the plans of his compatriots. Eventually, Owen is able to complete his mission, thanks in no small part to a local Fifth Columnist who decides to switch allegiances at the very last moment. Most of They Raid by Night is enacted in front of a grainy back-projection screen, rendering the story line even more unbelievable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

PRC Pictures' final 1941 release, Law of the Timber was based on a story by North Woods specialist James Oliver Curwood. Given that leading man Hal Brazeal has about as much charisma as a spoonful of potato salad, leading lady Marjorie Reynolds offers the most interesting characterization in this tale of the logging business. When her father is killed, Reynolds takes over his logging concern, working day and night to fill a government order on time. Someone is sabotaging her efforts, as witness the scene in which a train is dynamited (the special effects are a bit shaky; this action highlight looks more like a Lionel commercial). Veterans Monte Blue and J. Farrel McDonald also appear in this so-so programmer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, funny Langdon and Rogers end up working at a bean factory and getting into deep trouble when they accidentally lose an irreplaceable bracelet in a can. Now, before it is too late, they must somehow find that can out of a thousand that look just like it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A fast-paced, enjoyable entry in the long-running Three Mesqueteers Western series, Heroes of the Saddle featured the three cowboy pals promising to look after Peggy Bell (Patsy Lee Parsons), the little daughter of mortally wounded rodeo champ Montana (Kermit Maynard). Legal technicalities, however, halt the adoption proceeding and Stony (Robert Livingston), Rusty (Raymond Hatton), and Rico (Duncan Renaldo) can only watch as the little girl is placed in the county orphanage. On a visit, the Mesqueteers discover that Peggy has been injured and Melloney the superintendent (sour-faced Byron Foulger) claims that the institution cannot pay for the necessary treatment. Stony wins the amount in a boxing match against "Killer" McCulley (Jack Roper), only to learn that Melloney is threatening the child to keep quiet about something. The "something" is the fact that Melloney and county supervisor Crone (William Royle) are not only mistreating the children in their care but cooking the books as well. Aided by a pretty nurse, Ruth Miller (Loretta Weaver of the Weaver hillbilly act), the Mesqueeters "kidnap" Peggy and the other kids and bring them to their spacious ranch. There is a final shootout before the three heroes can round up the gang and celebrate the election of a new county supervisor, nurse Ruth. A comic highlight of this Western has Duncan Renaldo pretending to be a department store dummy in order to fool drunken watchman Al Taylor. Heroes of the Saddle was one of the final films of ace villain William Royle, who later that year would appear in perhaps his best-remembered role as Sir Neyland Smith in the serial Drums of Fu Manchu (1940). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Hot on the heels of Frontier Pony Express came the equally exciting Roy Rogers vehicle Rough Riders' Roundup. In the first film, Rogers was an express rider during the Civil War era; in the second, he's a veteran of the Spanish American war (ubiquitous fellow, isn't he?) With several of his fellow Rough Riders, Rogers joins the Texas border patrol, where he almost immediately clashes with a villain named Arizona (William Pawley). While maintaining a respectable facade, Arizona and his minions rob the stagecoaches and express offices, divesting the local prospectors of their hard-earned gold. With the help of grizzled old sidekick Rusty (Raymond Hatton)-not to mention the rest of the Rough Riders-Rogers crushes Arizona's operation once and for all. The film boasts two leading ladies: Rogers' usual vis-a-vis Mary Hart, and former silent star Dorothy Sebastian, here making a comeback attempt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Roy Rogers got himself a new sidekick in the disheveled, toothless person of George “Gabby” Hayes in this fine Republic western, a partnership that would last until 1946. Roy and Gabby play veterans of the Confederate Army who inherit half-ownership of a Texas ranch. Unfortunately, the other half belongs to Colonel Denbigh (Wade Boteler), a Union officer with whom they had an unpleasant experience during the past war between the states. Denbigh, however, is appointed military governor of the district and when a police squadron under the command of one Captain Jeffries (Arthur Loft) is revealed to consist of outlaws, it is Roy and Gabby who come to Denbigh’s rescue and restore peace to the territory. When not fighting the nasty Arthur Loft and his gang of cutthroats Rogers performs such numbers as ”Headin’ for Texas and Home”, ”Hope I’m Not Dreaming Again” and ”Keep Awalking the Other Way”. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide