Doris Schroeder Movies

The Gay Amigo was the second "Cisco Kid" theatrical entry produced for United Artists release by Philip N. Krasne. Duncan Renaldo, who would go on to portray Cisco in the popular 1950s TV series, stars in this outing, together with Leo Carrillo as his comical sidekick Pancho. Cisco and Pancho are wrongfully identified as bandits by a U.S. Cavalry sergeant (Joe Sawyer). Realizing that no one believes their innocence, the boys decide to pose as criminals in order to get the goods on the real crooks. Pancho has some wonderful moments as he holds up a stagecoach and fends off the amorous advances of a spinsterish passenger (Helen Servis), while Cisco enjoys a brief liaison with barmaid Rosita (Armida), the girl friend of the flustered cavalry sergeant. One of the better Krasne-produced "Cisco Kid" efforts, Gay Amigo tells its story in a brisk 62 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this the final Hopalong Cassidy Western, Hoppy (William Boyd), California Carlson (Andy Clyde), and Lucky Jenkins (Rand Brooks) search for the leaders of a counterfeiting ring after receiving a tip from an anonymous source whose signature is a pencil sketch of a comet. In Silver City, they help Nora Murray (Elaine Riley), her brother Sid (William Leicester), and ailing sister-in-law Mary (Joan Barton) get a room at the inn despite the misgivings of hotel (and town) owner Ora Mordigan (James Craven). The latter, needless to say, is the instigator of the counterfeiting scheme, which he operates from the Silver Belle Mine founded by John Murray (Herbert Rawlinson), Nora and Sid's long-lost father. The old man, an engraver by trade, has been kept a virtual prisoner for years, forced to print fake U.S. and Mexican money for Mordigan and his henchmen. With the assistance of undercover Mexican investigator DeLara (Albert Morin) and "the Comet," a local doctor (Joel Friedkin), Hoppy manages to rescue the old man and capture the entire gang. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Returning to the scenic splendor of Lone Pine's Alabama Hills, Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) tries to help retired entomology professor Alonzo Larson (Joel Friedkin) and his daughter Anne (Elaine Riley), who have purchased a seemingly worthless piece of land, The Paradise Ranch. Larson has paid crooked land agent Bentley (Kenneth MacDonald) $5000 for the arid range but when Hoppy discovers the possible presence of silver on the property, Bentley and his cohort Gerald Waite (Cliff Clark), the town banker, try to null and void the sale in a rather violent manner. False Paradise was the 11th of 12 Hopalong Cassidy Westerns produced by William Boyd for United Artists release. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The titular valley is the locale for an inordinate amount of double-crosses and betrayals. Young prospector Carroll Nye thinks he's doing a good deed when he rescues heroine Rada Rae, whom he finds wandering aimlessly in the desert. Little does Nye realize that Rae is in cahoots with claim-jumping Raymond Wells, who intends to get his hands on a valuable gold mine, the location of which is known only by our hero. Upon realizing he's been duped, Nye begins to punch out the girl (a startling scene!), but comes to regret his rash behavior when it develops that Rae has been forced to betray him under threat of death. By film's end, however, it is the villainous Wells who suffers the most. Death Valley was remade, scene-for-scene, in 1946, with Helen Gilbert and Nat Pendleton in the main roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this western, a cowpoke gets in an argument; a scuffle ensues leaving the cowboy to believe that he killed his opponent. He is so wracked with guilt that he travels to the ranch of the dead man's sister, gives himself a new name and begins helping her. Rustlers come; he stops them. Trouble ensues after she learns his true identity. A scuffle ensues. She wings him with a gun; he disarms her. Later she hears the real murderer bragging about his crime during a fight with the hero. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A well-acted, well-paced entry in the Don "Red" Barry Western series from Republic Pictures, The Sombrero Kid featured the diminutive Barry as Jerry Holden, the apparent son and heir of veteran lawman Tom Holden (Robert Homans). But when Holden Sr. is killed by one of Banker Martin's (Joel Friedkin) gang of claim jumpers, Jerry learns that his real father was Bart Clanton, a notorious bandit killed by Marshal Holden, who then raised the orphaned boy as his own. After accidentally killing one of Martin's men, Taggart (I. Stanford Jolley), in a barroom fight, Jerry becomes a fugitive wanted for murder. He joins a gang led by Smoke (Stuart Hamblen), one of Martin's henchmen, hoping to obtain enough evidence to convict the crooked banker. Along with Tommy Holden Jr. (John James), who has replaced his late father as town marshal, Jerry sets a trap for Mason's weak-willed son, Phillip (Rand Brooks). In a desperate attempt to escape justice, Mason kills Phillip, but is arrested by Jerry. The latter is cleared of all charges and elected sheriff by a grateful citizenry. Country gospel songwriter Stuart Hamblen makes a fine villain in one of his infrequent screen appearances and blonde Lynn Merrick is, as always, an attractive adornment to any "Red" Barry vehicle. Merrick, whose contract was held jointly by Republic and Columbia Pictures, appeared in no less than 16 Barry Westerns, one of the longest runs of any sagebrush heroine. Her "leading man" this time around, however, is John James, not Barry. The Sombrero Kid was filmed at the Walker Ranch at Placerita Canyon, CA, a busy location for low-budget moviemaking from 1931-1955. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Though Don "Red" Barry is the star of Jesse James, Jr., he plays a character named Johnny Barrett. The scene is a small western town, lacking telegraph service. Every time the locals try to set up communications with the Outside World, they are thwarted by an outlaw gang. Barry-er, Barrett--comes to the rescue. The supporting cast of Jesse James, Jr. includes several formidable western baddies, among them Bob Kortman, George Cheseboro and Stanley Blystone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Crooked mail clerk Charles Haney (Emmet Lynn), coveting his boss' stagecoach line, tips off a gang of outlaws whenever a new gold shipment is due. Hero Dave Gregory (Don "Red" Barry) suspects that the subsequent rash of the stage holdups are the work of an "inside" man, but he can't prove it. Dave takes a job as a stagecoach driver in hopes of flushing out the bad guys. That's just what happens, but not without the aid of reformed gambler Griff Williams (Robert Kent). With Emmet Lynn playing the bad guy in Stagecoach Express, it's up to Al St. John to provide comedy relief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The all-purpose title Westward Ho was applied in 1942 to this "Three Mesquiteers" western. This time, the Mesquiteers are Tucson Smith, Stony Brooke and Lullaby Joslin, here played respectively by Bob Steele, Tom Tyler and Rufe Davis. Our heroes converge on a small town to solve a series of mysterious bank robberies. The "mystery" is solved the moment Evelyn Brent shows up on screen as the seemingly respectable bank president. In virtually every one of her western appearances of the 1940s, the talented Ms. Brent was cast as the "secret" criminal mastermind, and this film is no exception. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Three Mesquiteers are back in Republic's Gangs of Sonora. The story is set in Wyoming, just before statehood was bestowed upon the territory. Town boss Sam Treadwell (Robert Frazer) doesn't want his little fiefdom to enter the Union, and does everything he can to prevent this eventuality, including the murder of the local newspaper editor. The dead man's cudgel is taken up by his fearless wife Kansas Kate Connor (Helen MacKeller), but her crusading efforts are undercut by her own son (Bud McTaggart), who is in league with Treadwell. This is the dilemma which Mesquiteers Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston), Tucson Smith (Bob Steele) and Lullaby Joslin (Rufe Davis) must solve in 56 minutes flat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The paying customers got two Donald Barrys for the price of one in this typically well-mounted Republic Western directed with his customary vim and vigor by George Sherman. A petty criminal, The Sundown Kid (Barry number one), is persuaded by a gang of rustlers to change places with his lookalike brother, Bruce McKinnon, the town sheriff. Assuming his "sheriff's duties," the Kid, aka Jim McKinnon, gets in trouble with his girlfriend, Nita (Lupita Tovar), who jealously watches him courting Bruce's fiancée Ruth Morton (Lynn Merrick). Jim pacifies the seething Nita by telling her the truth, but when a minister turns up to marry "Bruce" and Ruth, she angrily betrays him. In the ensuing melee, Jim is mortally wounded, but manages to reconcile with his estranged brother before expiring. A fine actor in the James Cagney mold, Donald Barry (nicknamed "Red" for obvious reasons) convincingly portrayed the disparate brothers. In what was to become one of the longest partnerships in B-Western history, blond Lynn Merrick (formerly Marilyn Merrick) went on to do 15 additional Westerns opposite Barry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Cattle rancher George O'Brien, thinking that he's emptying his six shooters in the direction of rustlers, apparently kills one of his own ranchhands. To make amends, O'Brien joins up with the dead man's father in trying to corral the crooks. Turns out that O'Brien is innocent of the accidental killing, proof of which comes none too soon to patch up the relationship between George and the late ranchhand's sister (Virginia Vale). Bullet Code was one of the last of George O'Brien's budget westerns for RKO. He would soon gracefully hand over his holsters to new RKO cowboy Tim Holt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cowboy hero George O'Brien has his hands full with crooked land promoter Paul Everton in Prairie Law. Selling acres and acres of worthless land while promising to provide an unlimited water supply to his customers, Everton sparks off a range war between cattlemen and homesteaders. Working on behalf of the cattlemen, O'Brien brings an end to the feud and takes on Everton's many minions single-handed. Virginia Vale makes a return appearance from previous George O'Brien vehicles to play the requisite heroine. A standard entry, Prairie Law benefits from RKO Radio's usual topnotch production values. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide