Earle Snell Movies
American screenwriter Earle Snell's Hollywood career extended from 1925 to 1956. At first a specialist in comedies and romances, Snell concentrated on Westerns and crime melodramas after 1931. He spent the mid-'30s as a staff writer for the Columbia B-unit, then moved to Monogram in the early '40s, returning to comedy with his scripts for the studio's East Side Kids and Shemp Howard-Billy Gilbert vehicles. Earle Snell freelanced during his last active decade in films; his final project was another Western, The Desperadoes Are in Town. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1956
In this western, a young man tries to walk the straight and narrow, but he is impeded by his past. The trouble begins when the young fellow flees his family's Texas dirt farm and becomes an outlaw. He is advised by one of the desperadoes to return home. The boy does, and with hard work, makes the farm successful. Harvest time rolls around. He is just about to celebrate when the outlaws ride up and force him to help them pull a local bank job. He refuses and kills the gang leader and his brother. Meanwhile, the boy's past is revealed to the town banker. Seeing that he truly has gone straight, the banker forgives him. The boy marries and lives with his lovely bride upon his land. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Arthur, Kathleen Nolan, (more)
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, (more)
- 1950
Gene Autry sings "When the Bloom is on the Sage" in this early entry in his popular television series. When the board of supervisors allocates $20,000 for government roadwork, including $3,000 from newcomer Henry Harlow (Steven Darrell), the latter voices his fear of road agents. To safely transfer the monies to the bank in Quincy, Harlow proposes to use the stage as a decoy while he and the sheriff (Tom London) travel by buckboard. The buckboard is held up by a bandit (Alan Hale Jr.) but Gene, who suspects Harlow of treachery, makes a double switch and the money is saved. The Double Switch was restored by Gene Autry Entertainment in 2000. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1949
Charles Starrett returns as The Durango Kid in Columbia's El Dorado Pass. It all begins when Durango, in his everyday guise of Steve Clanton, is falsely accused of robbing a stagecoach. The genuine criminal is not only a thief but a coin collector, searching for a valuable specimen by staging holdups. Future Marcus Welby co-star Elena Verdugo adds spice to the proceedings as the peppery robbery victim, while Smiley Burnette handles the comedy and Shorty Thompson and his Saddle Rockin' Rhythm provide the musical interludes. Some of Charles Starrett's more spectacular stunts were performed by an uncredited Jock Mahoney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1949
Ranger of Cherokee Strip stars Republic horse-opera hero Monte Hale. This time, Steve Howard (Hale) comes to the aid of Joe Bearclaws (Douglas Kennedy), a patriotic Cherokee tribesman who tries to halt the exploitation of his people by unscrupulous cattlemen. The villains manage to frame Joe for murder, but the Indian escapes from jail. Assigned to track down Joe and return him to prison, Howard instead champions the Cherokee's cause and endeavors to bring the true culprits to justice. Roy Barcroft does his usual scowling-badman bit, while George Meeker turns in an interesting portrayal as a ham actor who figures prominently in the murder plot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, (more)
- 1949
Someone is unhappy with Steve Downey taking over his murdered brother-in-law's gold mine -- the Tavishes, for example, brothers Scotty and Tommy (Lee Roberts and Richard Emory) and their sister Molly (Gail Davis), who blame runoff from the mine for poisoning their cattle. When Tommy is killed, Scotty points the finger at Steve (Charles Starrett), who is promptly arrested by Sheriff (Smiley Burnette). Smiley's innocence allows Steve a free reign, however, and the hero is able to don his usual disguise as the Durango Kid, defender of all that is right and decent. Smiley Burnette performs his own inimitable "When You Go" and "The Ever-Lovin' Marshal" while country-swing artist Tommy Duncan takes care of "Saturday Night in San Antone" and a very unusual version of "Rock-a-Bye Baby." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1949
Desert Vigilante perpetuated the long-running "Durango Kid" western series starring Charles Starrett. Per the title, Starrett gallops into a remote desert town, where he single-handedly (or so it seems) rounds up the villainous element. At this point in time, Starrett was being extensively doubled by the legendary Jock Mahoney, and the results were never less than spectacular. The subterfuge was helped along by the fact that Starrett's "Durango" character was required to wear a mask during most of the film. Desert Vigilante represented the first directorial assignment for Fred F. Sears, who remained with the Columbia "B" unit throughout the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1949
Two things are certain from the beginning of Renegades of the Sage. One is that star Charles Starrett will play a character named Steve Somebody-or-Other. The other certainty is that, when the need arises, Steve Somebody-or-Other will assume the identity of the masked righter-of-wrongs, The Durango Kid. The plot finds Steve/Durango attempting to capture ex-Civil War guerilla fighter Miller (Trevor Bardette), who may be the man who's been going around knocking down telegraph wires. Renegades of the Sage has plot holes large enough to swallow a rhinoceros, but Charles Starrett fans didn't mind so long as their hero delivered the goods, action-wise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1948
Whenever veteran stuntman Yakima Canutt held the directorial reins of a Republic western, it was a sure bet that there'd be plenty of breakneck action. The star of Canutt's Carson City Raiders is Allan "Rocky" Lane, a former college football player who was no slouch in the stunting department himself. Lane plays an agent for a Nevada express company, bound and determined to arrest a gang of stagecoach robbers. The villains try to gain a toehold in Carson City by revealing that local sheriff Tom Drew (Steve Darrell) is a former outlaw. But with Lane's help, Drew clears his name and rounds up the crooks. Billed second in Carson City Raiders--and deserving the honor -- is Allan Lane's faithful steed Black Jack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, (more)
- 1947
Regular "Red Ryder" series villain Roy Barcroft took a well-earned breather in Homesteaders of Paradise Canyon. The equally disagreeable Gene Stutenroth (aka Gene Roth proved a fair enough substitute, however, as Bill Hume, a homesteader so disgusted over the fact that the government land he was promised for free instead goes for two dollars per acre that he hooks up with villainous newspaper publisher A.C. Blaine (Milt Kibbee). Having guided the homesteaders to Paradise Valley in the first place, Red Ryder (Allan Lane) manages to persuade his charges to remain despite the exorbitant price of land, much to the chagrin of Blaine and his cohort Langley (Emmett Vogan), who do their level best trying to scare the settlers away from the potentially lucrative valley. When Red goes undercover as a driver for Blaine's stagecoach line, young settler Steve Dill (John James) accuses him of treason and incites the settlers against him. It all comes to a showdown at the Hume ranch, where Bill's brother Rufe Mauritz Hugo) is shot before he can confess to his brother's treachery. Bill manages to get away, but Red mounts Thunder and tracks him down. Implicating his bosses Blaine and Langley, Bill is carted off to jail. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1947
The restful hues of the Trucolor process add to the overall entertainment value of Republic's Along the Oregon Trail. Singing cowboy Monte Hale plays a contemporary of Kit Carson (Forrest Taylor) who, at Carson's request, guides a party of frontiersmen through the wilds of Oregon. Danger looms in the form of despotic Gregg Thurston (Clayton Moore, who later switched to law and order as TV's Lone Ranger), who wants to create his own western empire in Oregon and doesn't cotton to strangers. Thurston and his chief henchmen Stoner (Roy Barcroft) smuggle guns to the Indians, hoping to spark an uprising that will wipe out Hale and his confreres. But our hero prevails, with time left over for a couple of songs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Adrian Booth, (more)
Dissatisfied with his postwar Republic westerns (not to mention his comparatively low salary), Gene Autry switched his base of operations to Columbia in 1947, where he wore two hats as both star and producer. Autry's first Columbia effort, The Last Round-Up, is a vast improvement over the Republics that preceded it. The story finds Autry arranging for an impoverished Indian tribe to move from their desolate reservation to a more fertile and attractive location. Understandably, the Indians doubt Autry's motives, having been previously burned by such usurping crooks as Mr. Mason (Ralph Morgan) and his son Matt (Mark Daniels). Once Autry has convinced the Indians that he's on their side, he must contend with the Masons' murderous minions. In the course of events, Gene Autry sings five songs, several of them directed to pert leading lady Jean Heather. Featured among the Indian characters is little Bobby Blake, a recent graduate of Republic's "Red Ryder" series. Some of the action highlights in The Last Round-Up were lifted from the 1940 Columbia "A" western Arizona. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Jean Heather, (more)
- 1947
Rustlers of Devil's Canyon was one of seven "Red Ryder" westerns with Allan Lane in the lead. Returning from the Spanish-American war, Red Ryder (Lane) discovers that his home turf has been overtaken by rustlers. To make matters worse, a range war erupts between homesteaders and ranchers. It turns out that the head of the rustlers, outwardly a pillar of the community, is responsible for fomenting the hostilities. Red Ryder sets things right within the allotted 6 reels, aided by his youthful pal Little Beaver (Bobby Blake), who says "You betchum!" at the drop of a feather. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martha Wentworth
- 1947
The fifth of seven "Red Ryder" westerns starring Allan Lane, Oregon Trail Scouts recounts how Red met his young sidekick, Little Beaver. Failing to acquire hunting rights on the Willamette Indian Reservation, evil Bill Hunter (Roy Barcroft) decides to kidnap Little Beaver (Robert Blake) and use the boy as leverage in future negotiations with Beaver's grandfather, Chief Running Fox (Frank Lackteen). Beaver's foster-father, The Judge (Earle Hodgins), is murdered in the ensuing fracas but the Indian boy finds a safe haven with fur trapper Red Ryder (Lane). Hunter and his men make another move to catch Little Beaver, however, but are once again foiled by Red, this time for good. Although pleased that his grandson is alive and well, Running Fox leaves it up to the child whether he wishes to stay with the tribe or remain with Red Ryder and his aunt, the Duchess (Martha Wentworth). Little Beaver chooses the latter option and a long-lasting friendship is established. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martha Wentworth
A dude ranch, unemployed cowhands, modern-day bank robbers, and music are the main ingredients in this, Gene Autry's swan song for Republic Pictures, lovingly restored by UCLA and Gene Autry Entertainment in 2001. Swindled out of their savings, Gene and the Cass County Boys mistakenly get mixed up in a bank robbery. The local police chief (James Flavin) let them go, however, hoping the hicks will lead him to the stolen 100,000 dollars. And so they do, right to a dude ranch in the none-too-quiet town of Serenity. With Sterling Holloway supplying the comic relief as a vacationing hypochondriac, Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys perform Autry's own "The Merry-Go-Roundup" and "Good Old-Fashioned Hoedown"; "Goin' Back to Texas" by Carson J. Robison; and "You're the Moment of a Lifetime" by Sergio de Karlo and Kay Charles (in both Spanish and English). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stanley Andrews, Gene Autry, (more)
- 1947
Marshal of Cripple Creek was the last of seven Republic "Red Ryder" westerns starring Allan "Rocky" Lane. This time, Red Ryder (Lane) rides into a gold-mining town, where an outlaw gang is operating unmolested. It's not that the local sheriff is corrupt; it's simply that the villains are too clever and well-hidden. Since the crooks seem to favor robbing the regular gold-ore shipments, Ryder rides along on one of these excursions, and the results are explosive indeed. Helping our hero achieve his goal is former outlaw Tom Lambert (Trevor Bardette), anxious to prove he's gone straight. In addition to Allan Lane, Marshal of Cripple Creek features Bobby Blake and Martha Wentworth as Red Ryder's comic-strip cohorts Little Beaver and The Duchess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martha Wentworth
- 1946
As usual, the title of this Sunset Carson western from Republic Pictures means absolutely nothing. William Bonney is nowhere to be found, nor is he mentioned. Instead, Carson plays "Sunset Carson," aka "The Kid," a ranger only pretending to be an outlaw in order to infiltrate the notorious Marshall gang. But after investigating the murder of a fellow ranger, Sunset sides with pretty "gang leader" Ann Marshall (Peggy Stewart) against the real culprit, Matt Conroy (Roy Barcroft), a nasty banker attempting to take over Ann's spread by railroading employer Peewee (Russ Whiteman). Although no actor, handsome Sunset Carson looked great on a horse, had a way with a fist and didn't bump into anything along the way. Like all the Republic cowboys, Carson was of course helped immeasurably by the studio's roster of stalwart supporting players, especially Barcroft, Tom London (here playing a friend instead of a foe for a change) and Peggy Stewart. The latter, who was to appear as Carson's leading lady no less than eight times, helped the former rodeo rider become a better thespian "by having him count the dots between his lines." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1946
In this western, Red Ryder rounds up a gang of horse thieves who have been stealing cavalry horses. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1946
Red Ryder and his comical sidekick take on a new batch of bad-guys in this western, the 16th in the Red Ryder series. This time the heroic duo try to save a female rancher from a greedy financier who wants her land so he can exploit the enormous oil fields lying under it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1946
With a catchy title song co-written by the film's star and director, this Jimmy Wakely music Western got off to a lilting start. The film, however, quickly turned out to be just another minor entry in the very derivative Monogram/Wakely series. The former radio crooner and his usual sidekick Lee "Lasses" White, get in trouble this time with an unscrupulous cattle king (Stanley Blystone) and his even more unscrupulous foreman (Terry Frost), both of whom are in league with -- you guessed it -- an unscrupulous railroad man (Jack Ingram). Jennifer Holt, daughter of legendary action star Jack Holt and one of the busiest B-Western heroines of the '40s, added feminine appeal, and rustic comedian White contributed with three songs -- I'm Casting My Lasso, If You Knew What It Meant to Be Lonesome, both co-written with Wakely, and the solo effort Out on the Western Range. Although no Gene Autry or Roy Rogers, Jimmy Wakely was popular enough in the hinterlands for his series to last through 1949. He later owned his own recording label. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1946
An exemplary "Red Ryder" Western, Stagecoach to Denver features Red (Allan Lane), his aunt, the Duchess (Martha Wentworth), and Little Beaver (Bobby Blake) caring for Dickie Ray (Bobby Hyatt), a young child who has broken his back in a stagecoach collision that also took the life of Land Commissioner Felton (Edward Cassidy). Unbeknownst to the people of Elkhorn, stage owner Big Bill Lambert (Roy Barcroft) had arranged the "accident" in order to get rid of the pesky land commissioner who threatened to ruin his plans for controlling all communication between Elkhorn and Denver. Little Dickie requires an operation but Doc Kimball (Tom Chatterton) needs the consent from his nearest relative, Denver resident May Barnes (Marin Sais), whom the boy has never met. Since she is scheduled to arrive on the same stage as the new land commissioner, Taylor (Tom Chatterton), Aunt May poses a problem for Big Bill, who has them both kidnapped and replaced with his own people, Wally (Stanley Price) and Beautiful (Peggy Stewart). The latter feels sorry for little Dickie and is ready to bail but Big Bill forces her to go through with the deception. The boy survives his operation, of course, and Big Bill's treachery is eventually revealed. But Beautiful pays a rather heavy price for her part of the deception when she takes a bullet meant for Bobby. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martha Wentworth
- 1946
In this western, Red Ryder and his sidekick prove that a man never committed the crime of which he has been accused. They then round up the real outlaws. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1946
A much celebrated bout between legendary prize-fighters Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons becomes a hot issue in the Nevada community of Carson City in this above-average entry in Republic Pictures popular "Red Ryder" series. Leading citizen Molly McVey (Peggy Stewart) considers boxing to be a display of barbarism and does her utmost to have the fight cancelled. Red Ryder (Allan Lane), in contrast, permits Corbett (George Turner) and his manager Bill Delaney (Roscoe Karns) to use the Duchess's ranch as their headquarters. Our hero, however, almost comes to regret that decision when nearly ambushed by villainous Mckean (Roy Barcroft), who conspires to take off with the prize money. No sooner is McKean dispatched when Red finds himself kidnapped by a couple of ruffians hired by Molly, who still attempts to prevent the carnage. Molly, however, discovers her error and Red returns just in time to witness Corbett losing to Fitzsimmons (John Dehner). Supporting actor George Turner, who bears no resemblance to the real life Jim Corbett (1866-1933), later played the title role in the 1947 serial Son of Zorro. Coprbett, who had won the world heavyweight championship in 1892, did indeed lose the title to Fitzsimmons (1863-1917) in Carson City, NV, March 17, 1897. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Adams, Bobby Barber, (more)
- 1946
This fast-paced western, geared entirely to the small-fry, was the first in Republic Pictures' long-running "Red Ryder" series to star Allan Lane. Lane had taken over from William Elliot, who had been promised A-westerns only by company president Herbert I. Yates. Ryder and his young Indian pal Little Beaver (Robert Blake) come to the aid of Ryder's stout aunt, "The Duchess" (Martha Wentworth), whose crusading efforts to open up a privately owned toll-road for all travellers has put the elderly rancher in danger from a powerful if corrupt civic leader, newspaper publisher Crawford (Barton MacLane). The second in the Lane "Red Ryder" series to be filmed, Santa Fe Uprising was substituted for a weaker entry in order to give the new Ryder the best possible chances for success. Wentworth, whose character name as depicted by series creator Fred Harman was, interestingly enough, "Martha 'The Duchess' Wentworth," replaced Alice Fleming in the role as Ryder's indomitable aunt. Lane, Blake, and Wentworth went on to star in six more "Red Ryder" westerns before the series moved over to Eagle-Lion (the former PRC) where the roles would be played by Jim Bannon, Don Kay Reynolds, and veteran B-western actress Marin Sais. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1945
In this western, Red Ryder and his young sidekick Little Beaver help prevent an impressionable duchess from being duped by a bogus British aristocrat. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
