B-Westerns

Standard Range Rider b-western for a presumably juvenile audience. These movies were all in the 3 Mesquiteers mold and are fairly entertaining, if unsurprising and mindlessly following the established formula. Does have the bizarre touch of a series of scenes involving ventriloquism.

B-Western Rating Scale: 5 of 10

Cool Ken Maynard movie. The 'texture' of the movie is perfect b-western including the crusty actors, early-talkie technology, sets and staging, and costumes. There are some fun shots of characters moving ominously toward the camera or seen at a distance through binoculars. B-westerns really don't get much better than this one.

Basically, Ken's returns to his birthplace to discover the secret of his birthright. He becomes entangled in feud between the crooked crew of the Lazy S ranch and the mysterious black-clad figure called the Phantom who is killing them off one after the other.

The locations, especially "Tombstone Canyon" are incredible. The opening to the movie is evocative and fun. Gothic or pulp touches like the mysterious Shadow-like Phantom character are cool in this rugged landscape. Interestingly, 3 years before director Alan James helmed another movie called The Phantom (1931). Like many b-western directors, he had deep roots in the silent era.

B-Western Rating Scale: 8 of 10

Standard Red Ryder b-western from the late 1940s when the genre was increasingly focused on an audience of children. It is cool to see how they attempted to capture the feel of the newspaper comic strip, especially in the opening when Red Ryder and Little Beaver emerge from the pages of huge book. For the most part this movie is anonymous, but there is a cool fist-fight in a flaming cavern.

B-Western Rating Scale: 5 of 10

IMDB commenters have been a little too-harsh in their judgements about this movie. It really isn't that bad. It is a bit leisurely, but that fits its unusual and effective use of close-ups that emphasizes the realistic, rustic character actors. Johnny Mack Brown is good as the reasonable man trying to mediate between parties in a gathering crisis. Altogether, the movie has enough of the early 1930s b-western texture to make it satisfying enough . . .

. . . until the ineffective last 15 or minutes of the films, which are filled with a lot of pointless scenes of riders racing around the landscape. The movie never really builds to a showdown, which makes it ultimately fall a little flat.

B-Western Scale: 6 of 10

Good Bob Custer western. The costuming is terrible in this movie, the acting unusually poor, and some aspects of the plot are incredibly sappy. However, when the hero turns to crime in order to correct a wrong the movie become much more interesting.

B-Western Scale: 6.5 of 10

Solid b-western in the Three Mesquiteers mold, this time with the Rough Riders. By this time, the programmer was pretty streamlined and this one hits its beats without distractions. However, the streamlined programmers of the 1940s and 50s are, to my taste, less satisfying than those of the 1930s, which had a more rustic feel and which were still aimed at adults as well as children. 5 of 10 B western scale.

This inept b-western has gotten a lot of attention due to its many connection to Ed Wood, but this was not the reason I was interested. Director Reg Browne also directed many episodes of the western TV series 26 Men. His episodes on that show are solid, with some dynamic direction. However, this was his first project and it is pretty amateur...a so-bad-its-good type of experience. 2 of 10 B western scale

One of the best western programmers made by Wayne in 1930s, with real humor, fun characters, some great stagecoach driving, and a fun plot. It is more detailed than most b-westerns. 9 of 10 B Western scale

Ken Maynard's last western, made after leaving the Monogram Trail Blazers series, is pretty mediocre. Most of the screen time is filled with a medicine show or Eddie Dean singing, with little action and an unimaginative plot. The action-filled finale is pretty poorly done. Maynard career went out with a whimper, not a bang. 3 of 10 B western scale.

Average Ken Maynard programmer, probably made later in one his KBS/World Wide series. There are a few nice touches, but for the most part there is nothing special in this b-western. 5 of 10 B Western scale.

Ex-football star Reb Russell is not that great at delivering his lines this poverty row oater. However, there is a good gunfight in a saloon and a few funny moments, so this may be worthwhile for b-western fans. 5 of 10 B western scale.

Funny, enjoyable Ken Maynard silent western about a day dreaming cowboy. Reminds me of Don Quixote. Action is well done and the plot is brisk. 8 of 10 B Western Scale

Late Harrey Carey b-western shot for Supreme Features. The actors are fun, but most of the production is a bit slap-dash ... except for a few nicely staged shots. Overall, a decent programmer. The caped villain and secret passages are a nice touch. Not a lot of action ... Carey was an old man by the time this film came out.

I usually don't enjoy b-westerns set in the (then) contemporary world, but this George O'Brien movie was a fun surprise. The main characters are a b-western star and a Hollywood scriptwriter on a hunting trip after shooting on a film wraps up. They make an unusual, goofy pair of heroes. The story itself combines features of late-30s life like organized crime, a labor strike, movie culture, and aerial acrobatics ... all in a western setting. There is a great sequence in which an airplane stampedes a herd of cattle ... very enjoyable. This movie gets an 8 of 10 on a b-western rating scale.

Barebones PRC programmer with Bob Livingston. Not too much to distinguish this from other b-westerns except for a plot complication involving the lead's amnesia.