It's really hard to rate these old B-movies. It's because with the advent of TV, many of these films were cut severely so the film could fit into a one hour format (including commercials). So, while a Roy Rogers film might seem pretty dumb, it might just be because of some overly stupid editing job. I am sure that is part of the problem with "Mariked for Murder". At only about 46 minutes, you can only assume a LOT of the film was cut, as a western like this usually is about 65 minutes long--more of less.
The music in this film is find of weird. Near the beginning, they play a tune that sounds more like something you'd hear from a 1930s cartoon! And, as the film progressed, I noticed that the music was actually a good thing, as the plot wasn't particularly good and the songs, for what they were, were catchy. Tex's singing style was pleasant and folksy--though his screen presence otherwise was a bit wooden. He is no Gene Autry or Roy Rogers! The plot is pretty familiar--there's a range war brewing between the sheep and cattle men. But in this case, the REAL culprit who is manipulating all this is a baddie who wants to start this war for his own evil gains. Again, a rather familiar story element. Along the way, Tex's sidekick is amazingly bland and useless and the story seems, at times, very talky. Not a great or enjoyable film by any standard.
The music in this film is find of weird. Near the beginning, they play a tune that sounds more like something you'd hear from a 1930s cartoon! And, as the film progressed, I noticed that the music was actually a good thing, as the plot wasn't particularly good and the songs, for what they were, were catchy. Tex's singing style was pleasant and folksy--though his screen presence otherwise was a bit wooden. He is no Gene Autry or Roy Rogers! The plot is pretty familiar--there's a range war brewing between the sheep and cattle men. But in this case, the REAL culprit who is manipulating all this is a baddie who wants to start this war for his own evil gains. Again, a rather familiar story element. Along the way, Tex's sidekick is amazingly bland and useless and the story seems, at times, very talky. Not a great or enjoyable film by any standard.