There is so much to enjoy in "Lucky Terror," but Charles King as a drunken, and funny, lawyer is enough to make this a near-classic B Western.
It had been years since I saw Hoot Gibson, and didn't remember that he is not only a good cowboy, he is an actor.
Hoot never was, as I understand, a classic battling-hero cowboy. He didn't even carry a gun -- at least not in a holster like everyone else.
But as "Lucky" Carson, known as "Lucky Terror," Hoot plays an amiable wanderer who stumbles onto a death, some bad guys trying to steal a mine, and a medicine show, with a lovely girl, who has the legal and moral right to the mine, and the "doctor" who runs the show, plus the ethnic musician, played so beautifully by Frank Yaconelli.
That "doctor" is magnificently played by Charles Hill, who had a lot of over-educated dialog and a flamboyant role (think John Barrymore) that he pulled off perfectly.
Yaconelli usually played a Mexican but this time is an Italian, named, according to the listing here at IMDb, "Giribaldi," but it did sound like "Garibaldi" when the medicine show MC introduced him.
"Lucky Terror" is just crowded by really great cowboy movie stars, including Jack Rockwell, George Cheesbro, and Robert McKenzie, who is very reminiscent of the much-better-known Andy Devine.
Also present and, as usual, uncredited is the always memorable Hank Bell, of the great mustache. Also uncredited are Art Mix and Hal Taliaferro, to name just two.
There's a lot of story here, well presented by writer and director Alan James, of whom I know nothing. He was co-writer of the screenplay which was based on a story written by his screenplay co-writer Roger Allman, of whom also I know nothing. But this work tells me they both should be very well known.
Director James does magnificent work with his angles and moving camera.
Hoot gets to perform some trick riding, which is part of what made him a star in the first place. Exciting to watch.
But Charles King, one of the most villainous villains in B Western movie history, is absolutely a wonder as the whiskey-soaked lawyer. You must see "Lucky Terror" just to see Charles King in this role.
I highly recommend "Lucky Terror," which is available in a passable print at YouTube. Wonderful fun.
It had been years since I saw Hoot Gibson, and didn't remember that he is not only a good cowboy, he is an actor.
Hoot never was, as I understand, a classic battling-hero cowboy. He didn't even carry a gun -- at least not in a holster like everyone else.
But as "Lucky" Carson, known as "Lucky Terror," Hoot plays an amiable wanderer who stumbles onto a death, some bad guys trying to steal a mine, and a medicine show, with a lovely girl, who has the legal and moral right to the mine, and the "doctor" who runs the show, plus the ethnic musician, played so beautifully by Frank Yaconelli.
That "doctor" is magnificently played by Charles Hill, who had a lot of over-educated dialog and a flamboyant role (think John Barrymore) that he pulled off perfectly.
Yaconelli usually played a Mexican but this time is an Italian, named, according to the listing here at IMDb, "Giribaldi," but it did sound like "Garibaldi" when the medicine show MC introduced him.
"Lucky Terror" is just crowded by really great cowboy movie stars, including Jack Rockwell, George Cheesbro, and Robert McKenzie, who is very reminiscent of the much-better-known Andy Devine.
Also present and, as usual, uncredited is the always memorable Hank Bell, of the great mustache. Also uncredited are Art Mix and Hal Taliaferro, to name just two.
There's a lot of story here, well presented by writer and director Alan James, of whom I know nothing. He was co-writer of the screenplay which was based on a story written by his screenplay co-writer Roger Allman, of whom also I know nothing. But this work tells me they both should be very well known.
Director James does magnificent work with his angles and moving camera.
Hoot gets to perform some trick riding, which is part of what made him a star in the first place. Exciting to watch.
But Charles King, one of the most villainous villains in B Western movie history, is absolutely a wonder as the whiskey-soaked lawyer. You must see "Lucky Terror" just to see Charles King in this role.
I highly recommend "Lucky Terror," which is available in a passable print at YouTube. Wonderful fun.