Bullet Code (1940) Poster

(1940)

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5/10
Filled with remorse
bkoganbing4 June 2013
George O'Brien stars in this RKO B western Bullet Code which is a remake of another film Melody Of The Plains. Somehow I doubt the movie-going public noticed it back in the day. Plots were continually getting recycled in the B picture market.

Despite that it's a compact little western that gets right down to the business of the plot with little frills. O'Brien thinks he shot young Kirby Grant, the future Sky King, who was actually killed by the gang he was really working for while in the employ of O'Brien. Filled with some remorse O'Brien and sidekick Slim Whitman who usually was a western villain travel to see Grant's family which consists of sister Virginia Vale and father Howard Hickman.

They've got troubles of their own with a gang of rustlers who seem to be targeting them exclusively in the area. If you're a fan of B westerns I don't think I have to go to much further into the story.

George O'Brien who was a John Ford favorite and had an A film career in silents had slipped into the B film cowboy market and more than held his own there. Later on Ford would use him in Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, and Cheyenne Autumn. Bullet Code packs quite a bit into its slightly less than an hour running time, enough riding and shooting for western fans to enjoy.
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5/10
O'Brien Sustains A Blah Script
boblipton29 June 2019
George O'Brien thinks he has killed Kirby Grant by accident in a fight with rustlers. He goes to tell his father, Howard Hickman, and sister, Virginia Vale. Before he can do so, he finds out that they are besieged by rustlers of their own, so he and sidekick Slim Whitaker sign on as the only hands on the ranch.

It's a rote script for an O'Brien western, although Harry Wild's camerawork is up to its standard, both in portrait shots and landscape work, and O'Brien gives his usual fine performance. Later in the year, he ended his movie career, returning occasionally to appear in a western by his old friend, John Ford. Perhaps RKO felt there was not much point in investing extra money for a star who would be leaving them; the professionalism of the cast and crew would have to do and any drop-off in quality wouldn't matter.
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6/10
A Shot in the Dark!
bsmith555210 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Bullet Code" was another in George O'Brien's "B" western series for RKO. This one has a formidable trio of bad guys, Harry Woods, William Haade and Walter Miller.

Young Bud Matthews (Kirby Grant aka Robert Stanton) is acting distant and staying to himself. Steve Holden is moving his cattle to market and is concerned. Rustlers Cass Barton (Woods) and Scar Atwood (Haade) lead a gang planning to rustle Steve's cattle. It turns out that young Bud is working with them.

During the rustling attempt, Steve unknowingly shoots at Bud while at the same time Barton shoots him in the back. Since both shots were fired at the same time, Steve believes that he shot Bud even though he believes that he fired over the boy's head. Bud dies and Steve is distraught.

Steve and Pop Norton (Slim Whitaker) set out for the Circle M ranch owned by Bud's family in an effort to explain the tragedy. On arriving, the pair meet ranch owner John Mathews (Howard C. Hickman) and his young daughter Molly (Virginia Vale). Steve learns that Mathews is unable to keep ranch hands, they being driven away by thugs working for Sam Gorman (Miller). Gorman prizes the Circle M because of it's proximity to the Mexican border in an area that is not patrolled.

Barton and Atwood arrive on the scene and tie in with Gorman. They go to work for the Circle M in order to keep their eyes open for Gorman. Atwood accidently reveals that it was Norton who shot Bud and not Steve. Norton fearing exposure to the Mathews, shoots Atwood to keep him quiet. But Atwood survives and confesses to the Sheriff (Bob Burns) and Steve that it was Barton who did the killing.

Gorman becomes nervous and decides to take over the Circle M by force. Steve and Pop arrive at the ranch and with Mathews and Molly, barricade themselves inside of the house. Gorman, Barton and their gang attack and...................................................................

Plenty of action, hard ridin' and treachery abound in this story. And yes O'Brien gets to romance the heroine Vale too. O'Brien also has an entertaining fight with Woods along the way.

Harry Woods, one of the longest serving western villains is at the top of his game in this one. I mean, Woods just looked evil. He had a lengthy career that lasted into the 1960s. Walter Miller too, had had a lengthy career beginning in 1911 silents. Unfortunately, he passed away the same year this film was released. Kirby Grant had a moderately successful career ending up as TV's "Sky King".
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7/10
Solid and entertaining.
planktonrules4 December 2022
Why not explain it to Mathews family properly?

Pop--sidekick (Slim Whitaker) catsup.

As far as B-westerns go, "Bullet Code" is among the best. There are a variety of reasons....but the biggest one to me is that it emphasizes realism compared to films with singing cowboys with idiot sidekicks.

Steven Condon (George O'Brien) is a decent man. However, when one of his range hands betrays him to a group of cattle rustlers, he's able to drive away the rustlers...but THINKS he's accidentally shot the guy who betrayed them. Now, to me, even if he had, it would have been justified...but in reality the rustlers shot him and have convinced Steve he did it. As his friend (and betrayer) lies dying, he askes Steve to go check on his family, the Mathews,....and Steve agrees.

When Steve arrives along with his friend, Pop (Slim Whitaker), the pair soon discover that some unknown person is trying to destroy the Mathews ranch. But who and why? Well, Steve and Pop help out...even when the Mathews family thinks Steve is a murderer for killing that guy at the beginning of the picture...which he really didn't do.

The main plot of a greedy land baron trying to steal a ranch is hardly original, the story is done well. O'Brien is excellent as an 'everyman' sort of cowboy hero and Whitaker is good because he's NOT a dopey sidekick but a very competent one. My only complaint is that when Steve realizes he didn't kill the man, he did a lousy job of explaining it to the Mathews family!
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