Terror of the Plains (1934)

Tom (Tom Tyler) learns that his Dad (Ralph Lewis) has been framed for a crime he didn't commit. The real culprit is Cramer (William Gould) who has a ghost town as a hideout which he rules with an iron fist. Tom infiltrates the town posing as an outlaw. Very quickly he gets into a number of fights including with Cramer in which he wins Cramer's reluctant woman (Roberta Gale) in marriage!

Things gets complicated when Tom's sidekick Banty (Frank Rice) gets captured by the gang and faces a court martial...

Not a bad little western with some good fights. Tom Tyler looks suitably butch as the tough hero (which wasn't always the case with the heroes in westerns). The rather interesting premise of a secret town used as a hide out could have been made more of.

Thunder in the Desert (1938)

An average B-movie western though improved by some decent comedy lines. Bob Radford (Bob Steele) arrives in town via a box car train with roaming bum Rusty (Don Barclay) tagging along. The plot is fairly familiar: Bob seeks to avenge his uncle who has been killed by a gang of outlaws. Bob pretends to be on the wrong side of the law himself so he can infiltrate the gang...

The Sheriff (Horace Murphy) is hot on Bob's trail, though not assisted a great deal by his deputy (Budd Buster) who isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. Bob meanwhile is looking for the mastermind behind the gang (Charles King). Louis Stanley provides the love interest.

This is a case of a film that's more than the sum of it's (meagre) parts. Although not a brilliant film by any means it passes the time enjoyably enough. The action is understated, and good when needed, and some comedic touches by Barclay and Buster elevate proceedings.

Trail of the Silver Spurs (1941)

The Range Busters (Ray Corrigan, John King and Max Terhune - with Elmer the dummy of course) are on a secret mission for the US government on the trail of gold robbers. They arrive at a ghost town which isn't quite as empty as it at first seems. Gold mine owner Dan Nordick (Milburn Morante) and his daughter Nancy (Dorothy Short) are still living there despite being menaced by "ghosts" trying to scare them off...

It isn't a ghost though but the more substantial menace of notorious killer The Jingler (I. Stanford Jolley) who is hiding out in the hotel and wants to get the Nordicks out of there. Things hot up with Max and Elmer concoct a plan to fake a gold rush...

Rather confusing but decent enough "wild west" fun - though when the film is supposed to be set is a mystery considering at one stage they refer to the Civil War then suddenly the film features automobiles! The Range Busters are in "disguise" which means they have switched their normal horses for nags but the rest of their fancy outfits are unchanged!

North of Arizona (1935)

Jack Perrin is a cowboy (also called Jack to avoid any confusion on set no doubt) and takes a job at George Tully's (Al Bridge) ranch.

Unfortunately Jack's new colleagues are outlaws and he ends up breaking up a robbery being committed by them. Jack is framed for the robbery...

Jack breaks out of the gaol and enlists some friendly Indians to help clear his name and bring the real villains to justice. Oh and get the girl (Blanche Mehaffey) too.

Its all a bit by the numbers and full of B-movie western cliches. There is plenty of action (not all of it that good if we're going to honest) but the film is lacking a spark. Average at best.

Trouble Busters (1933)

An unusual but enjoyable western starring Jack Hoxie as Tex Blaine. Tex has a run-in with the ornery proprietor of the general store (William Burt) but then falls in love with the niece Mary Ann (Kaye Edwards). With the law after him (though he doesn't know why) Tex meets up with two drifters Skinny (Harry Todd) and Windy (Ben Corbett) and head off in search of Mary Ann.

She though has trouble of her own with a rival claim to her land after oil is discovered on her land. Tex gets mixed up in Mary Ann's troubles with Big Bill (Slim Whitaker) who makes for a splendid villain.

Although yet another B-movie western at first glance the film is elevated by a good dose of comedy throughout, some random nonsense and some decent if sometimes off-the-wall performances.

Six-Shootin' Sheriff (1938)

Trigger Morton (Ken Maynard) is fresh out of gaol, where he has spent time after being framed for a crime he didn't commit by local tough guy Kendal (Warner Richmond). Out for revenge on Kendal he also gets roped into tackling the Bar X gang which is terrorising the town, as the sheriff...

After being wounded he is nursed back to health by Molly (Marjorie Reynolds) who provides the love interest (though to be honest he looked old enough to be her Dad)...

There isn't a great deal of story in the film if we're being honest, it's a film of decent if unspectacular action set-pieces though including good horsemanship - which Maynard excelled at as a trick rider for Buffalo Bill.

The Villain (1979)

The Villain is quite a strange film. It is a comedy western full of capers, more like a live action version of a Road Runner cartoon, with the "Coyote" in the shape of Cactus Jack (Kirk Douglas) trying to stop the "roadrunner" (Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ann-Margret) with a series of increasingly deranged and hopeless ambushes.

There is a plot, evil schemes concocted by Jack Elam involving bank loans and seizing a mine, but these seem rather incidental as the failed ambushes continue. The film is very silly and completely unrealistic, Cactus Jack somehow avoiding injuries despite his various accidents. His performing horse Whisky also does a good role. However once you treat the film as intended then it works.

As well as the wacky action the film has some good lines and goofy humour. Look out for Mel Tillis as a telegraph operator who tricks Arnie out of his steak!

By the Sun's Rays (1914)

A run-of-the-mill but decent enough Western silent short. Frank Lawler (Lon Chaney) is a definite bad guy. As the clerk for a mining company he knows when the gold shipments go out and tells a gang of bandits so they can steal it. Frank is also after the mine owner's daughter Dora (Agnes Vernon)...

The mine boss (Seymour Hastings) is however suspicious there is an inside man and hires detective John Murdock (Murdock MacQuarrie) to infiltrate the gang and find out. Of course Murdock saves the day, and the girl.

The plot is fairly simple but works fine in a film that's just about ten minutes long, let's face it some much longer films have even more simple plots.

Boot Hill Bandits (1942)

The Range Busters were a trio of cowboys who made no fewer than twenty four movies in the early 1940s.

Marshal Corrigan (Ray Corrigan) turns up in Sundance and sets up a shooting date with the Mesquite Kid (I. Stanford Jolly) whom he promptly despatches but really he is in town to investigate the mysterious Bolton (John Merton) whom he thinks is up to no good but isn't the real leader of the gang. When Bolton's men blow up a mine payroll wagon Corrigan is thought to be killed. However he is still alive and with the help of his fellow Range Busters (John King and Max Terhune) investigate the gang and uncover the real mastermind.

It is a rather straight forward but enjoyable Western, simple cowboy adventures with a ventriloquist dummy (yes that's right Max Terhune's dummy Elmer).

The Cowboy and the Bandit (1935)

Although not that original this is a decent Western B-movie. Bill (Rex Lease) starts off the film facing a lynching for buying a stolen horse, he is saved by local outlaw Scarface (Richard Alexander) and heads off for another state. There he bumps into a farm, the Bar X ranch, in trouble with the Larkin gang.

He takes a job with the farm but finds Larkin has the local law in his pocket, soon Bill finds himself with another lynch mob after him...

Bill is so straight forward and heroic he is almost a parody but he does a good role in this film, it's not a film with much in the way of shades of grey just good solid cowboy action. Blanche Mehaffey plays the sassy love interest at the saloon. Bobby Nelson plays the spirited kid who helps out Bill.

Lucky Terror (1936)

Lucky Terror is an unchallenging but enjoyable enough western starring Hoot Gibson as a Lucky Carson who gets dragged into a chase. The man being chased Jim Thornton (George Chesebro) forces Lucky to swap horses with him but unfortunately Lucky's horse gets spooked and drags the man over the cliff to his death. Lucky finds gold in the man's saddle and later learns he was a miner being chased by thieves led by Bat Moulton (Jack Rockwell).

Lucky joins a travelling show which includes the miner's niece Ann (Lona Andre). Lucky gets accused of killing Jim Thornton by Bat (really it was his horse) but is acquitted rather amusingly...

Although not too dramatic a film and lacking in much action (though the action that it does have is decent), Lucky Terror has enough unusual touches to elevate it above the usual film of this genre.

The Way of the West (1934)

An unexceptional B-movie western. It has a reasonable story though the dialogue is oddly stilted in delivery. Wally Gordon (Wally Wales aka Hal Taliaferro) is a government agent who stumbles upon a conflict between cattlemen and sheep farmers the Parker family which include Firey (Myria Bratton) who provides the love interest.

Parker has the best grazing land in the area for his sheep and the cattlemen want to get rid of him. They hire in an ornery gunman called Cash Horton (William Desmond) to do the job - this is a bad guy so hardcore he has a swastika on his back! (You wouldn't get away with that in a few years...) Wally meanwhile decides to help out and find out exactly what's going on...

So the story isn't that original but it's a decent enough movie, except for the rather shoddy editing. The "humour" with the kid Little Bobbie (Bobbie Nelson) falls a little flat. The action especially some of the horsemanship is pretty good.

Jesse James meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966)

An example of the rather niche and obscure genre of western/gothic horror crossover. Jesse James (John Lupton) is still on the loose with his butch but dumb henchman Hank (Cal Bolder).

After a failed raid on a stagecoach carrying lots of cash Jesse and Hank end up in the clutches of Frankenstein's grand-daughter (Narda Onyx) (not daughter as the title says - obviously was too long to fit in the extra grand!) She is using local peasants for her depraved experiments to try and replace human brains with artificial ones to create a slave.

Frankenstein decides that Hank will be perfect for her experiment and finally help her achieve her goal...

So it sounds like the most ridiculous idea for a film ever but what makes this nonsense actually fairly enjoyable and watchable is that it is played quite serious and straight. It has many flaws though including the tiny budget. As a western it is mundane and as a horror film it is limited but the sheer strangeness of the premise carries it. Veteran of many Roy Rogers films Estelita Rodriguez plays a nice role as Jesse's love interest though sadly she died at an early age just after making this film.