Whistlin' Dan

This Ken Maynard picture is obviously operating on a tight budget, but the grim story, nicely paced as it is, and the carefully acted scenes combine to make it very worthy of watching. Mr. Maynard gives a quite serious portrayal with little time for levity. He definitely plays a heroic figure, one who has to do a lot of planning and quick thinking along the way. He even gets to have some outdoor fun with a seniorita, although the action is masked from our view by tall trees and bushes! And then there is Georges Renavent, who chillingly and convincingly plays a truly evil villain with a strong measure of charm. In fact, the movie's reason for action rests on one of movie history's more sadistic depictions, all at the seemingly gleeful order of Mr. Renavent. The sets and locales are appropriately bare, dusty, and gritty; especially enjoyed were the cantina's rough-cut stone staircase and the large curved bar. Outdoors we had the added bonus of Los Angeles County's Vasquez Rocks Park being the scene of some of the frenzied chase action. This is a serious and good B-western from Ken Maynard, but don't expect a kiddie show.