Valley of Hunted Men

This is a good example of a World War II propaganda Western. I gave The Valley of Hunted Men a vote of 4, but it is really a 10 in my book. I am a fan of Three Mesquiteer films and evil Nazi films and this Western brings the two together. It stars Bob Steele, who you may remember as Duffy on F-Troop, Tom Tyler, who has over 100 Westerns to his credit in the three decades between 1924 and 1953, and Jimmy Dodd, who you may remember from the original Mickey Mouse Club. But what makes this Western special for me is Dutch actor Roland Varno's role as the leader of the Nazi killers. Roland Varno made a career of playing Nazis and he did it so well. This movie has an action packed first half but then the pace slows quite a bit. I have only seen this film twice but I would love to see it on DVD. It intrigues me also as a film that could have been much better if it had been done outside of the Three Mesquiteer series as a straight propaganda film with the escaped Nazis terrorizing the West.

In 1942, many series set in other places and times were infused with relevance to the Nazi crisis at hand. The Three Mesquiteros "modern"-day Westerners in mining country is best remember as the series where John Wayne earned his oats. But other veteran cowpokes were regulars in other periods, and this one stars Bob Steele and Tom Tyler. Normally, they were fast-paced oaters, long on action, short on character development. This one actually allows us inside some of the characters as an undercover Nazi throws unfair suspicion on a scientist of German ancestry working on the 3M ranch on a wartime project for the Allies. Still no shortage of action, gunplay, and horseplay, but more welcome introspection than usual cements this classic entry as two cuts above the norm.

There is not much one can say about this movie. It is pretty much a canned western with nazis as villains instead of Indians or cattle thieves. In a real sense, it pretty much reflected the confusion and the panic of the times early in World War Two. Enemy agents could be anywhere, anyone with a German name (Dr. Steiner in this movie)was suspect. Citizens were aware that the fate of the nation was in peril with a series of battle losses in both Europe and the Pacific. The irony in this film is that Dr. Steiner in fact aids the United States with his invention. If you like grass root cowboy movies, this is for you.

I liked Valley of Hunted Men! This movie starts with an incredible amount of action. Three Nazis escape from a Canadian concentration camp and make their way into Montana. As each Nazi is hunted down we see chase scenes that would normally be reserved for the climactic ending of a good western. John English held nothing back, just like in the serials he directed. There is no mistaking the action Republic had solidly built its reputation upon. I was afraid that I had bought a very short, edited version of the feature because the scenes were so dynamic at such an early point in the movie! After the terrific build up the movie jumps into its plot. A German scientist, Dr. Steiner, cooperates with the United States Government to develop a chemical that will help in the production of rubber. The nephew of Dr. Steiner is replaced by one of the escaped Nazis, and he proceeds destroy Dr. Steiner's work. All the while suspicion is cast upon Dr. Steiner's loyalty. The Mesquiteers never lose faith in the doctor as they find the true enemy. Just as the first part of the movie hammered away on action, the remainder of the movie keeps driving the plot hard.

Valley of Hunted Men came out in 1942, but the story is set in 1941. Nazis were a real threat by that time, and the attack on Pearl Harbor is incorporated into the story. Many characters, such as the storekeeper and the Mesquiteers, proclaim their disdain for Nazis but none can recognize them until it is too late. This confusion among the characters pushes the story along until the end.

Initially I had trouble accepting Jimmie Dodd as a member of the Mesquiteers, but after a few movies I have come around to thinking of him as a solid member of the trio. By the time he replaced Rufe Davis as Lullaby Joslin the Mesquiteers were nearing the end of their Republic trail which by then belonged to Roy Rogers. Dodd's portrayal of the character works well for me. Bob Steele had been a leading man since the beginning of sound westerns. His Tuscon Smith character was on an even level with Tom Tyler's Stony Brooke. No one comes across as the leader of the team. "Team" is definitely a good description of the Three Mesquiteers in this movie. They are always positive and decisive with every move they make.

By the end of Valley of Hunted Men I wanted more. I was really enjoying this movie. Sadly there were only four more movies left in what was once Republic's flagship western series. Despite the series coming to an close, the quality remained high until the end.