Frontier Badmen

During the war years at Universal, Lon Chaney enjoyed special status as a horror star, and received guest star billing in non horror fare such as this above average Western helmed by action specialist Ford Beebe, who did his share of terrors ("Night Monster," "Son of Dracula," and "The Invisible Man's Revenge"). 1943's "Frontier Badmen" was the fifth of the actor's six Westerns during his Universal period, preceded by "Riders of Death Valley" (a 12 chapter serial), "Badlands of Dakota," "North to the Klondike," "Overland Mail" (a 15 chapter serial, Chaney's last), and followed by "The Daltons Ride Again" in 1945. "Frontier Badmen" stands a cut above the others, with Chaney billed in the ads as 'Chango, the Mad Killer!' but deservedly listed seventh for his disappointingly small role as the clean-shaven, guitar-strumming, sharp-shooting henchman of boss man Thomas Gomez, no better or larger than dozens of similar parts he had done in his early struggling years. 1943 was his busiest year for the studio, with solid horror titles like "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" and "Son of Dracula" followed by the one reel short "What We Are Fighting For," the Maria Montez color fantasy "Cobra Woman," this Western, the comedy "Crazy House," "The Mummy's Ghost," the all-star extravaganza "Follow the Boys," and finally "Calling Dr. Death" and "Weird Woman," which began the Inner Sanctum series (Lon certainly didn't lack for variety at the time, but was only the star in the horror titles). Although "Frontier Badmen" was clearly a 'B,' Ford Beebe was a longtime specialist in fast paced action, the exceptional cast including Noah Beery Jr., in love with Anne Gwynne, who is in love with Robert Paige, who hangs out with Diana Barrymore. Lest one think it's all romance, the plot involves a Texas cattle drive along the Chisholm trail, discovering a black market in Abilene, earning $11.00 a head while someone else sells them for $23.00, for a neat $12.00 profit. Comic banter is provided by old pros Leo Carrillo, whip wielding Andy Devine, and knife throwing Cherokee Frank Lackteen. Thomas Gomez is very much typecast as chief villain, but Chaney's role is so underwhelming that one wonders why he was never cast as the top heavy in any of his Universal Westerns (much of his footage finds him strumming his guitar, whistling to the tune of "Beautiful Dreamer"). Even his pool shooting game with Robert Paige fails to raise much excitement, but he surely must have enjoyed saddling up again alongside old buddies Noah Beery Jr. and Andy Devine (Beery and Gomez would rejoin Chaney for 1945's "The Daltons Ride Again").

A group of cowboys ending their cattle drive in Abilene find that cattle prices are being kept artificially low, driving down the price they'll get for their beef. They set out to change the situation.

Entertaining and punchy western centred on the greedy middlemen and the benefits of a broker free market. Has some really funny one liners, beautiful women, gunsmoke, a fiery stampede, stampede raging through town, cows smashing through windows and Lon Chaney jr. As a guitar strumming henchman to Thomas Gomez' villain. There's a great cast of western character actors like Noah Beery Jr., William Farnum, Leo Carrillo, bullwhipping Andy Devine, Kermit Maynard, and Robert Paige, who bears a slight resemblance to James Stewart, does well as the hero. Frank Lackteen as the Indian makes me laugh with his dead pan delivery. "You talk too much."

What a thrill, to find a Western I've not even heard of before, and then to find it is almost perfect.

First, of course, is the story: Gerald Geraghty and Morgan Cox wrote the original screenplay. Perhaps almost every individual element has been used previously, but the business premise is new to this type of Western. And it really works.

Next is an extraordinary cast -- although back-stage gossip says there is at least one player who had a drinking problem. Therefore, since that does not show on screen, directors -- one of whom, William C. McGann, doesn't get screen credit -- and fellow players as well as editor Fred R. Feitshans, Jr., and cinematographer William A. Sickner all get extra credit.

Universal was not known for big-budget pictures, but this one looks big-budget. First, with its aforementioned extraordinary cast plus hundreds of cattle, who must have wreaked a lot of damage.

Performers all, each and every one, deserve special mention, but I will stop with one: Robert Paige. He had everything that should be needed to be a star: Tall, handsome looks, a great voice, even for singing, which he did a lot of though not here, athleticism allowing him to be a good cowboy, and acting talent that let him play quite a variety of roles.

His adorable co-star Anne Gwynne said he was afraid of horses, but that too doesn't show on screen. However it might explain why he wasn't in a lot more Westerns.

"Frontier Badmen" is another inane generic title, telling us nothing about the movie, and the movie seems to be hard to find, especially online. I highly recommend it and hope you can find a copy, perhaps at your local library. It is well worth the search. One great film!

"Frontier Badmen" is a programmer western made by Universal in 1943 with no major stars. Running at about an hour and a quarter, it tells the story of a group of cattlemen who bring their herd to Abilene to sell only to find that the prices are being controlled by unknown parties.

Robert Paige plays the hero and Anne Gwynne the heroine. Both are competent but what sets this little gem of a western apart is it's excellent supporting cast, a relative who's who of western supporting players. First, Noah Beery Jr. plays the hero's trusted buddy. Then we have a tobacco spitting, bull whipping Andy Devine playing against type, as a crusty trail hand and Leo Carillo doing his Mexican amigo with Frank Lacteen as his Indian pal. Veteran William Farnum, whose career dated back to the early teens, appears as a trail foreman and Tex Ritter as a cattle buyer.

On the wrong side of the law is Thomas Gomez as the chief baddie, Lon Chaney Jr. as a murderous guitar strumming henchman and Kermit Maynard as "one of the boys". The tragic Diana Barrymore plays the saloon girl who is the apple of hero Paige's eye.

The story is routine but is raised a level or two by the performances of its veteran cast. I thoroughly enjoyed it.