Westward Bound

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Hoot Gibson, Ken Maynard, and Bob Steele in Westward Bound (1944)

Learning that Montana is about to become a state and that property values will rise rapidly, Caldwell is using his outlaw gang to force the ranchers off their land. To fight back Tuttle send... Read allLearning that Montana is about to become a state and that property values will rise rapidly, Caldwell is using his outlaw gang to force the ranchers off their land. To fight back Tuttle sends for the Trail Blazers and unaware of Maynard's identity, Caldwell appoints him Marshal.Learning that Montana is about to become a state and that property values will rise rapidly, Caldwell is using his outlaw gang to force the ranchers off their land. To fight back Tuttle sends for the Trail Blazers and unaware of Maynard's identity, Caldwell appoints him Marshal.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

YOUR RATING

5User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Western bad man actor Charles King had many a screen fight with western star Bob Steele in his films over the years and the two worked regularly on their routine. Here King stands in for Harry Woods in his fight with Steele.

Goofs
In the climactic fight, Hoot Gibson throws lit sticks of dynamite at the fleeing bad guys. The resulting explosions occur several feet from where the sticks actually land, and when the dust clears, you can see the "dynamite" sticks he threw still lying on the ground.

Connections
Followed by Arizona Whirlwind (1944)

User reviews5

Review

Featured review

7/10

better than average

By the 1940's the format for the 3 pals western was pretty well set, and here we have the Trailblazers. The budget values are pretty apparent, especially some stock footage of Steele at the beginning riding down a dirt road past telephone poles. The actors don't even bother with stage names.

The action is good. Battlin' Bob and Maynard each go more than a few rounds. Even Hoot Gibson does a little fighting. The shtick with him throwing lit dynamite at the villains reminds me a lot of Walter Brennan's turn in Rio Bravo. Both Hoot and Walter were getting up there in years, cackling away and neither very flexible anymore.

At 50 minutes in length, this was intended for Saturday afternoon matinée filler. It interests me how much these B westerns presage TV drama. The target audience has a short attention span, and are shocked into alertness every five minutes with some kind of a racket - shooting, galloping, fighting, whatever. These films create a mood. The plot and acting are incidental. While this one is a lot like all the rest, I think it's better than average as a mindless Saturday afternoon trip down memory lane.