LeCarpentier

FANGS OF THE WILD ventures off the well-beaten path to tell of thieves who prey on fox-breeders, in the day when owning and wearing a fox stole was quite a luxurious status symbol for many ladies around the world. The screenplay tells of an inspector (Frank LaRue) sending his best agent (Dennis Moore) into the woods, to determine the identity of the fox thief, with the help of his highly intelligent dog, billed as the grandson of Rin Tin Tin.

Beautiful Luana Walters runs one of the fox farms suffering losses, and devotees of vintage westerns will be pleased to find Tom London overseeing the operation with her, and Bud Osborne as the guard who patrols the fox pens by day and night. To add to the delight of series western enthusiasts, the thieves are enacted by the quintessential heavy, George Chesebro, and prolific English-born Jimmy Aubrey, who sell their ill-gotten goods to a nefarious fur dealer, expertly played by Ted Adams. Add to the mix Mae Busch as an undercover agent purchasing a stolen fox piece to gain evidence to convict the gang and we have a cast which can do no wrong in the eyes of "B" action movie fans of the Depression years.

Rin Tin Tin is unjustly accused of fox-snatching at one point, but it's the delightful cast of favorites from the unpretentious low-budget features of the day who make FANGS OF THE WILD fun to view. North Dakota-born Raymond K. Johnson directs satisfactorily, although the Hawaiian-tinged incidental music used in early sequences seems strangely out of place for a story set entirely in the woods. Dennis Moore, a more versatile and skilled actor than his role as the stoic agent permits him to display, is fine as the protagonist who, with his dog, saves the day for the fox breeders.

LAW OF THE WOLF, which has absolutely nothing to do with wolves, is thoroughly enjoyable for those who fondly recall the unpretentious, economical filmed entertainment of a bygone era. Billed as the grandson of Rin Tin Tin, a noble dog has a key role in bringing to justice two villains, portrayed by illustrious veteran heavies George Chesebro and Jack Ingram. Dennis Moore, a versatile and accomplished actor not often given an opportunity to fully display his abilities, does a fine job as an escaped convict seeking to prove he was falsely accused of murder.

There seems to be no evidence of theatrical bookings for LAW OF THE WOLF in 1939, the year generally given as its release date. Film Daily reviewed it as a new film in May, 1941, at which time a two-page spread was also run to announce that two completed Rin Tin Tin features (this one and also FANGS OF THE WILD) would be joined shortly by two more, all distributed on a States Rights basis by Arthur Ziehm, Inc. Originally slated to be a 1939-40 release by Metropolitan Pictures, it is possible that LAW OF THE WOLF was produced in 1940 and held for eventual release in 1941. Newspaper ads indicate that the film played small theatres throughout the 1940s, almost up to the time it was in general release for television.

Lovely Luana Walters, always a pleasure to see in her many film appearances of the era, brightens the supporting cast in the role of Dennis Moore's loyal fiancé, and English-born Jimmy Aubrey, a fixture in low-budget westerns, has a significant role as a forest ranger. Fast-growing teenage actor Martin Spellman, who had received splendid notices for his co-starring roles in a trio of Monogram features, is cast as Aubrey's nephew and temporary guardian of Rin Tin Tin.

Vintage incidental music was wisely licensed and well employed in the action sequences, and North Dakota-born cinematographer/director Raymond K. Johnson's direction is entirely satisfactory for a production of this nature.

Set during the Civil War and involving the Homestead Act of 1862, E. B. Derr's historical drama, THE LAW COMMANDS, casts Tom Keene as the misunderstood protagonist. When a beloved, two-fisted settler (Carl Stockdale) is murdered while trying to follow the local physician's non-violent approach to dealing with land-grabbers, the community turns on the doctor (Mr. Keene), who must prove that his approach can work.

Budd Buster is excellent in the role of "Kentuck," the sidekick in most of the films in this series, well supported by Marie Stoddard as his robust wife. Robert Fiske again makes a splendid heavy, assisted in his treachery by John Merton this time around. Veteran screen actor Horace B. Carpenter has one of his most prominent roles in sound features as an irate settler struggling to find a way to protect his claim from being stolen by the unscrupulous land thieves.

Bennett Cohen's screenplay gives THE LAW COMMANDS some unusual components, and prolific William Nigh's direction takes full advantage of them. With Tom Keene as a likeable defender of justice and fair-play, and with a good and well-directed supporting cast, this and other films in Crescent's set of eight historical fiction dramas should be regarded as a cut above average.