Two Johnny Mack Brown Monogram Westerns on Blu-Ray? Better check my blood pressure before I fall out. The third installment in Warner Archive’s Monogram Matinee series is right up my alley.
Under Arizona Skies (1946) Directed by Lambert Hillyer Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Reno Browne, Raymond Hatton, Riley Hill, Tris Coffin, Reed Howes
Johnny Mack Brown shoots a rustler and is soon on the hook for murder. His pal Raymond Hatton comes to the rescue. Reno Browne only made a handful of movies — this might be her first.
Range Justice (1949) Directed by Ray Taylor Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Max Terhune, Tris Coffin, Riley Hill, Sarah Padden, Eddie Parker
This time, Johnny helps an old lady who’s being cheated out of her ranch. Director Ray Taylor was great with action — he did Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe (1940).
These Poverty Row marvels will look terrific in high definition. Highly recommended.
Just what we’ve been waiting for — another Monogram Matinee! This time we get a bigger-than-usual Monogram picture, along with one of the Westerns they excelled at.
Louisiana (1947) Directed by Phil Karlson Starring Governor Jimmie Davis, Margaret Lindsay, John Gallaudet
Jimmie Davis was the governor of Louisiana. He was also a pretty fair songwriter and country singer — he wrote “You Are My Sunshine.” Monogram made a movie about, with Davis playing himself, covering his rise from redneck to sheriff to mayor to governor, with country singer spread over the top of it all. The great Phil Karlson directed, and he swore his picture helped Davis get re-elected. We’re all familiar with the celebrity-turned-politician thing, but starring in a movie while still in office?
Song Of The Range (1944) Directed by Wallace Fox Starring Jimmy Wakely, Dennis Moore, Lee ‘Lasses’ White
Song Of The Range is the first of Monogram’s Jimmy Wakely pictures. Wakely had appeared in a number of B Westerns before getting a series of his own. He made 28 pictures for Monogram. Here, director Wallace Fox stirs up guitars and gunplay for a brisk, tuneful 55 minutes. Fox worked a lot with Sam Katzman at Monogram, then directed some serials for him when Katzman split for Columbia.
With these features coming from 4k scans of the best surviving nitrate materials, I cannot wait to get my hands on this thing. Highly recommended.
Directed by Howard Bretherton Produced by Vincent M. Fennelly Written by Maurice Tombragel Cinematography: Ernest Miller Film Editor: Sam Fields Music by Raoul Kraushaar
Cast: Whip Wilson (Marshal Whip Wilson), Fuzzy Knight (Tex), Lois Hall (Laura Davis), Tommy Farrell (Marshal Jim Dugan), Terry Frost (Mike Lorch), Lane Bradford (Talbot), Marshall Reed (Sheriff Ernie Hodkins), Steve Clark (Charley Davis), Iron Eyes Cody (Cherokee)
Felt like taking the trail to Poverty Row, and since I haven’t stuck a Whip Wilson picture on here yet, I settled on Night Raiders (1952), one of Wilson’s later films — from Monogram’s last year before the switch to Allied Artists. Night Raiders is one of the pictures making up Warner Archive’s DVD set Monogram Cowboy Collection, Volume 2.
After a series of night raids on local ranches (without anything being taken), Fuzzy Knight sends for marshals Whip Wilson and Tommy Farrell to aide Fuzzy’s boss (Steve Clark) and his daughter (Lois Hall). Turns out it’s part of a plot to locate $15,000 that was hidden after a train robbery.
Whip Wilson (born Roland Charles Meyers) had been a singer before getting into the movies. After Buck Jones was killed in the 1942 fire at the Coconut Grove, Monogram went looking for someone to replace him. They felt Meyers resembled Jones a bit (personally, I don’t see it) and they gave him the name Whip Wilson. He’s not a great actor by any means, but he’s good with action and comes off as likable.
Before Night Raiders, Lois Hall made three Johnny Mack Brown pictures, including Colorado Ambush (1951). Along with appearing alongside Brown and Whip Wilson, she was in some Jimmy Wakely and Durango Kid movies. She also did some serials and plenty of TV Westerns like Wild Bill Hickok, Kit Carson, The Lone Ranger and The Range Rider. She continued working into the 2000s.
This was the last feature for director Howard Bretherton, who got his start doing props back in 1914. In the early 20s, he started working as an editor and wound up at Warner Bros. He got the chance to direct While London Sleeps (1927), a Rin Tin Tin movie.
Bretherton left Warner Bros. in 1935 and was tapped by Harry Sherman to do the first six Hopalong Cassidy films before eventually making his way to Monogram. There, his abilities often overcame the studio’s paltry budgets and punishing schedules.
Like so many directors from this period, Howard Bretherton tried his hand at television before retiring. He directed episodes of Racket Squad and Adventures Of Superman.
Night Raiders is included in Volume 2 of Warner Archive’s terrific Monogram Cowboy Collection, a nine-picture set dedicated to Wilson and Rod Cameron. The films all look great. Though they don’t get what you’d consider an actual restoration, the transfers are very nicely done.
I wish Warner Archive would spend more time digging around in the Monogram vaults. The stuff they’ve put out thus far are some of the real joys of my collection. All 10 volumes of the Monogram Cowboy Collection come highly, highly recommended.
Johnny Mack Brown came to Raleigh, NC a good 20 years before I moved there. My timing has never been all that good. Colorado Ambush (1952) is a good one, written by the picture’s bad guy, Myron Healey.
Herman Arthur “Harry” Lauter (June 19, 1914 – October 30, 1990)
Harry Lauter, a terrific (and very busy) character actor, was born 111 years ago today. He was almost always a badguy.
He was in everything from Canadian Mounties Vs. Atomic Invaders (1953) to Crime Wave (1953) to Creature With The Atom Brain (1955) — but he really found his place in Westerns.
He was in Republic Westerns with Allan Rocky Lane, Monte Hale, Rex Allen and William Elliott.
At Columbia, he was in Gene Autry and Durango Kid movies. And he was in things like Rancho Notorious (1952), Apache Ambush (1955), At Gunpoint (1955) and Posse From Hell (1961).
He was just as prolific on TV — The Roy Rogers Show, The Gene Autry Show, Annie Oakley, The Lone Ranger, Colt .45, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Death Valley Days, Have Gun – Will Travel, Laramie, Zane Grey Theatre, Cheyenne, Bonanza, Maverick and The Wild Wild West.
Lauter always painted, but after he retired from the movies, he ran an art gallery in Studio City.
Both images are from Topeka (1953) from Allied Artists.
Directed by Wallace Fox Supervisor: Eddie Davis Original Screenplay by Adele Buffington Director Of Photography: Harry Neumann Film Editor: John C. Fuller
Cast: Johnny Mack Brown (Himself), Max Terhune (Alibi), Poni Adams (Judy Gordon), Hugh Prosser (Jim Laren), Riley Hill (Joe Gordon), Marshall Reed (Frank), Constance Worth (Ann Gordon), Steve Clark (Dusty Dekker), Terry Frost (Carl), William Ruhl (Curly), John Merton (Blacksmith), Myron Healey (Gus)
Warner Archive’s announcement of the Monogram Matinee #1 Blu-Ray was a reason for much rejoicing around here. And if you ask me, now that it’s here, the rejoicing can continue. This thing’s great.
It puts three Monogram Westerns from 1949 on a single disc: Mississippi Rhythm starring Jimmie Davis, Western Renegades with Johnny Mack Brown, and Whip Wilson in Crashing Thru. No frills other than terrific transfers.
The picture I went to first was Western Renegades (1949).
Marshall Johnny Mack Brown rides into Gordonville to visit his old friend Dusty Dekker (Steve Clark), and before we’re four minutes into the picture, Johnny’s plugged two guys and a well-to-do rancher is murdered. Not long after that, we learn of a plot cooked up by some of the locals to snatch the dead man’s ranch from his two adult children, with an actress passed off as the rancher’s long-lost wife — and with Dusty framed for it.
Monogram’s Johnny Mack Brown Westerns are a lot of fun. He’s likable, he rides well and he has a cool hat. (Hats are very important in these things.) His Southern accent is real, another plus. And there’s usually plenty of action.
Max Terhune isn’t given a lot to do as Alibi this time around, but it’s always nice to see him (and Elmer). Myron Healey doesn’t have a lot of screen time in one of those parts often listed as “henchman,” though he’s called Gus here.
While it’s easy to see that these things were made with an eye on the clock, the pros putting them together always seem to come through. Harry Neumann’s camerawork in Western Renegades is nice, especially if you consider the time, or lack of it, he had to get things set up.
Neumann’s work is presented quite nicely here. It’s always a treat to see B Westerns look this good, where we can appreciate the craft required to make movies this quickly and cheaply.
The Monogram John Mack Brown films are well represented in Warner Archive’s older DVD series, Monogram Cowboy Collection. (If you’re reading this far into this, trust me, you need those.)
If sets like this Monogram Matinee are how things are going to move forward, bring ’em on! Highly recommended.
Now THIS is good news! Of late, we’ve been complaining about Monogram pictures being absent from Warner Archive’s new release lists. Well, we jumped the gun. They’ve just announced a Blu-Ray packed with three long-unseen Monogram Pictures from 1949 — coming in March. Can’t wait!
Mississippi Rhythm Directed by Derwin Abrahams Starring Jimmie Davis, Veda Ann Borg, Lee White, Sue England, James Flavin, Paul Maxey
Crashing Thru Directed by Ray Taylor Starring Whip Wilson, Andy Clyde, Christine Larson, Tris Coffin, Steve Darrell, George J. Lewis
Western Renegades Directed by Wallace Fox Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Max Terhune, Poni Adams, Hugh Prosser, Riley Hill, Marshall Reed
What has me really stoked about this is that it’s listed as Volume 1, meaning there will be more. Bring ’em on!
I’m kinda uncomfortable “reviewing” something that I worked on, so I usually drop something after announcing that it’s coming. But I gotta tell ya, on this Saddle Up Western Double Feature from Kit Parker Films, Panhandle (1948) with Rod Cameron is really incredible on Blu-Ray. Its original sepia tone looks terrific. Cool movie, too. You don’t want to miss this!
Haven’t taken a look at Apache Rifles (1964) yet. Working on the short documentaries for these was a lot of fun. Volume 2 is gonna be great, too!
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet Produced by Scott R. Dunlap Screenplay by Jess Bowers (Adele Buffington) Original Story by Oliver Drake Director Of Photography: Harry Neumann Film Editor: Carl Pierson Musical Director: Edward J. Kay
Cast: Buck Jones (Marshal Buck Roberts), Tim McCoy (Marshal Tim McCall), Raymond Hatton (Marshal Sandy Hopkins), Luana Walters (Ruth Masters), Dennis Moore (Joe Brooke), Kathryn Sheldon (Aunt Miranda Masters), Tris Coffin (Steve Taggert), Horace Murphy (Bunion)
John Knight accused me of going too up-market, so I quickly finished up a Poverty Row post I’d been messing with.
Arizona Bound (1941) was the first of Monogram’s Rough Riders pictures. The series’ first eight Westerns feature Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton as retired US Marshals working undercover.
A ninth film was made without McCoy, who’d been called back into military service. That last film, Dawn On The Great Divide (1942) would be Buck Jones’ last picture — he was killed in the Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston.
In this first one, The Rough Riders come to the aid of Ruth Masters (Luana Walters), who’s trying to keep her father’s stage line afloat after a string of robberies, her dad’s murder and her boyfriend being shot up. In typical B Western fashion, the big wig who runs the saloon (Tris Coffin) is behind the efforts to steal the gold shipments, destroy the stage line and frame Buck Jones for one of the robberies. Of course, The Rough Riders come through and set everything right, after doing cool things and spouting off some great dialogue.
To be honest, The Rough Riders pictures are pretty average Monogram B Westerns, elevated by the star power of Buck Jones and Tim McCoy. It’s easy to see why Jones was such a big deal. He has great presence and comes off really likable. Tim McCoy carries himself with great authority in whatever he does. In this one he poses as a gun-toting preacher, looking awesome in his black hat and long coat. Raymond Hatton gets to be the “funny one,” and he does so admirably.
Luana Walters is lovely, playing the same B Western damsel in distress you’ve seen a hundred times (and that she’d played almost as many). She had a pretty fascinating career, playing tiny parts in big pictures like A Star Is Born (1937) and DeMille’s The Buccaneer (1938) and big parts in tiny pictures like King Of Chinatown (1939) and Girls In Prison (1956). She was in all sorts of B Westerns (Autry, Elliott, Starrett, Holt, etc.), Monogram’s The Corpse Vanishes (1942) and in the first chapter of Sam Katzman’s Superman serial (1948).
The story comes from Oliver Drake, who was a master at such things, with direction from Spencer Gordon Bennet — who’d make over 100 serials, along with plenty of Westerns and four of the 16 Jungle Jim movies.
The Rough Riders series comes from the time when Hollywood was making a slew of “trio Westerns” — The Rough Riders, The Three Mesquiteers and The Range Busters. While Republic’s Mesquiteer films were certainly better made, Jones and McCoy carried these Monograms to the top of the heap. What I wouldn’t give for a nice DVD or Blu-Ray set of the entire series. In the meantime, Film Masters offers up a pretty decent copy of this one on YouTube.
I’m really stoked to be telling y’all about this one. Kit Parker Films is bringing a handful of excellent Western titles to both DVD and Blu-Ray in a series of twin-bills called Saddle Up Western Double Features.
First up is Audie Murphy in William Witney’s Apache Rifles (1964) paired with Rod Cameron in Lesley Selander’s Panhandle (1948). Both are quite good, with Panhandle being one of those films you appreciate more each time you revisit it.
This series has been in the works for a while, and Kit Parker’s really doing ’em right — true upgrades (not retreads) of earlier releases like his great Darn Good Western series that included Panhandle. Both pictures are getting new 4K scans from the best material around — and intro videos written and narrated by yours truly. Panhandle will be in its original sepia tone!
Don’t have a release date for this first one, but these things are gonna be terrific!
50 Westerns From The 50s.