The Red Rider (1934) User Reviews

Buck Jones and Silver maintain law and order on Universal's ranch and back lot.

[horn-5 · 8/10 · 9 December 2005]

The second of Buck Jones' five serials for Universal, and the 23rd of Universal's sound era films, falling between "The Vanishing Shadow" and "Tailspin Tommy." This one is primarily about the efforts of lawman "Red" Davidson(Buck Jones)to save his friend "Silent" Slade (Grant Withers)from being hanged for a crime he didn't commit. It has the usual cliff-hanger endings and is padded far beyond the limits of W.C. Tuttle's original pulp-magazine story, "The Redhead from Sun Dog", in order to get 15 chapters out of what is basically a 60-minute feature-length plot. But, being based on a story by one of the better western writers of the era, it is also filled with fleshed-out characters far from the one-dimension type found in most serials of the time, and not at all in those of the 40's and 50's.

Both Jones and Withers are furnished with love interests---the lovely Marion Shilling as "Marie Maxwell" for Jones, and Margaret La Marr as "Joan McKee" for Withers,whose second-lead (and 2nd-billed)role is close to that, in importance, of the role played by Jones.

As usual, with Universal and (sometimes) Columbia serials, this one is more episodic in nature--- new plot lines get resolved within the basic plot--than those made by Republic. The latter made the best in terms of action, stunts, photography, special effects and over-all "look" of the total serial but, aside from the first and concluding chapter, everything that came in the in-between chapters looked the same.

Serial Review

[tomwal · 8/10 · 3 December 2013]

One of the better Universal western serials with a strong cast. Jones plays a sheriff whose friend played by Grant Withers,is wrongfully framed for murder. Jones lets Withers escape,resigns from his job and goes to assist in finding the real killer .Lots of fast action and plausible cliff hangers. Edmund Cobb is very good as Jones pal. Walter Miller is outstanding as the head heavy. Lew Landers directs.Red Rider is unusual in that it spends much of its time developing the characters. Jones is perfect as the easy going hero.Fifteen chapters of exciting western action.Jones was a well known western star and the Universals showcased his talent.There's a bit of everything here that a serial lover would want.Comedy, drama and most of all,hard riding action is combined to make The Red Rider a most enjoyable chapterplay. Eight stars out of ten.

Did He Say Marajuana?

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 26 June 2019]

"The Red Rider" was a better than average serial and is not to be confused with the "Red Ryder" character created by Fred Harmon I guess it just got under the wire from the Production Code which came in in 1934. In the story one of the villains smokes marijuana cigarettes and is mentioned aloud in the dialogue. Another oddity is the casting of star Buck Jones as a redhead. As far as I know he was not a redhead.

Anyway, Red Davidson (Jones) is sheriff of Sun Dog, Montana and is best friends with Silent Slade (Grant Withers). Slade is romancing Joan McKee (Margaret LaMarr) the daughter of rancher Scotty McKee (J.P. McGowan) who is firmly against the relationship. McKee it seems has a past. He is visited by Jim Breen (Walter Miller) who accuses him of double crossing him guns him down and escapes through a window. Slade discovers the body and is arrested as the killer.

Slade is found guilty at trial and is sentenced to be hanged. Red as sheriff will have to execute his friend. Believing Slade to be innocent, he allows him to escape rather than carry out the execution. Red, feeling guilty, resigns as sheriff and roams the country. He winds up just north of the U.S./Mexican border at a ranch run by Robert Maxwell ((Charles K. French) who as it happens, has a comely young daughter Marie (Marion Schilling).

Red pals up with ranch foreman Johnny Snow (Edmund Cobb) and explains every thing to him. Slade meanwhile has joined up with Breen's gang in an effort to prove that Breen was the killer of McKee. To further complicate matters, there ire stolen smuggled diamonds that has disappeared while being brought over the border from Mexico where Breen has his ranch. Each of the principals including Mexican bandito Joe Portos (Richard Cramer) accuses the other of a double cross.

As it happens, the diamonds turn up hidden in a saddle horn that Red had won in a poker game from Portos. Marie sets her sights on Red in spite of Johnny's love for her. She even gives Red a kiss, a no no for "B" western heroes.

Finally there is a showdown between Breen and Portos over the diamonds. Then Red steps in and.....................................................

This 15 chapter serial has all the usual elements, the chases, poorly staged fights, the usual cliff hanger chapter endings, trap doors, secret tunnels, double crosses, gunfights and rare for a "B" serial, romances, two to be exact with poor old Edmund Cobb lamenting in the background. You have got to hear Cobb's serenading of the heroine.

Buck Jones had been a major western star since the early 20s and this was one of several serials he made in the 30s and 40s as well as appearing in several features. He wound up as one of "The Rough Riders" in the early forties along with veterans Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton. Grant Withers never quite made it to the western hero list. He did appear in a couple of serials and played the police inspector in the Boris Karloff Mr. Wong series. In the forties and fifties he played mostly villains at Republic and other studios.

Other notables in the large cast are Monte Montegue and Jim Thorpe providing comedy relief as the Abel brothers, Bud Osborne, Dennis Moore, Hank Bell and John Merton in various roles.