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Reviews
Soldiers of Fortune (1955)
As good as remembered
I just bought the entire series from Amazon, and watched the first few episodes. It wasn't only young boys who liked Soldiers of Fortune. I loved this show back when and as far as I'm concerned, it's holding up well. The stories are top-notch. John Russell was always a favorite of mine, and Chick Chandler as the sidekick is not the usual buffoon, though he has his comic moments. Russell's character is not that different from that of Marshal Dan Troop in Lawman--stalwart, brave, with a bit of humility and a lot of honor.
Thanks to Timeless for bringing it back. Keep it up. There are a lot more great series out there.
The Wild Wild West: The Night of the Death Masks (1968)
Top season 3 episode for me
For me, everything comes together in this episode. Great drama, excellent performances, wonderful cinematography with great closeups and other little "tricks" to enhance the episode.
I look at it more as a "Mission Impossible" in reverse, where bad guy Emmet Stark is manipulating Jim and Artemus to set them up to try to kill each other. Comes very close to working,if Jim had not spotted a simple clue.
One thing I like is that it seems this is the only episode (at least through the first 3 seasons; season 4 comes out 3/18/08), where we hear one admit their feelings for the other. Artemus tells Stark that he has been tricked into killing "the man who was like a brother to me." We all knew that, but it's nice to hear it. The moment when Artemus believes he has killed Jim is a touching one as well, excellently portrayed by Ross Martin.
Season 3 of the Wild Wild West has some wonderful episodes, but this one is the best as far as I'm concerned.
Officer '444' (1926)
So bad it's hilarious
If one watches this serial while in the proper frame of mind, it is wonderful. I find several laugh-at-loud moments in virtually every chapter. I recommend it simply for the fun of seeing it as well as imagining a theater full of kids of 1926 who were probably bugeyed watching it.
Little of it makes much sense. There's almost zero continuity. Clichés abound. I've watched it a couple of times and still can't figure out what's going on half the time. But I'll probably watch it again. It is simply a classic example of many serials (and other movies) of the era.
Of course, we have the cliffhanger ending to chapters... some of which make sense and some don't in the succeeding chapter. Ben Wilson is a stalwart hero and Neva Gerber a sometimes spunky, sometimes helpless, sometimes foolish heroine. All the usual sidekicks abound--perhaps too many. We also see a number of Keystone-Kops-type autos racing through the streets.
One of my favorite scenes is in the "Dragon Cafe," the Frog's hangout. Every time we enter, a bevy of flappers and good-time Charlies are doing the Charlston. They barely cease long enough for the cops to chase someone through them, or the crooks to drag a kidnap victim in... then resume dancing again! So many movies of this era present the stooped-over, one-arm-swinging dark-clad hunchback villain. I can't count the number of films I've seen him in! I guess theater goers of that day got a big thrill (chill?) from seeing such a bad guy.
I now own about a hundred serials from the 20s to the 50s, and this is one of my favorites just because it is so... difficult to explain!
Thundering Thompson (1929)
A dandy little silent western
I picked up this little movie off ebay from "Memory Lane" out of curiosity, and am glad I did. "Thundering Thompson" is a deputy sheriff brought from the county seat by nefarious Bill Edwards (Al Ferguson) to arrest a young woman, Marie Valerian (Neva Gerber) and her father, who are running sheep on land that Edwards covets. "Cheyenne Bill" is a fine-looking young man who fits the part of the stalwart deputy well. He goes to visit the sheepherder, and of course is smitten by the lovely daughter, but also learns that the motives of the cattlemen are not quite what they seem to be. Edwards had the warrant sworn out against Marie to pressure the old man to sell his sheep to him.
Returning to town, Thompson tears up the warrant, then is goaded into a fight when one of Edwards' men deliberately tosses in an insult about Marie. He is ganged up on and beaten unconscious by the cowboys, but only after giving a splendid account of himself against great odds. A "colored man" (unfortunately, a white man in black-face) helps Thompson by later informing him that the ranchers are going to raid the sheepherders to drive them off the prize land.
Thompson tracks down the raiders, by ones and twos, and dissuades them from carrying out the foray. He finally runs down Edwards, and the two engage in a great fight, another pursuit, and another fight, ending in a shallow river. As often was the case in these early movies, the actors do the fighting, not stuntmen. They do a super job, though perhaps less well choreographed than fights in later films. I don't think I've ever seen a scissors-lock applied during a cowboy fight! The deputy gets his man, and gets his girl.
This is a nice little movie, with many of the standard plot lines, yet filled with excellent action scenes. Cheyenne Bill was an athletic actor with a fine presence. Obviously not much is known about him, and he made relatively few movies. Too bad more of them aren't available now.
The Test of Donald Norton (1926)
A Gem of a "Northern"
Starring George Walsh, younger brother of director Raoul Walsh, "The Test of Donald Norton" is fairly typical fare of its genre, but great fun. The film takes place in the great northern regions of Canada where the Hudson Bay Company ruled for years, dealing with the Natives. Walsh portrays "Wendahban," a youth raised by kindly Hudson Bay Company factor and his wife after Wendahban's unstable Indian mother, "Neetahweegan," casts him out. Seems she hates his father and all white men, and refuses to tell Donald who his real (white) father was. Neetahweegan continues to torment the lad by stalking him and crying out, "You are Indian! You are Indian!" At one point, Wendahban asks his foster mother why she does not beat him daily as his Indian mother did.
Wendahban's name is changed to Donald Norton after the factor's sweet little daughter says she cannot pronounce his Indian name, so the factor's wife gives him her father's name. The two children, raised together, naturally fall in love. At one point the foster mother makes Donald promise that he will never ask the daughter to marry him, for a white woman could never marry a man with Indian blood in that era. (Seems it was fine for a white man to take an Indian woman as a mate, but that's another story.) This story line was used in Buck Jones' fine film, White Eagle (with a similar denouement).
As an adult, Norton is given charge of another Hudson Bay trading post, where he makes friends with the factor of a rival post. The new district manager for Hudson Bay is hard-nosed John Corrigal (Tyrone Power, Sr.). He doesn't trust half breeds, and is eager and willing to believe that Norton is unreliable after a bad year. In truth. Norton was ill with fever, tended to by the rival factor. But Millington, the villain of the piece who got the job Norton wanted, also conspired to keep the Indian trappers away from Norton's post so that Donald would show up in a bad light. Donald's foster father is promoted, and recommends Donald to take his place. Corrigal refuses because of his feelings about Indians and mixed bloods, as well as the "frame" Millington arranged.
In revenge, Donald takes a position with the rival firm. When the local Indians try to attack Millington for his cheating ways, with Corrigal present, Donald intervenes, supporting the Hudson Bay Company. Corrigal sees how he was misled and tries to persuade Donald to come back to Hudson Bay. From here on the real action begins, with sled dogs racing through a blizzardone with Donald's sweetheart on itand an abandoned cabin where a terrific fight takes place. I don't want to give too much away here. I'll just say that a happy ending ensues (of course).
The acting is pretty good, considering this is a silent movie, where over-emoting often abounds. At one point, the villain's leering eyebrows and twitchy mustache will draw a grin, if not a laugh-out-loud response. And the heroine displays her knowledge of her peril with a close-up of wide, terror-filled dark eyes. These are the requirements for a film like this, after all! Easy to understand why Tyrone Power Sr. was considered an excellent actor. Once in awhile one can see vestiges of his son, especially around the eyes. The rest of the cast is equally fine.
George Walsh is very good as Donald Norton, quite often using his own eyes to get his anguish and angst across as he lives in two different worlds and knows he can never have the woman he loves. The fight scene in the cabin is excellently carried off (with both actors obviously involved), not to mention Donald has his shirt ripped off so as to display Walsh's excellent physique! I'd recommend that if one enjoys silent movies, and understands the genre, this is a good one to get hold of. I happened across a copy from "Memory Lane" on ebay and bought it out of curiosity. I'm glad I did.
Blue Montana Skies (1939)
One of my favorite Gene Autry movies
I've been a huge fan of Gene Autry's since I was a child seeing his films at the Saturday matinée in the 40s. Blue Montana Skies is one of my favorites, partially for the same reasons the previous reviewer gave--it's somewhat different, with the northern locale, dog sleds and snow instead of horses on the open prairie. Gene gets wounded, and actually behaves somewhat as though he is hurt, instead of immediately healing! Other pluses are a heroine who is not as fainting and screaming and silly as many other heroines in this genre (though she has her moments). June Storey's character of Dorothy actually displays some intelligence and courage. No wonder Gene decides to stay around! Another plus is that Smiley Burnette is a bit more subdued than usual. I normally enjoy Smiley to a point. But he can dominate a film, and has, when the supposed hero seems to have to play second banana instead of the other way around. The title song is great, as is the love song "I Just Want You." And Gene is in great voice. Throw in some good bad guys, and you have an enjoyable B western to while away an hour or so.
The Rawhide Terror (1934)
A strange, confusing western
**CONTAINS LOTS OF SPOILERS** This has to be one of the strangest westerns I've ever watched. Not so much the plot--what there was of it--but the pure confusion of who was the hero and who wasn't. At the beginning, I thought the two boys were named Al and Tim (or Jim). Later, when we encounter the grown up "Al" (Art Mix) I assumed he was one of the birthmarked brothers. He also seemed to be the "hero," flirting with the heroine, saving the day, being nearly killed by the "rawhide terror" villain. The sheriff (Edmond Cobb) appeared sporadically and I did not catch a name given to him. Suddenly, about two-thirds through the film, Al seemed to vanish with no explanation... and the sheriff not only turned out to be one of the brothers, but got the girl. What happened to Al?
I suppose the fact (mentioned in the "trivia") that this movie purportedly started out to be a serial and was turned into a regular-length movie may have something to do with the addled plot.
This is on the "Creepy Cowboys" compilation DVD which I bought for the Ken Maynard movie on it, so I may have to watch Rawhide Terror again simply to see if I missed something!
Jungle Raiders (1945)
An exciting gem of a serial
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD** I obtained "Jungle Raiders" knowing little about it, other than it starred Kane Richmond who appeared in other pretty good ones. Richmond was his usual stalwart, almost stoic self, though he also had the opportunity to portray a caring son.
The plot involves a couple of scientists seeking a "magic" powder that will cure many ills--the secret of which is known only by the shaman of a mysterious hidden tribe in a mysterious country. The father of Ann Reed preceded Dr. Moore, and has disappeared by the time Moore arrives. Ann comes to Jake Rayne's trading post seeking her father, and the wily Jake (played by Charles King in one of his best performances) tells her that her dad disappeared months ago. (I won't reveal here where Dr. Reed truly is.) Ann is in the company of Cora Bell (the beautiful Veda Ann Borg), who at first seems like a fine companion to the newcomer.
Ann is subsequently followed by Bob Moore and Joe Riley, fresh out of the army, planning to join Bob's father. From then on it's a wild chase of double-crosses, triple-crosses, and even quadruple crosses among the bad guys and gals, while the good guys and gal hold their own against them, only by the hardest. There are actually two villainesses, several fine villains, and heroes aplenty to battle them. The heroine, Ann Reed (Janet Shaw) is not one of those gals who stands aside and screams, though she does faint a couple of times.
Along with the fabulous healing powder that the scientists seeks, jewels are the quarry of the baddies, which the native baddies are willing to help them obtain in exchange for help gaining power in the tribe. Add in a couple of warring tribes,fire pits, avalanches... all the requisite perilous situations that we expect in a serial, a couple more imaginative than most, makes for a fun ride.
I was very impressed with Charles King's portrayal of the trading post owner. He was smart and dumb, sadistic at times, and entirely grubby, comical as well as deadly. Of course the hero has a comic sidekick in Joe Riley, but Joe, while having his moments, also holds his own. He's not the usual dummy we see fouling up the efforts of his pal to the point where you wonder why in the world they are friends in the first place. He's an ex-G.I. after all.
Another thing--people got dirty and often stayed dirty until they had an appropriate opportunity to change clothes. And the hats... well, we know how important hats are in movies of this genre. The pith helmets mostly stay glued to the heads of combatants, though they didn't stay on as well as fedoras in other serials. But the first thing that's grabbed when the fight ends...
I would recommend that if you have a chance to see Jungle Raiders, go for it. I rated it a 10 out of 10, and plan to watch it again soon.