Boothill Brigade (1937, B&W):
Roughnecks hired to survey property lines for crooked cattleman Jeff Reynolds threaten to evict families from their land - violently if necessary. Rancher Lon Cardigan also stands to lose his property to the underhanded land-grabber, but nevertheless aims to prevent a bloody range war between Reynolds and the displaced homesteaders. It soon becomes obvious that the only way for the rightful land owners to fend off the swindler and his thugs is to fight or die trying.
This western was one of six collaborations between Johnny Mack Brown and prolific director Sam Newfield in 1937. The star was a former All-American halfback at the University of Alabama who turned down professional football offers to pursue a Hollywood career. An MGM contract in 1927 led to leading roles in westerns, and between 1942 and 1950, Brown was among the top-grossing Western movie stars.
Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Claire Rochelle, Dick Curtis, Horace Murphy, Frank LaRue; Directed By Sam Newfield.
Lawless Land (1937, B&W):
Ranger Jeff Hayden arrives in town too late to prevent the murder of his friend, the local sheriff. Clay Wheeler capitalizes on the tragedy by getting himself elected to the victim's post on a "law-and-order" platform, claiming that a gang of cattle thieves are responsible for the killing. Soon the town doctor is also found shot to death. Hayden discovers that the two murder victims were friends of Letty Winston's deceased father and Wheeler has secretly been taking over her inheritance. Once the villain realizes that Hayden is wise to his crimes, the ruthless manipulator vows, "I'm gonna deal Hayden nothin' but misery from now on!"
An electrifying stunt features a wagon speeding over the side of a cliff within seconds of a man and woman jumping to safety. Although cinematographer Jack Greenhalgh efficiently photographed dozens of westerns during the 1930s, the most famous movie on his resume is a 1938 independent release called Tell Your Children - known today by its reissue title, Reefer Madness.
Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Louise Stanley, Ted Adams, Julian Rivero, Horace Murphy; Directed by Albert Ray.
Branded A Coward (1935, B&W):
Johnny Hume watches in horror as his parents and older brother are gunned down by "The Cat" and his band of outlaws. Twenty years later, Johnny is still traumatized by the childhood memory, and he's developed a reputation as a gun-shy coward. But his life abruptly changes after he comes to the rescue of a beautiful woman during a stage robbery. When Johnny learns that the thieves were led by a shadowy figure known as "The Cat," his past and present collide. He decides to take a job as Marshall, solely to uncover the secret that has plagued him since he was a young boy - and exact overdue vengeance!
A dark and complex tale with a shocking surprise ending, Branded a Coward is full of hard riding, fistfights and gunfire. The highlight is Yakima Canutt, the master stuntman, who performs the famous "dragged under the wagon" trick, later updated by Steven Spielberg in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Billie Seward, Syd Saylor, Yakima Canutt; Directed by Sam Newfield.
The Courageous Avenger (1935, B&W):
Ruthless thugs force half-dead slaves to crush silver ore in their isolated desert mine. They also manage to hijack every shipment of bullion from a nearby gold mining company. With the local lawmen seemingly powerless to stop the thefts, Government agent Kirk Baxter is sent to investigate. Baxter suspects that the outlaws have an inside source feeding them information. While tracking down the gangsters, he is captured and sent to join the slaves on the grinding wheel.
With stunning desert panoramas and some innovative camerawork, Courageous Avenger was filmed in 1935, the same year as Branded a Coward. As an unexpected bonus, the "under the wagon" stunt is reprised here as well.
Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Helen Ericson, Ed Cassidy, Frank Ball; Directed by Robert N. Bradbury.
The Lone Star Trail (1943, B&W):
The town of Dead Falls is all roused up by the news of local rancher Blaze Barker's recent release from prison. Half the folks are celebrating the return of an old and trusted friend. Others are determined to get rid of him before he exacts vengeance on them for framing him for a $75,000 robbery. As a parolee, Barker is forbidden to carry a gun, but he gets some desperately needed back-up from Marshal Steele as things in Dead Falls start to heat up.
Lone Star Trail features great performances by Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, Fuzzy Knight and a young Robert Mitchum. Mitchum was still in the early stages of an incredibly successful Hollywood career. Two years after making this film he garnered an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in 1945's Story of G.I. Joe. Starring Johnny Mack Brown, Robert Mitchum, Tex Ritter, Fuzzy Knight; Directed by Ray Taylor.
The Crooked Trail (1936, B&W):
On the run from the law, gunman Harve Tarlton loses his horse in the searing desert of the Badlands and almost dies of thirst. He is rescued by cowboy-turned-prospector, Jim Blake. Blake, a trusting sort, offers Tarlton a partnership in his gold claim, hoping the lure of honest riches will change the outlaw's evil ways. But bad blood runs too deep for redemption, and Tarlton soon returns to his criminal ways. Blake's new bride is determined to show her husband the error of his ways by exposing Tarlton as the murderous criminal that he is, but her plan backfires and she's soon fighting for her life as Tarlton's prisoner. Starring Johnny Mack Brown, John Merton, Lucille Brown, Charles King; Directed by S. Roy Luby.
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