Last night we had another new find: Sunset Carson, who starred in "Call of the Rockies"(1944). I discovered Carson after Googling the plaque at Garden of the Gods in the Santa Susana Pass. It lists some of the cowboys who filmed movies at the Iverson Ranch. Many of our favorites are on the plaque (amazingly, Tom Tyler isn't on there), and Sunset Carson is one of the first names listed. I'd never heard of him, he was a late comer to B-Westerns, but I looked him up and saw that he made some popular flicks for Republic Pictures in the mid-to late 40s. He's young like Bob Steele (24 and looks it) but unlike Bob he's very tall, 6'6". The interesting thing is that he isn't the star here. Smiley Burnette is. Smiley usually played a sidekick (we saw him in all those Tim Holt westerns), and this time he's nominally a sidekick to Sunset, but Smiley gets most of the screen time, maybe because it was Sunset's first movie.
Anyway, Harry Woods is great in a co-starring, semi-comic role as the evil owner of a mine equipment store. If Charles King is the King of Henchmen, then Woods is certainly the Bossman of all the Western Bad Guys who ever lived. He's always the kingpin behind the scenes, getting the Charles Kings of the world to do his dirty work. Here, he's trying to take over the mines of the local geologist, who's put his blood, sweat and tears into establishing his business.
Woods is in cahoots with the town doctor (we'll have to add doctors to the list of Western villains!), and has the doc poison the drinking water of the miners, so that their deaths will be blamed on the "stupidity" of the geologist. At the beginning of the movie, his girlfriend steals Sunset's horse, and he robs Smiley of their mining eqipment and stagecoach, which is why they have to report to Harry Woods in the first place. Smiley, wearing a fake beard and accent, impersonates a French mining engineer, who testifies in favor of the geologist's plan to drain the mines of water, which will eliminate the drowning danger for the miners. He's eventually outed by Harry Woods' henchmen, but by that time all hell is breaking loose underground. A dynamite charge has blasted a hole in the shaft, and the mine is collapsing. According to IMDB, the Sunset Carson films were built around non-stop action, and this movie is a good indication of that. It's not a good indicator of Sunset's prowess as a top cowboy, however, because he doesn't get to do very much. He is likable, though, and Smiley and Harry Woods are great in the leads. Therefore, Two Big Thumbs Up for "Call of the Rockies", and we'll look for more from Sunset Carson. The picture is very good. ////
The previous night, we went with Buster Crabbe in "Billy the Kid's Round-Up", which it's worth noting was released on December 12, 1941. I wonder how many people went to the movies that Friday night, just days after America entered World War Two? Sheriff Slim Whitaker serves notice to saloon owner Glenn Strange (of Frankenstein fame) that he's tired of the hoodlums hangin' out at Strange's bar. "I'm gonna clean up this town", he tells big Glenn, "and run you out of business". But Strange has a plan to get rid of Slim as Sheriff. He has Slim's deputy Charles King run against Slim in the upcoming election. King is in Strange's back pocket. But the local newspaper editor is railing against Strange and his saloon and clientele, and it looks like any Strange-backed candidate will lose. Then suddenly, the Gun-Through-The-Windum trick is deployed, and Sheriff Slim is shot dead. Deputy Charles King becomes Sheriff by default, and there is no election after that. This makes two movies in a row where King becomes Sheriff! I notice a pattern developing.
Meanwhile, out in the boonies, Billy the Kid (Crabbe) is joshing with his pals "Fuzzy" (Al St. John) and "Jeff" (Carleton Young). Their downtime ends when they get a hand delivered message that Sheriff Slim needs them for protection. Billy has the reputation of an outlaw, but he's really an iconoclast who goes his own way. He is the fastest gun in the West (and was said to be in real life), and he killed people, but "none who didn't deserve it". In this movie series (of which 14 Crabbe/Kid films were made), he's portrayed as an outlaw hero. He isn't a thief but he doesn't fit in to society. However, Sheriff Slim is his friend, so when Slim calls for his help, Billy tells Fuzzy and Jeff, "we've gotta go".
But when they get to town, they find that Slim has been shot dead. They ask around about what has happened, and Glenn Strange the saloon owner tells Billy to mind his own bidness. Buster Crabbe is so great in this role, because he nails the self-assurance of Billy the Kid. Billy just laughs at Strange, a towering man, and says, "I'm not so good at minding my business when it comes to getting shot in the back."
Billy ends up protecting the newspaper editor, who is pushing for a fair election. Al St. John ends up running for Sheriff against Charles King, and Al wins, despite Glenn Strange's attempt to buy all the votes. As noted in an earlier blog, Al St. John is a legend who was genius at comic relief. He started in Silent film with Fatty Arbuckle. Despite the presence of the beautiful Joan Barclay, there is no romantic angle. It's all about Buster and his boys against Strange and Charles King, but with that line-up you can hardly go wrong. We've seen the first two of the Billy the Kid movies starring Buster Crabbe, and it's as good a series as The Rough Riders, so don't miss it. Two Big Thumbs Up for "Billy the Kid's Round Up". The picture is also very good. ////
That's all I know for the moment. I'm listening to National Health. I really wanna see Paul McCartney next Friday, but I don't know if I can brave Sofi Stadium (traffic, parking costs, etc.) Ahh, well. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and I send you Tons of Love as always!
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