Western Films Series of the Sound Era For Midnight, Butterscotch, Charlie, Oreo, Fred and Macy Western Film Series of the Sound Era M R. P ICHAEL ITTS McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London ALSO BY MICHAEL R. PITTS AND FROM MCFARLAND Horror Film Stars, 3d ed.(2002) Charles Bronson: The 95 Films and the 156 Television Appearances(1999; softcover 2003) Poverty Row Studios, 1929–1940: An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies, with a Filmography for Each(1997; softcover 2005) Western Movies: A TV and Video Guide to 4200 Genre Films(1986; softcover 1997) Hollywood and American History: A Filmography of Over 250 Motion Pictures Depicting U.S. History(1984) LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA Pitts, Michael R. Western film series of the sound era / Michael R. Pitts. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-3529-6 illustrated case binding : 50# alkaline paper 1. Western films—United States—History and criticism. I. Title. PN1995.9.W4P57 2009 791.436'278—dc22 2008042863 British Library cataloguing data are available ©2009 Michael R. Pitts. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. On the cover: Elements of poster art from Hills of Old Wyoming, 1937, with William Boyd and George “Gabby” Hayes (Paramount Pictures/Photofest) Manufactured in the United States of America McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com Table of Contents Preface 1 BILLYCARSON 3 BILLYTHEKID 21 CHEYENNEHARRY 34 THECISCOKID 43 DR. MONROE 64 THEDURANGOKID 68 FRONTIERMARSHALS 113 HOPALONGCASSIDY 118 THEIRISHCOWBOYS 175 JOHNPAULREVERE 180 LIGHTNINGBILLCARSON 183 THELONERANGER 190 THELONERIDER 208 NEVADAJACKMCKENZIE 219 THERANGEBUSTERS 232 RANGERBOBALLEN 254 REDRYDER 259 RENFREWOFTHEROYALMOUNTED 284 THEROUGHRIDERS 290 ROUGHRIDIN’ KIDS 300 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ROYALCANADIANMOUNTEDPOLICE 303 THESINGINGCOWGIRL 320 THETEXASRANGERS 322 THETHREEMESQUITEERS 340 THETRAILBLAZERS 384 WILDBILLELLIOTT 391 WILDBILLHICKOK 399 WILDBILLSAUNDERS 412 WINNETOU 415 ZORRO 429 Bibliography 457 Index 459 Preface Westerns have always been one of the most Bill Elliott. In a number of cases, a series would popular of movie genres, dating back to the cin- have a comedy sidekick who would often be on ema’s infancy with The Great Train Robbery in a par with the hero, such as Al St. John’s char- 1903. Series westerns took off not long after that acter Fuzzy Q. Jones in the “Billy the Kid” and when G.M. Anderson starred as “Broncho “Billy Carson” outings, Guy Wilkerson in the Billy” for Essanay, eventually headlining and “Texas Rangers” productions and Smiley Bur- directing nearly 400 one-; and two-reel install- nette in most of the “Durango Kid” affairs. ments between 1907 and 1916. By 1910, the In making series westerns, the studios western was firmly established with the movie- hoped to keep moviegoers coming back for going public and would reach its zenith in the each installment, much like with weekly serial mid–1930s when more than two dozen cowboy chapters. Western series entries were usually stars were making series cowboy movies. Al- spread out over a period of weeks or months though it was first thought that outdoor pro- and box office returns determined series lon- ductions would not adapt well to sound, the gevity. The “Hopalong Cassidy” and “Durango talkie In Old Arizona (1929) proved this to be Kid” series each contained more than 60 fea- false and the western continued in popularity tures, with “The Three Mesquiteers” not far with numerous oater series being produced well behind. Cassidy ran theatrically for 13 years, into the early 1950s. Durango for eight years and the Mesquiteers This volume examines thirty western film for seven years. “Billy Carson,” “Nevada Jack series made during the sound era. To be in- McKenzie” and “The Range Busters” had bet- cluded, the series must have a continuing char- ter than average runs while a few such as acter or characters or be based on a particular “Rough Ridin’ Kids” and “The Singing Cow- theme, such as the “Royal Canadian Mounted girl” lasted only three or four installments. Police” films taken from the works of James Purists may argue that other series deserve Oliver Curwood. Most of the western film se- to be included in the book but these lack the cri- ries that are examined here focus on a charac- terion of featuring a continuing lead character. ter or multiple characters, such as the triad hero The films of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers are concept in the series “The Range Busters,” omitted because they were all individual fea- “The Three Mesquiteers,” “The Rough Riders” tures without any continuous plots other than and “The Trail Blazers.” More often, though, a having the stars use their own names for the series was about a single hero portrayed by a characters they portrayed. Just the opposite is particular western star, such as William Boyd’s true for such series as Allan Lane’s “Action Hopalong Cassidy, Johnny Mack Brown’s Westerns” (1944–45) and “Famous Westerns” Nevada Jack McKenzie, Tim McCoy’s Light- (1947–53) for Republic, and the “Range Rider” ning Bill Carson and the trio of series starring series Tex Ritter did for Grand National (1936– 1 2 PREFACE 38). These oaters had a continuing star playing ing into the complicated world of these Euro- a different character in each feature. Also omit- pean series offshoots, the best source is Thomas ted are silent films and short subjects unless Weisser’s Spaghetti Westerns—The Good, the Bad they are part of a bigger overall character in the and the Violent: 558 Eurowesterns and Their Per- sound era, for example “The Cisco Kid” and sonnel, 1961–1977, published by McFarland in “Zorro.” Perhaps one exception is “Cheyenne 1992.) Harry,” a character Harry Carey played more For each serial covered in this volume, a than a dozen times in the silent days and brief introduction to the history of the charac- reprised for two sound features. ter or characters is first provided, including dis- The series included in this book mainly cussion of appearances in mediums such as were produced from the 1930s into the early books, stage, radio or television. This is fol- 1950s excepting “Winnetou,” which was made lowed by chronologically arranged synopses and in Europe in the 1960s. Television basically shut analyses of the movies in the serial. A filmog- down the series western but the “Winnetou” raphy providing the production, cast and crew features revived the concept and proved to be information, also chronologically arranged, fol- hugely popular, especially overseas. Their pop- lows the discussion of the movies. ularity spawned a batch of new series, includ- I would like to thank Larry Shuman for ing “Django,” “Sabata,” “Sartana” and “Trinity,” suggesting the concept for this book and Ray but few of these outings ever made it to the White and Francis M. Nevins for the help they U.S., unlike the “Winnetou” features, which provided in its writing. Viewing these wonder- were all released stateside. (Also, many of the ful old films again and writing about them has Winnetou-inspired series were not originally been a most enjoyable experience for me and I made around a continuing character but were hope learning about the western film series of retitled and redubbed to make them appear to the sound era will provide the same enjoyment be a “Django” or “Sartana” feature when factu- for the reader. ally they were not. For those interested in delv- B C I L L Y A R S O N PRC’s evolution of the Billy the Kid (q.v.) made it look good. St. John had honed his Fuzzy series into a Billy Carson series was a simple one: character to a sharp comic point.” David Rothel The company only changed the name of star opined in Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks (1984), Buster Crabbe’s character. There have been a “The Buster/Fuzzy series for PRC was never well- number of reasons given for this metamorphosis: produced; the budgets only allowed for the cheesi- parental groups objected to children having a pos- est of sets, static camera setups, and scripts that itive association with a known outlaw, exhibitors often seemed to be made up as they prepared to felt the same way or thought that Billy the Kid roll the film in the camera. The main thing the se- had run his course as a box office draw, or that ries had going for it (if not the only thing) was Crabbe appeared too mature to be playing a char- the pleasant chemistry exuded by the two stars. acter with the moniker of “kid.” Whatever the It was as if they knew they were entangled in a reason, the transition was a smooth one, and out- hopeless mishmash of Western celluloid, but side the character name, there appears to be little would, nevertheless, attempt to entertain all us difference between Crabbe’s last Billy the Kid kids who had plunked down our dimes at the box entry, Blazing Frontier, and the initial Billy Car- office. In short, Buster and Fuzzy didn’t take the son offering, Devil Riders, both 1943 releases. Ad- series too seriously and, therefore, just had fun vertising for the series gave Carson’s horse, Fal- with it. We in the audience could do the same.” con, star billing along with Crabbe, and Wally The Billy Carson features, like the Billy the West continued to be the star’s stunt double. Kid ones which preceded them, were PRC’s bread Crabbe would make 23 Billy Carson fea- and butter. Exhibited at smaller venues than “A” tures, with Al St. John continuing in the role of productions, they were potent enough at the box Fuzzy Q. Jones. By this time the Neufeld broth- office to help keep the company afloat for most ers had ended their “Lone Rider” (q.v.) series, thus of the 1940s with the two stars each earning about freeing St. John to work solely with Crabbe. Sig- one thousand dollars per feature. That, along with mund Neufeld continued to produce while his the Neufelds’ salaries, probably accounted for sibling, Sam Newfield, directed. The co-stars about one-half of the budget for each production. made a likable duo and gave the otherwise rather The series had a better than average run, with threadbare productions more than passable en- Buster Crabbe playing Billy the Kid or Billy Car- tertainment value. In Hollywood Corral (1976), son in a total of three dozen features from 1941to Don Miller noted that director Newfield “seemed 1946. to bring added vigor to his work” as the Carson For a long time, film book authors main- character took over. He added, “Minor perform- tained that each of the Billy the Kid–Billy Carson ers might blow their lines without retakes and films were a carbon copy of the other, all cheaply some of the interior sets looked ready for the scrap made and cheap-looking with only the barest of pile, but the new-found exuberance was a bless- entertainment values. With the coming of the ing.” Regarding the two stars, Miller said, video age, however, and the renewed popularity “Crabbe was coasting in his hero role, but his of “B” westerns, the series has been re-evaluated easygoing manner combined with genuine skill and while it still maintains its reputation for 3