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4.0 out of 5 stars
"Buster Crabbe Series ... Double Features ... Poverty Row", July 13, 2008
Poverty Row Pictures present "THE CONTENDER/THE OIL RAIDER" (1934/44) (128 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- The American actor Buster Crabbe graduated from the University of Southern California and won the 400 meter freestyle in which he medaled in the 1932 Olympics, went to work for Paramount in "King of the Jungle" (1933), next role was "Tarzan the Fearless (1933), Crabbe returned to Paramount Pictures was featured in Zane Grey Westerns which were well received, then came the roles that made him a household word "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers" at Universal Picture Serials (1936-1940), meanwhile PRC Studios was looking for a leading hero "Billy the Kid" and "Billy Carson" in the 1940's B-Western series and ran its course for six years, later made several televison appearances and appeared in a series "Captain Gallant and the Foreign Legion" (1955-1957)
The first film of this double feature - "THE CONTENDER" (10 May 1944) (63 mins/B&W)
Under the production staff of:
Sam Newfield - Director
Rudolph Sternad - Producer
Jay Dolen - Screenwriter
George Wallace Sayre - Screenwriter / Screen Story
Raymond Schrock - Screenwriter
Robert C. Cline - Cinematographer
Albert Glasser - Composer (Music Score)
Holbrook Todd - Editor
The story line and plot, Gary Farrel (Buster Crabbe) in order to get some extra money to send his son Mickey Farrel (Donald Mayo) to military school, a truck driver turns amateur boxer --- His success in that field convinces him take up the sport full-time, and he soon fights his way up to where he becomes a contender for the Heavyweight Championship --- However, his chance at the title is endangered when he starts squiring around a flashy blonde Rita Langdon (Julie Gibson) and begins tasting the "good life" of nightclubs, partying and booze --- Newspaper reporter Linda Martin (Arline Judge) is attracted to Farrell but he is paying more attention to Rita Langdon --- Despite the warnings posted by Linda, Pop, Mickey and Biff Benham (Glenn Strange), his old cab-partner in the truck-driving business, Farrell continues to abuse all the training rules but still wins bout after bout.
the cast includes:
Buster Crabbe ... Gary Farrel
Arline Judge ... Linda Martin
Julie Gibson ... Rita Langdon
Donald Mayo ... Mickey Farrel
Glenn Strange ... Biff Benham
Milton Kibbee ... 'Pop' Turner
Roland Drew ... Kip Morgan
Sam Flint ... Major Palmer
George Turner ... Sparky Callahan
Duke York ... 'Bomber' Brown
Jimmy Aubrey ... Dance Club Drunk
Second feature - "THE OIL RAIDER" (1 November 1934) (65 mins/B&W)
Under the production staff of:
Spencer Gordon Bennet - Director / Producer
Lester F. Scott, Jr. - Producer
Homer King Gordon - Screenwriter
George Morgan - Screenwriter
Edward Snyder - Cinematographer
Fred Bain - Editor
Paul Palmentola - Art Director
C.S. Franklin - Recording
The story line and plot, Oil prospector Dave Warren (Larry "Buster" Crabbe) who runs into trouble with a corrupt financier who tries to delay drilling so that a loan owed to him by Warren will be difficult to pay back --- After much action packed reels Dave corners Varley (George Irving) who confesses that he attempted to rob him and that he hired Simmons (Max Wagner) for all the dirty work on this adventure --- The latter is apprehended just as Dave hits the mother lode.
the cast includes:
Buster Crabbe ... Dave Warren
Gloria Shea ... Alice Varley
George Irving ... J. T. Varley, Investment Banker
Max Wagner ... Simmons, a Troublemaker
Emmett Vogan ... Jim Walker
Harold Minjir ... Morrison
Tetsu Komai
Tom London ... Oil Well Driller
Chuck Morrison ... Oil Well Driller
Hal Taliaferro ... Oil Well Driller
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Buster Crabbe (aka: Clarence Linden Crabbe II)
Date of Birth: 17 February 1907 - Oakland, California
Date of Death: 23 April 1983 - Scottsdale, Arizona
If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other Buster Crabbe titles --- Ask Amazon.Com to carry the volumes as they are not available on Amazon as of yet --- you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment
BUSTER CRABBE - RELEASED BY VCI ENTERTAINMENT:
1. WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURE Vol 1: Western Cyclone & Sheriff of Sage Valley (1942)
2. WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURE Vol 2: Fugitive of the Plains & Fuzzy Settles Down (1943)
3. CLASSIC WESTERNS -: Fugitive of the Plains, Fuzzy Settles Down, Western Cyclone, Sheriff of Sage Valley
4. TO THE LAST MAN (with Randolph Scott & Buster Crabbe)
5. BUCK ROGERS (Serial)
6. FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE (Serial)
Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- please stand up and take a bow Western Classics --- all my heroes have been cowboys!
Total Time: 128 mins on DVD ~ Poverty Row ~ (6/28/2005)
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