Customer Reviews

Fighting Westerner [VHS]

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Fighting Westerner"...This good ole 'oater' made in 1935 is an adapation of a Zane Grey novel("Rocky Mountain Mystery"). Randolph Scott stars as a detective sleuthing a sudden outbreak of mysterious murders at a mining co. Suspect no one, suspect everyone! Lots of twists and turns, and a little romance as well. It is directed by Charles Barton and costars Ann Sheridan, Kathleen Burke, Willie Fung and Charles "Chic" Sale who adds quite a bit of humor to the story.

This film is also available on DVD, where you will find our fella Scott setting the ladies hearts a flutter, and saving the day not once, but four times. Platinum Disc DVD edition of "The Great American Western:Volume 1", will cure that hankerin' for the sights and sounds of the old west so many of us love.The four fun films included are this one, "To The Last Man", "Abilene Town", and "Rage At Dawn". They all have great stars, notable filmmakers and writers, and are definitive Western fare from the 1930's, 40's and 50's at a price you can't refuse! Such a deal! So Saddle Up and enjoy.

Happy Trails...Laurie

This terribly corny movie was dated when made, yet it holds some amazing treats. For devotees of the turn of the century American theater, it has a performance with sound by the legendary and scandalous Mrs.Leslie Carter,later made immortal on film in "the Lady with Red Hair", starring Miriam Hopkins. Mrs Carter tried to out Bernhardt Bernhardt, and this film, made the year before her death, reveals her to have kept her dramatic and seductive qualities even at the very sunset of her life. Randolph Scott(of the iron jaw) and a very young Ann Sheridan can also be admired in this very early film from the start of their careers. But it is worth the purchase price just to see Mrs.Carter.The legends about her are fully confirmed here.

Imagine my disappointment when "Fighting Westerner" (my hero Randolph Scott) arrived, dubbed by Front Row Entertainment Video of New Jersey who should be ashamed of the product they produced. I would keep away from anything this company does. My video was incredibly scratched and grainy and impossible to adjust let alone watch! This is the second time I have been caught out by this company. Wouldn't it be nice if Amazon Com could print the name of the company on the films web page so that the buyer has all the information! If I could have rated this product by Front Row Entertainment I would have given its true value at minus 5000! Perhaps Amazon Com should develop a blacklist of poor video/DVD suppliers.

The Fighting Westerner, 1935 film

The story begins with a rider who visits a house. Two ham steaks are on the grill in this empty house. Larry Sutton meets an old man, the Deputy Sheriff Tex Murdock. Larry has a letter of introduction (to replace Parsons). Mr. Borg is dead, a mining "accident". Parsons was accused of murder, but he disappeared. "What noise?" Larry wants to learn more about this crime, and visits the Ballard's house. Two huge dogs guard the house. Relatives talk about their presumed inheritance. Larry knows about radium mining, for medical use. One gram of radium sold for $37,000! Mr. Ballard is incapacitated, confined to bed. Larry meets Rita Ballard. How valuable is the mine? Who wrote that warning note? The stamping mill makes a noise; Fritz was murdered! Ballard tells about his will; if an inheritor dies his share will not be divided among the others. We learn about the people there.

Rita dreams of moving to Hawaii to raise cattle. Who shot at John Borg? Who stole Borg's body? Larry advises building a new factory; Ballard disagrees. Will the Black Rider strike again? Is a girl in danger? Will a search of Mrs. Ballard's rooms reveal anything? Is a hoofprint as individual as fingerprints? Was that Jack Parson's horse? What happened to Rita? The former Mrs. Ballard arrives, she wants to see Mr. Ballard. "He's not my husband!" The masquerade is over. A murder for inheritance? Larry figured it all out. Borg makes a deal with Larry - can he be trusted? Larry tries to rescue Rita from Borg. Justice triumphs. Rita and Larry will be sitting on top of the world.

This story was adapted from a Zane Grey novel "Golden Dreams". It is basically a murder mystery set in a mansion, where heirs to a fortune are eliminated so someone will inherit a fortune. Other stories used a similar plot. It could just as well take place in a mining town like Scranton, Penna. Near the end I had a hunch: it reminded me of Dashiell Hammett's earlier short story "Night Shots". "Eyewitness evidence is most credible when it is supported by circumstantial evidence."

Chic Sales, playing Randolph Scott's sidekick almost up stages Scott. But's it's a mystery with little shooting and no wild west action scenes.