Customer Reviews

Gambling Terror [VHS]

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VCI Entertainment and Supreme Pictures present "Gambling Terror" (1937) (digitally remastered), long running Johnny Mack Brown series turned out in the early '30s...the storyline has gambler Johnny Mack Brown up against a protection racket run by Charles King...but is there someone above King who is pulling the strings...how about Dick Curtis who is on the payroll of taking money from innocent ranchers and townspeople...will Johnny Mack join the gang and clean their clock...is Earl Dwire the straight arrow in this tale of who's who, or is he really the king pin. . .watch the final scene and see what happens when Brown, King and Dwire meet face to face.

Under director Sam Newfield, producer A.W. Hackel, original story, adaptation and screenply by George H. Plympton and Fred Myton, with Bert Longenecker (Cinematographer) and Roy S. Luby (Editor), ...the cast include a very young Johnny Mack Brown (Jeff Hayes), Iris Meredith (Betty Garrett), Charles King, (Brett, Bradley's Lieutenant), Dick Curtis (Dirk, Brett's Henchman), Ted Adams (Sheriff), Horace Murphy (Missouri Bill, Printer's Devil), Earl Dwire (Homer Bradley), Frank Ball (Editor Garrett), Bobby Nelson (Jerry Garrett), Lloyd Ingraham (Pa Nestor), Emma Tansey (Ma Nestor), Bud Buster (Shorty a Rancher), Steve Clark (Mac McClure the Bartender)........special footnote, actor Charles King was among the top five "Best of the Badmen" (according to a new book by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland)...King was a big man, but as agile as a cat during his fight scenes with Johnny Mack Brown, Buster Crabbe, Tex Ritter, The Rough Riders and Bob Steele...King appeared in 400 films and 350 were in sound including many cliffhangers...he was the heavy we loved to hate........another special footnote actor Johnny Mack Brown had a long film association with producer A.W. Hackel in a series of sixteen B-Westerns for the independent Poverty Row's Supreme Pictures, many directed by Sam Newfield...A. William Hackel also produced a series of Bob Steele B-Westerns........meanwhile back to another great Johnny Mack B-Western provided by Supreme Pictures during their heyday of the early '30s.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

BIOS:

1. Johnny Mack Brown

Birth Date: 9/01/1904 - Dothan, Alabama

Died: 11/14/1974 - Woodland Hills, California (cardiac condition)

2. Charles King

Birth Date: 2/21/1895 - Hillsboro, Texas

Died: 5/07/1957 - Hollywood, California (cirrhosis of liver)

3. Earl Dwire

Birth Date: 11/03/1883 - Missouri

Died: 1/16/1940 - Carmichael, California

4 Sam Newfield (Director)

Birth Date: 12/06/1899 - New York, New York

Died: 11/10/1964 - Los Angeles, California

5. A.W. Hackel (producer)

Birth Date: 12/18.1882 - Austria

Died: 10/22/1959 - Los Angeles, California

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features by Johnny Mack Brown:

JOHNNY MACK BROWN WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES:

1. Raiders of San Joaquin/Law of the Range (VCI #7226)

2. Pony Post/Ragtime Cowboy Joe (VCI #7238)

3. Brand A Coward/Rogue of the Range (VCI #7244)

4. Guns in the Dark/Partner of the Trail (VCI $7260)

5. Bar Z Bad Men/Between Men (VCI #7282)

Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above five titles as they are not available on Amazon as of yet...you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment...if you enjoyed "Gambling Terror" (1937), why not pick up other copies of Johnny Mack Brown Double Features.

Bobby J. Copeland's book on "Johnny Mack Brown: Up Close & Personal" is chuck full of answers to all the questions his fans had from early on...when you went to see him on the big screen, you got exactly what the marquee said...plenty of thrills, adventure and loaded with action...Johnny Mack was a natural for the western, his riding abilities and fight scenes were of the the same caliber as Buck Jones and Bob Steele...Johnny Mack sets the saddle better than Duke Wayne...seems Johnny got better with the more films he made and the scripts were always top notch...he was one of the best-liked people in films, what you saw on the screen is what he really was...a great human being...pickup your copy from Amazon or Empire Publishing both have this in stock.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '30s & '40s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch B-Western from VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 53 min on VHS ~ VCI Entertainment #1563 ~ (3/01/2001)

Supreme Pictures present "GAMBLING TERROR" (15 February 1937) (53 min/B&W) (digitally remastered), Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor --- Born and raised in Dothan, Alabama, Brown was a star of the high school football team, earning a football scholarship to the University of Alabama --- Playing the halfback position on his university's Crimson Tide football team, Brown helped his team to become the 1926 NCAA Division I-A national football champions --- In that year's Rose Bowl Game, he earned Most Valuable Player honors after scoring two of his team's three touchdowns in an upset win over the heavily favored Washington Huskies --- His good looks and powerful physique saw him portrayed on Wheaties cereal boxes and in 1927, brought an offer for motion picture screen tests that resulted in a long and successful career in Hollywood --- He appeared in minor roles until 1930 when he was cast as the star in a western movie entitled "Billy the Kid" and directed by King Vidor, the film also features Wallace Beery as Pat Garrett.

Brown went on to make several top-flight movies under the name John Mack Brown, including The Secret Six (1931) with Wallace Beery, as well as the legendary Lost Generation celebration of alcohol, "The Last Flight" (1931), and was being groomed by MGM as a leading man until being replaced on a film in 1931, with all his scenes re shot with Clark Gable in his place --- Rechristened Johnny Mack Brown, "Fighting Kit Carson" (1933) he returned to making exclusively westerns and eventually became one of the screen's top B-movie cowboy stars, making 127 western films during his career, including "Ride 'Em Cowboy" (1942) with Abbott and Costello --- Brown also starred in four serials for Universal Studios (Rustlers of Red Dog (1935), Wild West Days (1937), Flaming Frontiers (1938) and The Oregon Trail (1939) and was a hero to millions of young children at movie theaters and on their television screens --- Altogether, Brown appeared in over 160 movies between 1927 and 1966, as well as a smattering of television shows, in a career spanning almost forty years --- In recognition of his contribution to the motion picture industry, Brown was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Blvd --- In 1969, Brown was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Under the production staff of:
Sam Newfield [Director]
George H. Plympton [Screenwriter]
Fred Myton [Screenwriter]
A.W. Hackel [Producer]
Bert Longenecker [Cinematographer]
S. Roy Luby [Film Editor]

Plot and storyline has gambler Johnny Mack Brown up against a protection racket run by Charles King --- but is there someone above King who is pulling the strings...how about Dick Curtis who is on the payroll of taking money from innocent ranchers and townspeople --- will Johnny Mack join the gang and clean their clock --- is Earl Dwire the straight arrow in this tale of who's who, or is he really the king pin --- watch the final scene and see what happens when Brown, King and Dwire meet face to face --- special footnote, actor Charles King was among the top five "Best of the Badmen" (according to a new book by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland) -- King was a big man, but as agile as a cat during his fight scenes with Johnny Mack Brown, Buster Crabbe, Tex Ritter, The Rough Riders and Bob Steele -- King appeared in 400 films and 350 were in sound including many cliffhangers, he was the heavy we loved to hate --- another special footnote actor Johnny Mack Brown had a long film association with producer A.W. Hackel in a series of sixteen B-Westerns for the independent Poverty Row's Supreme Pictures, many directed by Sam Newfield...A. William Hackel also produced a series of Bob Steele B-Westerns --- meanwhile back to another great Johnny Mack B-Western provided by Supreme Pictures during their heyday of the early '30s.

the cast includes:
Johnny Mack Brown ... Jeff Hayes
Iris Meredith ... Betty Garret
Charles King ... Brett (as Charlie King)
Dick Curtis ... Dirk - Brett's Henchman
Ted Adams ... Sheriff
Horace Murphy ... Missouri Bill, Printer's Devil
Earl Dwire ... Homer Bradley
Frank Ball ... Garret - Weekly Star Editor
Bobby Nelson ... Jerry Garret
Lloyd Ingraham ... Mr. Nelson, Nesters
Emma Tansey ... Mrs. Nelson, Nesters
Budd Buster ... Shorty - Feed Store Owner
Roy Bucko ... Henchman
Steve Clark ... Mac McClure the Bar Owner
Art Dillard ... Joe - Cave Guard
Frank Ellis ... Blackie, Brett's Henchman

BIOS:
1. Johnny Mack Brown
Date of Birth: 1 September 1904 - Dothan, Alabama
Date of Death: 14 November 1974 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California

2. Charles King
Date of Birth: 21 February 1895 - Hillsboro, Texas
Date of Death: 7 May 1957 - Hollywood, California

Bobby J. Copeland's book published by Empire Publising on "Johnny Mack Brown: Up Close & Personal" is chuck full of answers to all the questions his fans had from early on --- when you went to see him on the big screen, you got exactly what the marquee said...plenty of thrills, adventure and loaded with action --- Johnny Mack was a natural for the western, his riding abilities and fight scenes were of the the same caliber as Buck Jones and Bob Steele --- Johnny Mack sets the saddle better than Duke Wayne --- seems Johnny got better with the more films he made and the scripts were always top notch --- he was one of the best-liked people in films, what you saw on the screen is what he really was, a great human being.

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guidelines 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), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under DVD Com) as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns, Serials and Film-Noir --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 53 min on DVD ~ Supreme Pictures ~ (4/27/2010)

The Gambling Terror, 1937 film

The story begins with men riding, shooting, and horses running. Men are shot in town by a gang. The newspaper headline says "Organize And Fight!". People doing business find its cheaper to pay rather than fight, and a lot healthier. The editor is threatened to stop. Elsewhere two men collect protection money and hit Jerry, a young boy. A man rides up to stop them. Jeff Hayes is in the gambling business. He refuses to join the "Protection Association". Is he a fool or a mighty brave man? Editor Garrett calls a Mass Meeting to discuss action against this extortion racket. Jeff shows three men he is quick on the draw and a good shot. An unknown man shoots Editor Garrett.

When two men try to collect extortion money Jeff is there to stop them. Miss Garrett asks the men to join a Vigilante Committee (a town militia) and hang all the gangsters. No sale. Dirk offers Jeff a chance to join their racket. Young Jerry goes looking for Jeff, and meets the gang. Jeff has a trick to get a message to the sheriff. Dirk reports Jeff's behavior to Bradley. A warning message is delivered to Miss Garrett. When the gang approaches the Carter ranch they find it well-defended, and are captured. Bradley and Dirk know it is time to make a get-away. The Sheriff tells the townsmen about Jeff. [I suspected this.] Bradley and Dirk escape in a wagon with Jerry as a hostage. Jeff catches up to them. The wagon and Bradley go over a cliff. Will there be a happy ending for Jeff and Miss Garrett? Will there be peace in the valley?

This uses the recurring themes of a prominent person in town who is the secret head of a criminal gang, and an undercover agent who is sent there to eliminate the gang. Its call for collective security against a gang must have had a meaning for that era.

Producer A. W. Hackel completed sixteen B-type Westerns for penny pinching Supreme Pictures, most characterized by a basic linear storyline with this Johnny Mack Brown vehicle being true to the type, as well as one of the best, with Brown cast as Jeff Hayes in a unique role: operator of a traveling gambling operation, upon this occasion setting up his roulette wheel, poker tables, and other tools of the trade in the back room of a saloon, queerly enough encouraged to do so by the town's sheriff who is requesting assistance from old friend Hayes in a struggle against a local criminal group. This is a self-styled "cattleman's association", collective villain of the melodrama, essentially a protection racket that demands "dues" from anyone owning one or more head of cattle. It is managed by Brett (Charles King) although the actual boss of the organization is not revealed to its various henchmen, of whom "Dirk" (Dick Curtis) is the foremost collector of the mandatory membership fees. Garrett (Frank Ball), publisher of the town's newspaper, is determined upon restoring freedom of choice to victims of the blackguards by utilizing the power of the press, and therefore is busily gathering resistance from among the hapless citizens impelled to pay for "protection"; however, he and his daughter Betty (Iris Meredith) do not trust Hayes due to his gambling vocation, and when Jeff ostensibly becomes a member of the vicious gang, it would seem that any negative opinion of him has been validated. Brown is impressive from his initial scene, both as actor and horseman, through the film's finale, while there is solid support turned in from Curtis and Meredith. A substantial assemblage of skillful Western supporting players is effective for this production by avoiding the omnipresent risk within this genre of cardboard characterization, while a well constructed script and the brisk editing of Roy Luby add value to this action propelled adventure tale.