5.0 out of 5 stars
"Guns in the Dark (1937) & Partners of the Trail (1944) ... Johnny Mack Brown ... VCI Home Video", October 12, 2006
VCI Entertainment present "Johnny Mack Brown Double Feature Vol. 5" (Guns in the Dark (1937) & Partners of the Trail (1944) (Dolby digitally remastered)--- relive those thrilling days when Johnny Mack Brown took us down the dusty trails with hard riding and straight shooting hitting the bull's eye with excitement everytime ... the Johnny Mack Brown series of B-Westerns were a staple of Saturday matinees in the 1930s and 1940s ... don't miss any of the Johnny Mack Brown features loaded with action that will leave you wanting more of his B-Western adventures
First up of this double feature VCI Entertainment, Spectrum Productions and released by Republic Pictures.present "GUNS IN THE DARK" (1937) (60 mins/B&W) --- Under Sam Newfield (Director), A.W. Hackel (Producer), Edward Beverly Mann (Short Story Author), Charles Francis Royal (Screenwriter), Bert Longenecker (Cinematographer), Roy S. Luby (Editor) ----- the cast includes a very young Johnny Mack Brown (Johnny Darrell, aka Steve Darrow), Claire Rochell (Joan Williams), Ted Adams (Manuel Mendez, aka Rusty Walker), Syd Saylor (Oscar), Dick Curtis (Brace Stevens), Steve Clark (Pete Small), Jim Cory (Jim Badger), Julian Madison (Dick Martin), Roger Williams (Ranger Adams) . . . . . a long running Johnny Mack Brown series turned out in the early '30s...the story line has Johnny Mack Brown and Syd Saylor getting mixed in a gunfight and Julian Madison his best friend is killed, Brown thinks he accidentally did it....Ted Adams who is as evil as they come knows who did, if not himself when the lights went out...swearing to never wear a gun again Johnny Mack signs on with Claire Rochelle and her Sundown Ranch...but trouble is just about to catch up with him and the final showdown is pure excitement...stayed tuned as hard riding and fast guns are still the name of the game.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Johnny Mack Brown
Birth Date: 9/01/1904 - Dothan, Alabama
Died: 11/14/1974 - Woodland Hills, California (cardiac condition)
2. Claire Rochelle
Birth Date: 8/22/1908 - Nevada, Missouri
Died: 5/23/1981 - La Jolla, California (cancer)
3. Ted Adams (Richard Theodore Adams)
Birth Date: 3/17/1890 - New York, New York
Died: 9/24/1973 - Los Angeles, California
4. Dick Curtis
Birth Date: 5/11/1902 - Newport, Kentucky
Died: 1/03/1952 - Hollywood, California (pneumonia)
5.. A.W. Hackel (Producer)
Birth Date: 12/18.1882 - Austria
Died: 10/22/1959 - Los Angeles, California
6. Sam Newfield (Director)
Birth Date: 12/06/1899 - New York, New York
Died: 11/10/1964 - Los Angeles, California
The second film is from Monogram Pictures - "PARTNERS OF THE TRAIL" (1944) (63 min/B&W) --- Under director Lambert Hillyer (Director), Scott R. Dunlap (Producer), Frank H. Young (Screenwriter), Harry Neumann (Cinematographer), Edward Kay (Musical Direction/Supervision / Composer (Music Score), Carl Heim (Editor), ----- the cast includes Johnny Mack Brown (Nevada), Raymond Hatton (Sandy), Christine McIntyre (Kate), Craig Woods (Joel), Robert W. Frazer (Edwards), Hal Price (Dobbey), Jack Ingram (Trigger), Lynton Brent (Lem), Marshall Reed (Baker), Ben Corbett (Duke), Steve Clark (Cobly), Lloyd Ingraham (Applegate) . . . . . our story once again brings Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton together as U.S. Marshals undercover to clearup mysterious murders on the frontier ... some ranches in Springfield where various ranchers are being killed and no one seems to know the motives ...sounds like a land grab and Johnny with his faithful Hatton will find out to the entire cast, there is gold on all the ranches ... can they round up the gang before the Monogram Studio gate closes for the night, don't leave the premises . . . . . meanwhile back to another great Johnny Mack B-Western provided by Monogram Pictures.
SPECIAL FEATURES
BIOS:
1. Raymond Hatton (aka: Raymond William Hatton)
Date of birth: 7 July 1887 - Red Oak, Iowa
Date of death: 21 October 1971 - Palmdale, California
2. Lambert Hillyer
Date of birth: 8 July 1889 - South Bend, Indiana
Date of death: 5 July 1969 - Woodland Hills, 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:
Vol. 1 Bad Man from Red Butte/Rawhide Ramgers (VCI#8348
Vol. 2 Raiders of San Joaquin/Law of the Range (VCI #7226)
Vol. 3 Pony Post/Ragtime Cowboy Joe (VCI #7238)
Vol. 4 Branded A Coward/Rogue of the Range (VCI #7244)
Vol. 5 Guns in the Dark/Partner of the Trail (VCI #7260)
Vol. 6 Bar Z Bad Men/Between Men (VCI #7282)
Vol. 7 Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie/Lone Star Trail (VCI#7308)
Vol. 8 Crooked Trail/Boot Hill Brigade (VCI#7309)
Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above 8 volumes as they are not available on Amazon as of yet...you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment.
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 "Johnny Mack Brown Double Feature Vol. 5" (Guns in the Dark (1937) & Partners of the Trail (1944), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD and VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em
Total Time: 117 on DVD ~ VCI Home Video #7260 ~ (9/12/2004)
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5.0 out of 5 stars
"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Guns in the Dark (1937)", January 11, 2006
VCI Entertainment and Republic Pictures present "Guns in the Dark" (1937) (digitally remastered), long running Johnny Mack Brown series turned out in the early '30s...the story line has Johnny Mack Brown and Syd Saylor getting mixed in a gunfight and Julian Madison his best friend is killed, Brown thinks he accidentally did it....Ted Adams who is as evil as they come knows who did, if not himself when the lights went out...swearing to never wear a gun again Johnny Mack signs on with Claire Rochelle and her Sundown Ranch...but trouble is just about to catch up with him and the final showdown is pure excitement...stayed tuned as hard riding and fast guns are still the name of the game.
Under director Sam Newfield, producer A.W. Hackel, original short story by Edward Beverly Mann, adaptation and screenplay by Charles Francis Royal...the cast include a very young Johnny Mack Brown (Johnny Darrell, aka Steve Darrow), Claire Rochell (Joan Williams), Ted Adams (Manuel Mendez, aka Rusty Walker), Syd Saylor (Oscar), Dick Curtis (Brace Stevens), Steve Clark (Pete Small), Jim Cory (Jim Badger), Julian Madison (Dick Martin), Roger Williams (Ranger Adams). . . . . . . . . .special footnote, veteran character actor Ted Adams who loved playing the heavies and did a great mexican accent started his career in "Beyond the Law" (1930), "Hopalong Cassidy Enters" (1935), "Heart of the West" (1936), "Desert Phantom" (1936)...his convincing performances were outstanding in the B-Western series of Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Steele for producer A.W. Hackel, his evil and underhanded ways worked so well during the 186 films of his career...moving to television in "The Cisco Kid" (1950), "The Lone Ranger" (1950), "Cowboy G-Men" (1953), "The Texan" (1959), "And Wanted Dead or Alive" (1960)........check out this and more in a new book "Best of the Badmen" by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland, available from Amazon and Empire Publishing. . . pick up your copy today. . . . . . . . . .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 Republic Pictures during their heyday of the '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. Claire Rochelle
Birth Date: 8/22/1908 - Nevada, Missouri
Died: 5/23/1981 - La Jolla, California (cancer)
3. Ted Adams (Richard Theodore Adams)
Birth Date: 3/17/1890 - New York, New York
Died: 9/24/1973 - Los Angeles, California
4. Dick Curtis
Birth Date: 5/11/1902 - Newport, Kentucky
Died: 1/03/1952 - Hollywood, California (pneumonia)
5.. A.W. Hackel (Producer)
Birth Date: 12/18.1882 - Austria
Died: 10/22/1959 - Los Angeles, California
6. Sam Newfield (Director)
Birth Date: 12/06/1899 - New York, New York
Died: 11/10/1964 - 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 "Guns in the Dark" (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...pick up 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: 60 min on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment #7260 ~ (3/01/2001)
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