5.0 out of 5 stars
"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ West of El Dorado (1949)", January 22, 2006
This review is from: West of El Dorado [VHS] (VHS Tape)
VCI Entertainment and Monogram Pictures present "West of El Dorado" (1949) (digitally remastered), long running Johnny Mack Brown series turned out in the late '40s...this better than average oater has to do with young Teddy Infuhr whose brother Kenne Duncan is an outlaw bandit, and knew where the $10,000 Kansas City Bank payroll is hidden...Duncan tries a stage holdup, but is killed by our hero Johnny Mack Brown, look for good ole Bud Osborne as the stage driver...Max Terhune (works at Pop Crowley's trading post) and Reno Browne sends a letter for Johnny to save the ranch of her grandfather Milburn Morante and forget all he differences in the past...two exciting stories have surfaced, but watch your back as Terry Frost, Marshall Reed and Boyd Stockman are searching for the missing money...Johnny Mack brings the orphan Infuhr to the ranch to have someone look after him and give him family love, one problem the kid blames Johnny for the death of his brother...the kid finds the loot hidden in the lining of his coat...will Johnny Mack put two and two together and win the friendship of the kid...at the same time bring in Terry Frost and his gang to justice...all this and more will become clear during the last reel of this adventure.
Under director Ray Taylor, produced by Barney A. Sarecky, screenplay by Adele Buffington, musical director Edward Kay...the cast include Johnny Mack Brown (Johnny), Max Terhune (Alibi), Reno Browne (Mary), Teddy Infuhr (Larry Dallas), Milburn Morante (Brimstone), Terry Frost (Ed Stone), Marshall Reed (Barstow/henchman), Boyd Stockman (Joe/henchman), Kenne Duncan (Steve Dallas), Bus Osborne (Jerry/stage driver), Artie Ortego (Indian), Bill Potter (Phil), William Norton Bailey (sheriff). . . . . . . . . . .special footnote actor Max Turhune was associated with Gene Autry on his coast to coast radio show...Max was a skilled vaudevillain (magician, juggler, whistler, impressionist, card tricks), his specialty was ventriloquism...Elmer Sneezeweed was his dummies name...His first film was in "Ride Ranger Ride" (1936), the same year he took over the part of Lullaby in the "Three Mesquiteer" series, in which he played the part in 21 films, leaving in 1939...following this he did 24 "Range Buster" pictures...appeared with Johnny Mack Brown in eight films...was cast on the television show "Ramar of the Jungle" with star Jon Hall...was listed as one of the 'top ten' money-making western film stars of 1937, 1938 and 1939...passed away at the age of 82. . . . . . . . .second footnote, actor Terry Frost was from the theater, went to Hollywood in his first film "Cyclone on Horseback" (1941-RKO), with star Tim Holt...mostly B-Westerns was associated with Monogram and PRC for westerns and Sam Katzman's Columbia serials...Frost always felt Monogram made the best westerns and had the best directors...worked in 15 serials and over 120 feature films, plus 150 TV shows...passed away at the age of 86. .. . . . . . .final footnote is actor Marshall Reed was the resident badman at Monogram Pictures, in many Johnny Mack Brown, Jimmy Wakely and Whip Wilson...once rumored he was all set to do the Red Ryder series, but was given to Allan "Rocky" Lane.........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. . . . . . . . meanwhile back to another great Johnny Mack B-Western provided by Monogram Pictures during their heyday of the early '40s.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Johnny Mack Brown
Birth Date: 9/01/1904 - Dothan, Alabama
Died: 11/14/1974 - Woodland Hills, California (cardiac condition)
2. Max Terhune
Birth Date: 12/12/1891 - Amity, Johnson County, Indiana
Died: 6/05/1973 - Los Angeles, California (heart attack and stroke)
3. Terry Frost
Birth Date: 10/26/1906 - Bemidji, Minnesota
Died: 3/01/1993 - Los Angeles, California (heart failure)
4. Marshall Reed
Birth Date: 5/28/1917 - Englewood, Colorado
Died: 4/15/1980 - Los Angeles, California
5. Ray Taylor (director)
Birth Date: 12/01/1888 - Perham, Minnesota
Died: 2/15/1952 - Hollywood, CA
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)
6. Bad Man from Red Butte/Rawhide Rangers (VCI #8348)
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 "West of El Dorado" (1949), 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: 58 min on VHS ~ VCI Entertainment #1351 ~ (12/03/2002)
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