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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Below the Border (1942)", February 3, 2006
VCI Entertainment and Monogram Pictures present "Below the Border" (1942) (digitally remastered), although The Rough Riders had a short run, they turned out some of the best B-Westerns ever to grace the Saturday Matinee screen...our story is the fourth of eight in the Rough Riders series is a better than average oater...three U.S. Marshals are working undercover Buck, Tim and Sandy looking for the culprits who killed U.S. Marshal Gordon, a comrade in arms...Roy Barcroft has forced Dennis Moore who works on the Linda Brent ranch to give him information so his men can steal the family jewels...always pretending not to know one another the Rough Riders are on the job...Buck poses as a wanted outlaw to get into the gang, Tim as a cattle buyer, and Sandy is collecting information as the saloon janitor...can they also outwit our favorite villain Charles King (Steve Slade), who is always known as Blackie...don't miss a single scene as Buck and King have their final showdown....just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye with excitement...don't miss any of the Rough Riders features loaded with action that will leave you wanting more of his B-Western adventures
Under director Howard P. Bretherton, producer Scott R. Dunlap, original story by Jess Bowers ...the cast include Buck Jones (Marshal Buck Roberts), Tim McCoy (Marshal Tim McCall), Raymond Hatton (Sandy Hopkins), Linda Brent (Rosita Garcia), Charles King (Steve Slade, aka Blackie Johnson), Roy Barcroft (Ed Scully), Bud Osborne (Bill/henchman), Eva Puig (Aunt Maria), Dennis Moore (Joe Collins), Reed Howes (Max/henchman), Kermit Maynard (Jeff/henchman), Jack Rockwell (Sheriff J.B. Lawler), Silver (Buck Jones, wonder horse). . . . . . . . .special footnote, actor /producer Buck Jones made over 164 feature films beginning with "Western Blood" (1918/Silent) with a bit part...Jones final film was "Dawn on the Great Divide" (1942)...with his famed horse "Silver:, Jones was one of the most successful and popular B-Western actors of the '20s, '30s and '40s, at one time receiving more fan mail than any actor in the world...was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1973. . . . . . . . . .second special footnote actor Tim McCoy in real life was a sharpshooter and famed for his fast draw...was an expert on the Old West also an authority on Indian folklore could converse in Indian sign language...McCoy was inducted into the "Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum" in 1973, also inducted into "The Cowboy Hall of Fame" in 1974.. . . . . . . . final special footnote, one of my favorite character actors was Johnny Mack's sidekick Raymond Hatton (1887-1971) as Marshall Sandy Hopkins who appeared from 1943 and made 45 films for Monogram Pictures...Hatton who first appeared on film in "Tragic Love" (1909-Silent/unconfirmed), "Oliver Twist" (1917), "The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), "The Squaw Man" (1931), "Law and Order" (1932)...during the '30s & '40s he played the comical sidekick for Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Livingston...went on to join Buck Jones and Tim McCoy in the "Rough Riders" series...Hatton worked right up to his last film "In Cold Blood" (1967). . . . . .meanwhile this is an exciting Rough Riders western provided by Monogram Pictures during their heyday of the early '40s.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Buck Jones (aka: Charles Frederick Gebhart)
Birth Date: 12/04/1889 - Vincennes, Indiana
Died: 11/30/1942 - Boston, MA (fire)
2. Tim McCoy (aka: Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy)
Birth Date: 4/10/1891 - Saginaw, Michigan
Died: 1/29/1978 - Nogales, Arizona
3. Raymond Hatton (aka: Raymond William Hatton)
Birth Date: 7/07/1887 - Red Oak, Iowa
Died: 10/21/1971 - Palmdale, California
Check out other Buck Jones titles available on VHS from VCI:
1. Black Aces (1937)
2. Dawn on the Great Divide (1942)
3. Down Texas Way (1942)
4. Gunman from Bodie (1941)
5. Renfrew of the Royal Mounted (1937)
6. Riders of Death Valley (1941)
7. Silver Spurs (1936)
8. Six Gun Man (1946)
9. South of the Rio Grande (1932)
If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features with Buck Jones:
ROUGH RIDERS WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES:
1. Vol. 1 - Arizona Bound/Gunman from Bodie (VCI #7241) (DVD)
2. Vol. 2 - Ghost Town Law/Below the Border (VCI #7264) (DVD)
3. Vol. 3 - Forbidden Trails/Down Texas Way (VCI #7274) (DVD)
4. Dawn on the Great Divide (VCI #7219) (DVD)
Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above titles if they are not available as of yet...you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment...if you enjoyed "Below the Border" (1942), why not pick up other copies of Buck Jones features.
In 1941 the "Rough Riders" series began with Buck as Marshal Buck Roberts, Tim McCoy was Marshal Tim McCall and Raymond Hatton was Marshal Sandy Hopkins for Monogram Pictures:
1. ARIZONA BOUND (Monogram, 1941)
2. THE GUNMAN FROM BODIE (Monogram, 1941)
3. FORBIDDEN TRAILS (Monogram, 1941)
4. BELOW THE BORDER (Monogram, 1942)
5. GHOST TOWN LAW (Monogram, 1942)
6. DOWN TEXAS WAY (Monogram, 1942)
7. RIDERS OF THE WEST (Monogram, 1942)
8. WEST OF THE LAW (Monogram, 1942)
Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Below the Border" (1942),
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...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there
are plenty of copies available on 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: 57 min on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Entertainment #7264 ~ (11/20/1997)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great films, lousy DVD, February 26, 2007
Source material & transfers for this Critics' Choice edition ranges from fair to poor, with RIDERS OF THE WEST virtually unwatchable. Don't waste your money: try the VCI releases of these films, which are said to be quite good.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Top of the Line among "B" Western Trios, December 8, 2008
THe "3 Mesquiteers" were one of the most prolific "B" western trios, and the group was made up of a rather large group of interchangeable actors throughout the 1930's & 1940's ( e.g. * John Wayne, Robert Livingston, Ray "Crash" Corrigan, Max Terhune, Duncan Renaldo, and Bob Steele to name a few). But, though they had a long run of success, they most always came off a little too "slick" and boring to watch at times. Other trios came and went, but none ever reached the pinnacle that the Mesquiteers did. ~ Unfortunately, my favorite trio came and went way too soon. Or, was that too late?! This trio was nearing the ends of their "B" western days as the entire "B" industry was beginning to fade. Though there was a plethora of single saddle pals throughout the 1940's and on into the early 1950's ( e.g. - Don "Red" Barry, Ken Maynard, the great Charles Starrett as the "Durango Kid", "Hoot" Gibson, Alan "Rocky" Lane, Rex Allen, Johnny Mack Brown, "Whip" Wilson, Tex Ritter, the fascinating "Lash" Larue, the fine entertainer and son-of-the west, "Sunset" Carson ( way up at the top of my favorite list, though his career of making quality, westerns faded after he and Republic Pictures split over contract differences ), the rugged and durable super western star, Randolph Scott, Hopalong Cassidy - ( Of course!!! ),and other solid and popular "B"-men. *** But,to me, from the time I saw my first grainy, flawed "B" western on our old b&w RCA excuse for a television, my all-time FAVORITE good-guy-cowpoke has always been the rugged, hoss-ridin'est, jaw-bustinest, gal-lovin'est, often humorous Buck Jones. I loved him as a solitary hero chasin' down the owlhoots or together with his 2 fellow "Rough Riders" near the end of his career ( He died in a horrible fire which broke loose in the plush Coconut Grove Bar, Lounge, and Restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts in the early 1940's,not long after he had finished his 9th "Rough Riders" "B" western. Buck Jones, the veteran star Tim McCoy, and the uniquely-funny and unusual Raymond Hatton filmed those 9 "Rough Riders" flicks and, God willing, might've gone on to do a few more . My goodness, how I wished that they had made 15-20 more sequels. In my eyes, the 3 "Rough Riders" were overall the best trio of all "B" westerndom. The chemistry between the group members was unique and a solid bond was evident between all 3. The cinematic quality of the pictures is not always as good as as the level of quality in other "B's", but from the rousing theme song at the beginning of each movie, the "I've got your back!" loyalty between all 3, the action-packed scenes, and solid story lines will make you a real fan of the "Riders", especially if you are pretty much a diehard devotee of "B" westerns already. *** So, what's my bottom line to all of you junior "Rough Riders"? #1: Buck Jones was the greatest epitome of what the sturdy, hard-ridin'est ( Check him out when he and his horse, Silver, fly across the dusty trails and come to a flashy stop in front of the old ranch-house.), gum-chewin'est, square-jawedest, 10-gallon hat wearin'est celluloid hero the "B's" ever produced! If ever there was ever an old-fashioned romantic cowboy hero, then Buck proves it time after time, blowing through all his flicks, a man on a quest for justice! #2: You'll find no band of sidekicks any more suited to each other than Buck, Tim, & Raymond. Such fun, yet such slam-bang, wham-bam climaxes. #3: You won't hear a more exciting and well-sung opening song in any other "B" tune. ~ ~ Post: For all my growing years and adult-'til-now life, I have often let my mind wander off to recall a number of the old films I've referred to above. Never, in my strongest imagination, did I ever dream that a time would come when I might have the opportunity to have a "B" library of my own, movies which I can watch at my leisure, just any old time I want. And, for such affordable, ridiculously-cheap prices. *** AMAZON.com has made my wildest dreams come true. Beautifully-artistic DVD covers evoke childhood memories, and once again Buck Jones repeatedly gallops onto my 46" LCD-TV screen with Tim MCcOy and Raymond Hatton right behind. :) REMINDER: Amazon.com offers many "B" star films,but the ROCK of the range, Buck Jones, somehow, makes most of the other cowboy heroes of the past seem like "Coca~Cola Cowboys")! >>>>> Now, check out The "Rough Riders" DVD's! There are 3 in all, including all 9 movies made by the "Rough Riders". You can buy them all for less than a $20 dollar bill, all 9 movies that the super trio ever made. Go ahead on! Buy "Rough Riderd . . BEST of LUCK! And, God Blessya'll>
Cordially, Mr.C < fleabytis1963@yahoo.com >
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