Pioneer Days: A Movie Review

Pioneer Days is a surprisingly charming b western picture from 1940 starring Jack Randall and directed by Harry S. Webb. The film has just the right mix of action, humor, and heroics to satisfy most fans of low budget western movies from that era.

The story opens with a trio of would be stagecoach robbers saving a beautiful young lady from a gang of other stagecoach robbers who beat them to their holdup. From that point on, the less than honest trio go out of their way to help the lovely girl after she is swindled out of her inheritance by an even more dishonest man than them.

If that summary seems a bit vague to you, I do apologize, but I think this works better the less you know about it. Also, the bare bones nature of the story is very similar to many other movies, but it plays out in some surprising ways here.

Jack Randall is suitably heroic in the lead, he carries himself with the right amount of swagger, and has enough charm to cover for his slightly wooden performance. Sadly, he was killed in a stunt accident five years after this movie, he was only 39 years old. That's a real shame, because I see enough potential in his performance here to show the makings of someone who could have been a genuine b-western legend along the lines of many less talented, but better known stars.

Director Harry S. Webb worked a lot in the western genre. His direction is generally quite efficient here, he keeps things moving at a fairly decent pace, handles the comedy well enough, and delivers the goods at the end of the day. This might serve as an interesting piece of trivia for some people; this film was his final directorial effort.

Pioneer Days is not the kind of picture that will stick with you, but I still found it mildly entertaining. Do I recommend it? Sure, for the right viewer. I trust my readers well enough to think that you should know whether or not you fit into that crowd. If it sounds like something you might enjoy, give it a try, it's short enough to not be considered much of a time investment.

-W. Jay Pinto

Six-Gun Song by Orlando Rigoni: A Book Review

 

Orlando Rigoni was an author that I was not familiar with, this book was another one of those blind fifty cent purchases from a local thrift store, based entirely on the strength of the cover. Now that I have finished this novel, I will be very actively looking for more material from this brilliant writer.

On the surface this is a very simple revenge tale, but Rigoni's unconventional approach to the storytelling makes this a rewarding read, and a genuine page-turner. I wish I could say more about the unconventional nature of the novel, but covering much of that nature would also enter into spoiler territory that I would prefer to avoid. Suffice to say that despite the derivative elements of the book's plot, the author took a path with the story that is likely to pleasantly surprise the average reader. Even readers like myself who read western tales all the time and have seen every cliche that one could think of at least a million times.

The story opens with a sixteen year old boy witnessing the murder of both his mother and his father. One of the three killers goes as far as to scalp the woman so as to make the crime scene look like the work of Apaches. The boy, Scott Gentry, had been away for several years before the killings, getting an education from his aunt, and was on his way back home when he witnessed the ghastly scene.

Gentry goes into hiding for three years, training himself in gun skills, hand-to-hand combat, and carefully plotting his revenge. After three years of hard work, Scott emerges as a strong, and dangerous man, ready for action, and hungry for revenge.

Now, I do realize just how cliched, and simplistic that plot sounds, but the approach to this story that Orlando Rigoni takes is so unique, and so original, that this tome is going to rank among my favorites. There are a surprising number of completely unexpected plot-twists in the narrative. The story benefits from incredibly engaging characters, religious imagery, and surprisingly philosophical thoughts on the nature of revenge.

Six-Gun Song is a brilliant novel. It was such an amazing pleasure to read that I can easily say that this is one of my highest possible recommendations. Seek this book out, you will not be sorry.

-W. Jay Pinto  

Apache Canyon by Brian Garfield: A Book Review

Brian Garfield is probably best known for his novel Death Wish, an action story about a modern day vigilante, which was later turned into an immensely popular motion picture featuring Charles Bronson, and also recently remade into another less popular movie starring Bruce Willis. Or perhaps you are familiar with his Edgar Award winning book Hopscotch which served as the basis for another popular film with Walter Matthau in the lead. Well, Brian Garfield also wrote a fair number of westerns too, and if Apache Canyon is a good example of his work in this genre, than I am very much looking forward to reading some more from this fine author.

Apache Canyon is a tightly written tale with a good deal of tension and very interesting characters. The story deals less in black and white absolutes, favoring a certain leaning towards moral ambiguity, and various shades of gray.

The story centers around the character of Will Brady, a professional scout doing contract work for the cavalry, and his contract is about to end. Will has no interest renewing his contract or continuing with his current lifestyle. The job was violent and bloody and the man no longer has the stomach for it. Brady dreams of retiring and building a horse ranch where he can live out the rest of his years in peace. But, with mere days left on the job, Will is presented with the problem of renegade Coyotero Apaches on the warpath, and it's his job to help round the renegades up, and return them to the reservation where they belong. Add into the mix a romantic subplot that features Will and another man's wife and you have a thoroughly engaging and exciting read.

The strengths of this novel are many, the writing is top notch, the characters are immensely interesting, and the story never wears out its welcome. Like I mentioned earlier, if this is a good example of what to expect from Brian Garfield, than I am hooked, and I plan on looking for more from this amazing author.

Honestly speaking, the only reason that I bought this book was because of the blurb on the cover that read; 'the author of Death Wish.' When you're looking at fifty cent novels at your local thrift store, you find yourself being a little more willing to take chances, and that tiny blurb seemed like a decent enough reason to take a chance. I'm glad I did.

-W. Jay Pinto

The Dude Ranger by Zane Grey: A Book Review

After the disappointing negative review that I gave to Arizona Ames earlier this month, I am pleased to give a positive recommendation to the Dude Ranger. This book a real gem and bound to entertain fans of the western genre.

Ernest Selby is a young man that has just inherited his late uncle's ranch in Arizona. Before setting out from Iowa to visit his ranch, Selby learns that much of the cattle have gone missing over the years, and he decides it's time to investigate the matter himself. He poses as a cowhand and gets a job on his own ranch. Eventually Ernest is able to put the pieces of the puzzle together, including the fact the foreman is a crook. Making matters worse is the fact that he has fallen in love with the foreman's daughter too.

Conceptually simple, but told in semi-epic proportions, the Dude Ranger is one of Zane Grey's better novels. If you're looking for a good entry point to introduce yourself to the works of this legendary author, you cannot go wrong with this book at all. 

I also noticed that a movie was made of this novel too. Oddly enough, for a book that runs more than 240 pages, it is a bit funny to see that the movie less than an hour long. I have not watched it yet, but perhaps it's time for a double feature consisting of the Dude Ranger, and Thunder Trail (the cinematic adaptation of Arizona Ames) which is also under an hour long.

-W. Jay Pinto

Murder At Goose Rapids by Frank Fields: A Book Review

Frank Fields is not an author that I am familiar with, but after reading this thoroughly enjoyable western adventure, I hope to come across more of this talented writer's work. I'm also hoping that I am able to eventually find out a bit more information on Mr. Fields too. 

I can say that the copy of Murder At Goose Rapids that I found at a local thrift store was a British edition, so that may mean that Frank Fields is an author from the United Kingdom. This might sound a bit surprising to some of my fellow Americans, but the British western fiction scene was a very real thing, particularly back in the seventies, and it did feature some very talented writers too. 

Essentially Murder At Goose Rapids starts out as a murder mystery, but then it turns into an exciting chase yarn in the final third of the book. It's a tightly told tale, with a number of interesting characters, and a plot that moves along at a more than decent pace.

When Sheriff Dan Robbins is murdered in the quiet cattle town of Goose Rapids, U.S. Marshal Ellis Stack is brought in to get to the bottom of the mystery, and bring Robbins' killer to justice. This leads to the introduction of a number of shifty suspects, all of which possessed a motive, and all of which had the chance to do the deadly deed.

Honestly, I found this novel to be a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a quick and possibly fun read, but what I got was a whole lot more than I could ever have expected. Check it out if you can find a copy, it's well worth a read.

-W. Jay Pinto

Arizona Ames by Zane Grey: A Book Review

Up until reading Arizona Ames I could easily and genuinely say that I thoroughly enjoy the writing of Zane Grey. But, this book was such a pointless slog of a novel that I can't possibly recommend it. It was slow moving and lacking any real narrative thread that joined the exploits of the main character to a story worth reading that the book literally shoots itself in the foot. And, the closest thing to an actual narrative thread that runs through-out the story is a bit bizarre, and kind of off-putting to modern readers at least.

I don't know if the idea of a man looking for a woman to settle down with that is exactly like his twin sister was a particularly strange concept when this novel was published in 1932, but today that seems a bit strange, at least it does to me. Plus, Arizona Ames is an incredibly boring novel, and that is an observation I rarely make about anything written by Zane Grey.

For the record, I have a personal rule that I tend to stick by, and it goes a bit like this; if I've made it fifty pages into a book and I have yet to lose interest, I stick it out, and finish the tome. Well, in the case of this particular piece of literature, I figured out that it was doing nothing for me at about page number seventy-five. So, sticking to my own personal rules of reading, I finished it, but boy was it a chore to do so.

The closest thing I can offer to a plot summary of this book is to say that the title character travels the wild west, getting into the occasional interesting adventure, but mostly looking for a girl just like his sister for the sake of romance. Is there any action? Yeah, there is, but mostly it falls short of the memorable variety.

Zane Grey is usually a recommendable author in my book, but this book is not one of the ones that I can recommend. It is dull, strange, and generally a waste of time.

Oddly enough, there is a movie adapted from this book, and I am tempted to give a shot as a viewer. That sounds a bit weird considering my opinion of the source material. But, perhaps a future review is brewing in my mind? Let me see how easy it is to find the movie.

-W. Jay Pinto

Quick-Trigger Country by Clem Colt: A Book Review

With a name that seems to pay tribute to both comedian Red Skelton's famous country bumpkin character (known as Clem Kadiddlehopper) and perhaps the most famous brand of gun (the Colt) in the wild west, Clem Colt is a name that screams alias, and a quick Google search proved my suspicions correct. Clem Colt was in fact a pen name used by the famous western genre novelist Nelson C. Nye. 

Nye was a popular and very prolific author and although this is the first book I've read by the man, I can guarantee you it will not be the last. His writing is both fun and engaging, it delivers the goods on almost every level that a genre fan could desire.

Quick-Trigger Country follows the misadventures of a young outlaw named Turkey Red. Turkey's exploits take place in the legendary town of Tombstone, AZ and the book is loaded with the famous historical characters that one would expect serving as notable supporting players.

Turkey joins an outlaw gang that is headed up by Curly Bill (a legendary criminal that Red wishes to be more like) and he is surrounded by gang members with names like Ringo, Stilwell, and Clanton, all of which are names that should be familiar to anyone that is familiar with the story of the O.K. Corral. The narrative is also peppered with appearances by the likes of the Earp brothers as well. Oddly enough though, Curly Bill is given the last name of Graham in the novel when it is very clear that the character is actually William Brocius, but a minute's worth of research on Wikipedia informed me that another outlaw named Curly Bill Graham was operating in the same area at the same time, and some historians have mixed up the actions of one criminal with the other.

Over the course of the narrative Turkey Red begins to question his loyalty to Curly Bill and this leads to tensions that build as the story progresses. As Red begins to realize just how ruthless Bill really is he starts to emerge as an actual hero. Along the way a romantic triangle is worked into the plot that helps to drive the story forward and leads to a somewhat satisfying ending, although it is unfortunately a somewhat anti-climatic ending too.

Quick-Trigger Country is definitely not a classic of the genre, but it is a fun read that is worth seeking out. It's the kind of book that does not wear out its welcome for the bulk of its content, it's just stuck with a less than fully satisfying ending.

-W. Jay Pinto

Border Bandit by Ray Hogan: A Book Review

I've only read a handful of Ray Hogan's novels, but as it so happens I've incredibly enjoyed all of the ones that I've read so far. And, with nearly two-hundred books accredited to this particular author, I think I'll have plenty more novels to recommend in the future.

Border Bandit tells the story of Poe Harper, an American rancher running a property in Mexico. The ranch was inherited from his father who was a trusted friend of the Mexican government. That friendship is tested when the Mexican federal authorities approach Poe to hunt down his own brother who has stolen a fortune in gold from the government. 

Poe is forced to cross the border into the United States and locate his brother and his gang of fellow thieves. He is given a deadline to return to Mexico with the outlaws and the stolen gold, or he will lose his ranch. 

On the surface Border Bandit appears to be a fairly simple chase story, but it engages the reader on a sightly deeper level with questions about the importance of brotherly loyalty, and honorable duty. The novel features colorful, well written, and memorable characters. It is fast-paced and genuinely exciting. I'd call it an entertaining read to say the least.

Although not quite on a level equal to Louis L'Amour or Zane Grey, Ray Hogan was one of the better authors of the western genre, and I'm looking forward to reading more of his work. 

-W. Jay Pinto

  

The Whispering Skull: A Movie Review

The Whispering Skull is the seventeenth entry in the Texas Rangers' movie series. This is a fact that I was not aware of when I sat down to watch this particular picture. But, like me, if you were not familiar with the Texas Rangers' films in general, and had not seen any of the other entries in the series before this one, viewing this genuinely fun movie will not confuse you, or hamper your potential enjoyment of this film in any way.

Actor and country music singing star Tex Ritter stars as Tex Haines and he joins forces with Dave O'Brien as Dave Wyatt to face off against the titular masked villain who is terrorizing a small western town. The job is harder than it sounds though, because Tex and Dave also have to contend with a gang of robbers and killers too.

Ritter is a pretty decent presence and he manages to deliver a couple of tunes as well. O'Brien is even better and if you're only familiar with the actor from his performance in the goofy cult classic Reefer Madness, prepare to be surprised. Elmer Clifton's direction is pretty good, nothing particularly exceptional, but definitely competent.

Overall, the Whispering Skull is a fun little romp. It's a thoroughly enjoyable b western with a decent amount of action and a touch of mystery too.

-W. Jay Pinto

Straight Shooter: A Movie Review

Tim McCoy was a popular b western cowboy actor and over the years I've enjoyed a number of his films. Sam Newfield was an incredibly prolific director of low budget movies and I've really liked a bunch of his pictures over the years too, particularly a lot of his westerns. So, looking for something to watch today, I noticed this film that I'd never seen before, and gave it try. I figured that since I like the star and I enjoy the director's work too, this should be worth watching. I'm not going to pretend that I particularly had high hopes going into this flick, but I never could have guessed exactly how disappointing this b western would turn out to be.

Just like Whistling Bullets, this 1939 production is another one of those contemporary setting westerns, but unlike that movie, Straight Shooter is not at all entertaining. Tim McCoy is out to locate stolen bonds (another thing this one has in common with Whistling Bullets), which have been hidden by a deceased bandit, and the bandit's old gang members are out to find the same bonds too.

Despite sounding like something that has the potential to be exciting and entertaining, Straight Shooter doesn't even begin to become interesting until about the last ten minutes of its running time. For a film that clocks in at less than an hour in length, this program has no excuse being a dragged out experience, but that is exactly what it is.

-W. Jay Pinto

Heller with a Gun by Louis L'Amour: A Book Review

I guess now is a good time to warn any potential readers of this blog, be prepared to see many reviews of Louis L'Amour's novels published here. Not only do I highly enjoy reading these books, I also really like writing reviews about them.

Many of L'Amour's novels are of the variety that would I call real page turners. That is to say that a lot of his books are hard to put down and in many cases I can easily find myself completing them in less than a day. I think this represents a testament to Louis L'Amour's skillful writing.

All of that taken into consideration, Heller with a Gun is the very definition of a page turner. A fast paced story with unique characters, exciting set pieces, and plenty of engaging action and adventure. If your tastes are anything like mine, this book will be a breeze to get through.

Heller with a Gun is written in such a manner that it actually reads like a movie. The imagery conjured by the writing is just that rich and that flowing. In fact, the book was adapted into a film, but I have not watched it yet, so I cannot attest to just how loyal the movie is to the novel. But, I promise, I will find a copy of the picture, watch it, and review it here too.

The hero of the tale is one King Mabry, a young gunfighter with considerable wilderness survival skills, and a bit of a chivalrous streak running through his spirit. Mabry runs into a travelling theatrical troupe that are heading for Montana in the middle of hard winter weather. King takes it upon himself to look after the troupe and it's a good thing that he did, because someone is out to double cross the group, rob them, and perpetrate far worse.

A thoroughly enjoyable tome, Heller with a Gun is an exciting tale of frontier survival, with a dash of romance too. I could certainly recommend the novel as a decent introduction to the works of Louis L'Amour. Give it try and see if you agree.

-W. Jay Pinto

Kiowa Trail by Louis L'Amour: A Book Review

Although I have yet to read every single book by Louis L'Amour, I have managed to read quite a number of them, and I have greatly enjoyed all of the ones that I have had the pleasure of reading. I can safely say that Mr. L'Amour is certainly one of my favorite authors and may very well be my all-time favorite.

Kiowa Trail is an incredibly good read. An engaging novel with very interesting characters and a slightly unconventional western hero at the center of the book's narrative. 

The story opens with a young cow puncher who has fallen victim to love at first sight, when he sees the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, the young man has fallen for the wrong girl, her father is one of the most powerful men in town, and he has nothing but contempt for ranchers and cowboys.

The smitten cowboy is Tom Lundy, the younger brother of Kate Lundy. Kate is the widowed owner of the Tumbling B Ranch and when Tom is murdered after he attempted to romantically approach the young lady that he desired, Kate declares out-and-out war on the entire town.

It falls upon the Tumbling B's foreman Conn Drury to call upon all of his fighting skills and abilities with a gun to win this war. All the while using those skills to protect Kate as well, while hiding the love that he feels for her too.

Conn's parents were killed by Apaches when he was a little kid, he was taken captive by the tribe, and raised by them for a few years. Eventually he does escape and befriends a man that helps him with his education until he is murdered, leaving the young Conn to seek out vengeance against the men that murdered his mentor. The family of his fallen teacher bring Conn to Europe, where his education is furthered, but his wild nature brings him back to America, and the frontier.

The story starts out with such a simple premise, but surprisingly builds to near epic proportions. The narrative is told in first person perspective, a style of writing that I sometimes feel can be detrimental to a western tale. Fortunately that choice of style does nothing to harm the novel here and it offers an interesting glimpse into the mind of the hero.

Kiowa Trail is a genuine joy to read. It's heavy on the action front and tells an exciting story.

-W. Jay Pinto

The Fugitive Trail by Zane Grey: A Book Review

In the world of western literature two names loom very large, one would be the excellent Louis L'Amour, and the other is Zane Grey. Personally, I really do prefer the works of Mr. L'Amour, but Grey has a great many books worthy of recommendation too, and one of those novels is certainly the Fugitive Trail. A western tale very much worthy of the term classic.

The story follows the exploits of Bruce Lockheart, an honorable young man who chooses to take the blame for his younger brother's crimes. The younger Lockheart is in love with a young lady named Trinity and he plans to marry her, but what Bruce doesn't realize is that Trinity would rather marry him. So, Bruce Lockheart takes to the so-called fugitive trail with the Texas Rangers in pursuit, and Trinity too who is out to clear the name of the man she loves.

Zane Grey was a master of frontier storytelling and the Fugitive Trail is a fine example of his considerable writing skills. It's a fast moving read that is quite engaging from beginning to end. It's fairly action packed and features a number of appealing characters. This is a really exciting book and well worth seeking out.

-W. Jay Pinto

Whistling Bullets: A Movie Review

Kermit Maynard was an actor, stuntman, and a successful rodeo trick rider. He was often billed as Tex Maynard, but in this particular 1937 production he was billed under his real name. He was not a particularly charismatic or overly engaging movie star, but he was certainly an enjoyable, and worthwhile screen presence. And, as far as cowboy actors go, Maynard was a definite natural.

Whistling Bullets is far from a classic, but it is certainly entertaining, and I can definitely recommend it for western genre fans. It's short and enjoyable. The movie works perfectly as a quick watch that never wears out its welcome.

Like many other b-western films of the time, it has a contemporary setting, and a fairly simple plot. Kermit Maynard is a member of the Texas Rangers and he is assigned to go undercover in prison. Maynard shares a cell with a robber played by Maston Williams, Kermit's job is to gain Maston's trust, break him out of the prison, and hopefully have Williams lead him to the whereabouts of a large amount in stolen bonds.

The film has a decent amount of action and is quite enjoyable. The director John English was rather prolific in the western movie genre. He worked quite a number of times with both Roy Rogers and Gene Autry and his films tend to be passibly directed, but never particularly exceptional, this is the same case here.

Whistling Bullets is enjoyable and worthy of a viewing. It will never be seen as any kind of classic, but it is fun to watch anyway.

-W. Jay Pinto

A Fistful of Dollars: A Movie Review

Director Sergio Leone didn't create the Spaghetti Western, but he did perfect it, beginning with a trio of films that he made with then rising star Clint Eastwood. The first of these movies was a semi-remake of director Akira Kurosawa's samurai film classic Yojimbo called A Fistful of Dollars. Keep in mind, this was also an un-credited semi-remake that led to a lawsuit.

As a fan of both Kurosawa and Leone, I am of the opinion that there is room for both movies, and there are good reasons to have both pictures in your cinematic library. I can genuinely acknowledge that these two films are legitimate masterpieces.

Clint Eastwood plays a gunfighter that rides into a town controlled by two warring gangs. Clint proceeds to hire himself out to both gangs so he can play them against each other and eventually take both gangs out.

The direction by Sergio Leone is highly stylized and brilliant. Eastwood is a presence that is both appealing and imposing. His performance is downright unforgettable. And, not enough can be said about the musical score by Ennio Morricone, it is stylish, catchy, and impossible to ignore. Literally speaking the music seemingly becomes a character itself.

For a long time, the only westerns that I would admit to liking were all of the Spaghetti variety. But, I am currently proud to admit that I generally love the western genre period. But, in the realm of Spaghetti Westerns this is one of the finest.

If you've never seen this incredible film, I have two questions for you. What are you waiting for? And, how long have you been living under that rock?

A Fistful of Dollars is a great movie and I highly recommend it. Check this classic out.

-W. Jay Pinto   

The Burning Hills by Louis L'Amour: A Book Review

In the world of western genre fiction Louis L'Amour is generally considered the king. L'Amour was a prolific writer and a very popular one too, but he was also a man of considerable talent who could tell a good tale.

The Burning Hills is no exception, it's a really good tale, and it's pretty well written too. Some readers may find the story a bit simplistic, but despite the simplicity of the narrative, it's generally exciting throughout. If I have any complaints with this novel, it would only be the very end of it, and I literally mean the last two pages or so. I'd explain my complaint, but I want to avoid any spoilers for those that have yet to read this book.

Trace Jordan is a badly wounded man hiding from a gang of ranchers out to kill him. Some of the ranch hands killed his partner and stole the horses that Trace and his partner had trained.

While hiding from the men that are attempting to hunt him down, Trace is aided by a beautiful young Mexican woman who has her own problems with the same men that are out to kill Jordan. Eventually, the young man and the woman attempt to escape the gang, and a deadly pursuit ensues.

Exceptionally well written, packed with exciting western action, and a nice dash of romance too, the Burning Hills is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I highly recommend picking this book up.

-W. Jay Pinto