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