"Top Westerns of the 1930's" Topic

Well, we've done every other decade, so let's wrap this up. These are my favorite Westerns of the 1930's. I've included a couple of "B" Westerns and a serial because the pickings were kind of slim.

Note to "Pulp" forum members: This is the only Western "best of" thread that we posted to the "pulp" forum. Mainly because a few of these films are serial and "B" Westerns and of interest to the group. If you want to check out the threads for any of the other decades that we discussed you can search on my name "The Shadow".

"Stagecoach" D: John Ford. With Wayne, Trevor, etc.

"The Plainsman" D: Cecil B. DeMille. With Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. Cooper and Arthur as Hickok and Calamity Jane are effective and fun to watch

"Viva Villa" D: Jack Conway. With Wallace Beery, Fay Wray and Leo Carillo. Beery hams it up, but in an enjoyable way.

"Hop-A-Long Cassidy" D: Howard Bretherton. With William Boyd, Jimmy Ellison, and George "Gabby" Hayes. Notable as the first of a very long string of "Hoppy" "B" movies, and it was pretty good at that!

"The Texas Rangers" D: King Vidor. With Fred MacMurray, Jack Oakie and Lloyd Nolan. This was a very good Western with MacMurray and Oakie as two of three outlaws trying to go straight by joining the Texas Rangers and being assigned to go after the third one played by Lloyd Nolan.

"Riders of the Whistling Skull" D: Mack V. Wright With Ray "Crash" Corrigan, Max Terhune and Bob Livingston. This was considered the best of a long string of "Three Mesquiteers" "B" movies.

"Destry Rides Again" D: George Marshall. With James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich

"Dodge City" D: Michael Curtiz. With Errol Flynn, Olivia DeHavilland, Ann Sheridan, Allan Hale, and Bruce Cabot. Easily my favorite non-military Western with Errol Flynn.

"Jesse James" D: Henry King. With Tyrone Power, Randolph Scott, Henry Fonda and Brian Donlevy. What a cast! I've never been that crazy about Tyrone Power, but this is one good flick! Yes, I know that it's historically inaccurate. (-:

"Zorro's Fighting Legion" D: William Whitney and John English. With Reed Hadley as Zorro. This 12 chapter serial was released at the beginning of what's considered the best 5 year stretch in serial history by the best of the serial producers, Republic Pictures. Believe it or not, this is my favorite version of Zorro.

Let's hear your opinions.

I only saw 'Stagecoach' for the first time a year ago and was impressed by what a good movie it really was! …And it had Andy Devine-the original raspy voice cowboy! Now if only Jack Benny and Andy Devine had gotten together for the film version of 'Buck Benny Rides Again!' we would doubltess be adding another film to your list Shadow.

Bob Murch
pulpfigures.com

>>Now if only Jack Benny and Andy Devine had gotten together for the film version of 'Buck Benny Rides Again!' we would doubltess be adding another film to your list Shadow.<<

I'm confused Bob. Benny and Devine *were* together in the film version of "Buck Benny Rides Again". I couldn't add it to *this* list anyway, as the film is from 1940 and this is a 1930's list. (-:

I remind myself of the drunken doctor in Stagecoach.

Stagecoach. Great film. Used it in my comparative film analysis class I taught one semester. Sort of a classics vs. recent hit kind of thing. I wasn't allowed to show Unforgiven as the modern film, so had to settle for Silverado, a dim second (fourth?) choice as these things go.

>>I wasn't allowed to show Unforgiven as the modern film<<

Why couldn't you show "Unforgiven", or better yet, "Open Range"?

"Stagecoach" was a classic. Everybody in that movie was at the top of their game, including the director.

Was "Phantom Empire" with Gene Autry made during the thirties? I've always had a soft spot for that one…

>>Was "Phantom Empire" with Gene Autry made during the thirties? I've always had a soft spot for that one…<<

Yep. (-:

I believe it was,Doc. With the quite cute Dorothy Christie as the Queen of Murania.

Slim pickings from that decade, IMHO. Good initial choices. the only one I can add is an Eastern:

Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)

>>Slim pickings from that decade, IMHO.<<

Very. In any other decade I wouldn't have added "B" movies or serials. Although "Riders of the Whistling Skull" and "Hop-A-Long Cassidy" are very good examples of the genre IMO.

>>Good initial choices. the only one I can add is an Eastern: Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)<<

Thanks. I watched "Drums Along the Mohawk" two nights ago for the first time since the 1950's. It's a good movie with fine actors. If we were going to add "easterns" I would have mentioned "Northwest Passage" in the "Top Westerns of the 1940's" thread. Come to think of it, I should hunt up the Randolph Scott version of "Last of the Mohicans" too as I don't recall ever seeing it.

Hi

The French and Indian war WAS the west at the time.

As a minor bit of trivia, drawn by the promise of LOOT, some lakota actually walked from the dakotas to join in the French effort.

Rocky

'I'm confused Bob. Benny and Devine *were* together in the film version of "Buck Benny Rides Again". I couldn't add it to *this* list anyway, as the film is from 1940 and this is a 1930's list. (-:'

There was a film? I was only aware of the recurring skits on Jack's radio show on which Andy was a regular guest. Now I'll have to start a search…

"Stagecoach," hands down. It still holds up really well.

Next for me would be "Riders of the Whistling Skull."

What? Nobody's mentioned the "Terror of Tinytown"?

Sigh. I hang my classic-movie-loving head in shame. The original "Stagecoach" is one of those classic films that has always managed to elude me. I know the movie fairly well from film clips in documentaries and other people's descriptions, and I even have the rollicking opening theme on a Western themes compilation, but I still haven't managed to see more than a few minutes of the actual movie. It's been on my list of "Must Sees" for decades now.

"Hoot" Mulligan

I concur with the Three Mesquiteers films. I saw a bunch of them on the late show when I was a kid and thought they were great fun. (Last Saturday, I did introduce Mrs. Mulligan to a much more recent classic Western on DVD, the "Outlaw Josey Wales," and I have hefted a Walker colt before, so perhaps one day my sins of movie omission can be forgiven.)

Mully

Re: "Stagecoach" ya gotta watch out for that sort of long term anticipation. You might end up disappointed that it isn't the greatest movie that you ever saw. In fact, most who don't realize that it set the mold for many stagecoach traveler type flicks to come would think that it's cliche ridden. If I remember correctly you like Ford. I'm a little iffy on the interpersonal relationship thing in Westerns as you know. They have to be directed and played well, as in "Shane", to keep me interested, but I think that the combination of personality development and action is pretty well balanced in this one. The stunts by Yakima Canutt are good too.

Shadow:

One man's "cliches" are another man's "eternal truths." These days, when I get ready to watch an old movie, I try to calibrate my expectations to the standards of the time and thus can generally enjoy things on their own terms. From the clips I've seen, "Stagecoach" looks like it was very well done and acted for the time, so I suspect I'll like it just fine. Be hard to go wrong with Clair Trevor, John Wayne, et al.

Mulligan

If we were going to add "easterns" I would have mentioned "Northwest Passage" in the "Top Westerns of the 1940's" thread.

I did!

>>These days, when I get ready to watch an old movie, I try to calibrate my expectations to the standards of the time and thus can generally enjoy things on their own terms.<<

Right. It's the only fair way to view a film from the 1930's. Enjoy! (-:

>>I did!<<

LOL. Yep, you did!