Oklahoma Badlands (1948)
One of the few movies that the legendary Yakima Canutt actually directed, not surprisingly, it is very action oriented, and features plenty of stunts. Yakima is one of the un-sung heroes of the western genre, he started out as a stuntman in the silent era, but eventually did everything from writing, producing, and directing. His film career lasted into the late 1970s and he worked on everything b-westerns to Hollywood epics.
The Rocky Lane westerns were a popular series for Republic Pictures they started in the late 1940s and continued running into the 1950s. Allan Lane was the star and his trusty companion was his horse Black Jack. Eddy Waller also provided the comic sidekick for many of these movies in the form of the character known as Nugget.
When one of Rocky’s oldest friends is murdered, Lane assumes the identity of the heir to the family’s ranch, and tries to unravel the mystery. Along the way there is plenty of action, some romance in the form of Mildred Coles, and some comedic high jinks are supplied by Eddy Waller too.
Yakima Canutt’s direction is top-notch, Allan Lane is a pleasure, and Eddy Waller is always a welcome presence. A very enjoyable b-oater, I highly recommend it.
-William J. White
1 comment:
This is a wonderful blog, and I shall be back soon again I think! I love anything that caters for people with and interest in Western films/history. Nice to find you!
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