The Movies ... and the People Who Make Them (1939)

"The MOVIES 1939" SPOILERS OF THE RANGE: Produced and distributed by Columbia Director: C. C. Coleman Screenplay: Paul Franklin Photography: Allen G. Siegler Music Director: M. B. Stoloff Editor: William Lyon Jeff Strong Charles Starrett Madge Patterson Iris Meredith Lobo Savage Dick Curtis Cash Fenton Kenneth MacDonald Sheriff Hank Bell Bob Bob Nolan Dan Patterson Edward LeSaint David Rowland Forbes Murray Santos Art Mix Kendall Edmund Cobb Harper Edward Peil, Sr. and Sons of the Pioneers Average western thriller in which Charles Starrett foils the nefarious plot of the gambler villain to get control of a dam just built by the ranchers. (Adults 8C Young People) (Running time, 57 minutes) Lobo Savage, desperado killer who takes orders from the town's gambler boss, Cash Fenton, obeys his latest orders and steals the $50,000 the Mesa Verde ranchers have collected to pay for a new dam. There is no more cash immediately available and in desperation the cattlemen do just what Fenton hoped they would — come to him for a loan. He supplies the money with the dam as security, on the condition that it be paid on a certain date. Then, of course, he orders Lobo Sa\agc and his men to see to it that the ranchers fail to get their cattle to market on time by blocking the one pass out of the valley. Young rancher Jeff Strong, old rancher Dan Patterson and his daughter Madge discover this barricade almost too late, on the very day before the cattle must be driven out. While Jeff investigates the connection between Lobo and Fenton, Madge stampedes the cattle through the pass. Lobo and his men are forced to flee and hurry to Fenton’s saloon. There Jeff and the embattled cattlemen fight it out with these Spoilers of the Range and justice once more soars to triumph on the wings of bullets. Concocted strictly according to formula and well spotted with action, in particular fistic, this seems just about average for the Charles Starrett series. A stickler for legality at first, he finds little favor with the more drastic ranchers and even with his pretty girlfriend. But he soon swings around to direct action and performs it in manly manner. Dick Curtis proves himself a top-rank western villain as killer Lobo and the Sons of the Pioneers add some good prairie tunes. STUNT PILOT: Produced by Paul Malvern for Monogram Director: George Waggner Screenplay: Scott Darling, Joseph West (Based on the cartoon strip, “Tailspin Tommy,” by Hal Forrest) Photography: Fred Jackman, Jr. Editor: Carl Pierson Tailspin Tommy John Trent Betty Lou Marjorie Reynolds Skeeter Milburn Stone Paul Jason Robards Sheehan Pat O’Malley Earl Martin George Meeker Glenn Wesley Barry Sheriff George Cleveland Tex Johnny Day Charlie Charles Morton Ethel Mary Fields Bobby Buddy Cox Another Tailspin Tommy aviation adventure in which he is involved in a murder when real bullets are substituted for blanks in the filming of an air fight. (Adults 3C Young People) (Running time, 62 minutes) Stunt Pilot, flying fast on the tail of Mystery Plane, the first in Monogram's Tailspin Tommy series, carries the same four principal players and as full a cargo of action scenes in the air. Tommy is serving as a stunt pilot during the filming of a war picture, but is soon so angry at director Sheehan’s disregard for human life in the pursuit of air thrills that he quits his job. A new pilot arrives, a reckless daredevil who promptly gets into a fight with Tommy by taking girlfriend Betty Lou up in a dangerous old plane. Sheehan wants to stage a fight in the air between the two of them, but Tommy refuses. Then pal Skeeter, who needs money for a sick sister, agrees to take the risk. Tommy takes his place — and when the fight begins and Tommy starts firing with his machine gun, the other pilot is killed. Real bullets have been substituted for blank cartridges and this fact, backed by Tommy’s former fight with the victim, brings an accusation of murder. But Tailspin Tommy is a good detective as well as a gallant aviator and he suspects that Sheehan had something to do with the killing. He chases the train taking the movie company back to Hollywood and the police chase him and there is considerable excitement before the killer has been taken care of, Tommy has been exonerated and he and Skeeter and Betty Lou have been offered jobs with the Border Patrol. Written and played in the original cartoon strip manner with typed characters and accent always on adventure, Stunt Pilot has a slow and trite take-off but after several reels picks up speed and hits an exciting pace when the big plane and train chase is under way. The aerial photography is good and process shots are convincingly inserted. Romantic interest is held to a minimum. There are fist rights enough and three plane crashes to thrill the action fans. The draggy moments may be the result of director George Waggner’s annoyance that the scenarists should have had the bad taste to make a movie director the villain. Charles Starrett Dick Curtis “SPOILERS OF THE RANGE” Hank Bell 183