Texas Terror ** (1935, John Wayne, Lucile Browne, LeRoy Mason, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes) – Classic Movie Review 9224

Lucile Browne (1907–1976).

Writer-director Robert Bradbury’s 1935 Texas Terror stars a very young-looking John Wayne as Sheriff John Higgins, a lawman turned prospector who finds the real bad guy (LeRoy Mason) after it turns out he was falsely accused of killing his best friend. Lucile Browne co-stars as Bess Mathews, Higgins’s dead buddy’s sister. He helps her to run her ranch – at least till she discovers his history.

Texas Terror is only routine B-Western, but Wayne’s fancy fighting and hard riding, as well as all the Western stunts, make it a must for his fans.

Browne’s and Wayne’s pals George ‘Gabby’ Hayes (as Sheriff Ed Williams) and stunt performer Yakima Canutt are along for the ride. It is mild, old-style Western action, maybe, but director Bradbury manages it all briskly and compactly in well under an hour and the young Wayne is worth a look.

Also in the cast are Fern Emmett, Jay Wilsey [Buffalo Bill Jr], Bert Dillard, John Ince, Henry Roquemore, Jack Duffy, Frank Ball, Herman Hack, Jack Jones, Jack Kenny, Julia Griffith, and Tex Palmer. Lloyd Ingraham is in the studio records but apparently not seen in the movie.

Texas Terror is directed by Robert Bradbury, runs 51 minutes, is made by Paul Malvern Productions [Lone Star Picture], is released by Monogram Pictures (1935) (US) and Associated British Film Distributors (1935) (UK), is written by Robert Bradbury (story and screenplay), is shot in black and white by William Hyer and Archie J Stout, and is produced by Paul Malvern.

It was shot in November 1934 at the Jack Garner Ranch, State Highway 74, San Bernardino National Forest, California, and the Trem Carr Ranch, Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California.

Studio records say the sound was produced by the Balsley and Phillips Sound System.

The failure of the copyright holder to renew the film’s copyright resulted in it falling into public domain.

Lucile Browne met actor James Flavin on the set of a 1932 Universal serial. They soon married and stayed together for more than 40 years, until his death. She retired from films in 1938 to raise her family, appearing in only a few more films until her death in 1976. In the mid-1960s, she worked at the May Company Department Store (now Macy’s in Westwood, California) in the fabric department.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9224

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