The Law West of Tombstone *** (1938, Harry Carey Sr, Tim Holt, Evelyn Brent, Jean Rouverol, Clarence Kolb) – Classic Movie Review 7136

Director Glenn Tryon’s 1938 RKO movie The Law West of Tombstone is an above-average little B-movie Western, mixing action, comedy, history, music and romance, with a decent cast, a good tale and memorably interesting characters based on real Old West legends Billy the Kid, Calamity Jane and Judge Roy Bean, renamed Ted the Tonto Kid (Tim Holt), Nitta Moseby (Jean Rouverol) and Bill Barker (Harry Carey Sr) here.

In the latter role of notorious liar Bill Barker, Harry Carey talks the townsfolk of Martinez into making him both town mayor and judge, and dispenses justice in an Arizona barroom and joins forces with the trigger-happy Tonto Kid to subdue the dastardly McQuinn gang.

The young Holt (aged just 20) impresses in his first Western, with many, many more to follow, and Evelyn Brent impresses too as Clara ‘Clary’ Martinez, while Carey Sr is good value, with all the supporting character actors doing valuable work.

The McQuinn Brothers, Bud (Paul Guilfoyle) and Charlie (Bob Kortman), are based on Billy and Ike Clanton, while Bradley Page’s character Doc Howard is derived from Doc Holliday.

Also in the cast are Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, Ward Bond, Kermit Maynard, George Irving, Jean Rouverol, Clarence Kolb, Esther Muir, Bradley Page, Robert Moya, Monte Montague, Martin Garralaga, Harry Hayden, Selmer Jackson and Charles Middleton.

The Law West of Tombstone is directed by Glenn Tryon, runs 73 minutes, is made and released by RKO Radio Pictures, is written by John Twist (screenplay) and Clarence Upson Young (story and screenplay), is shot in Black and White by J Roy Hunt, is produced by Cliff Reid and is scored by Roy Webb, with Art Direction by Van Nest Polglase.

It is shot at the RKO Encino Ranch, Balboa Boulevard and Burbank Boulevard, Encino, Los Angeles.

Western star Tim Holt.

Holt (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) soon starred in a series of Westerns for RKO, after they signed him to a seven-year contract in December 1938. He recalled: ‘RKO needed another Western star and I was put forward.’

He appeared in The Fargo Kid (1940), Robbers of the Range (1941), Along the Rio Grande (1941), Cyclone on Horseback (1941) and Six-Gun Gold (1941), The Bandit Trail (1941), Dude Cowboy (1941), Riding the Wind (1942), Land of the Open Range (1942), Come on Danger (1942), Thundering Hoofs (1942), Bandit Ranger (1942), Red River Robin Hood (1942), Pirates of the Prairie (1942), Fighting Frontier (1943), Sagebrush Law (1943), The Avenging Rider (1942), Thunder Mountain (1947), Under the Tonto Rim (1947), Wild Horse Mesa (1947), The Arizona Ranger (1948), Guns of Hate (1948), Indian Agent (1948), Gun Smugglers (1948), Rustlers (1949), Stagecoach Kid (1949), Masked Raiders (1949), The Mysterious Desperado (1949), Riders of the Range (1949), Dynamite Pass (1950), Storm over Wyoming (1950), Rider from Tucson (1950), Border Treasure (1950), Rio Grande Patrol (1950), Law of the Badlands (1951), Gunplay (1951), Saddle Legion (1951) Pistol Harvest (1951), Hot Lead (1951), Overland Telegraph (1951), Trail Guide (1952), Road Agent (1952), Target (1952), and finally Desert Passage (1952).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7136

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