Aces and Eights 1936 N/R, 62 min. Genre: Western
Director: Sam Newfield Cast: Tim McCoy, Jimmy Aubrey, Luana Walters, Wheeler Oakman, Earle Hodgins, Rex Lease, J. Frank Glendon, Joseph W. Girard, Charles Stevens, John Merton
As all good Western film fans know, "Aces and Eights" is called the "death hand," which is named for the hand that Wild Bill Hickock held when he was shot. This hand of cards comes into play when Tim Madigan (Tim McCoy)–who doesn't even carry a gun–poses as a card sharp when he comes to the aid of a Mexican family who are being cheated out of their ranch.
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Arizona Gunfighter 1937 N/R, 60 min. Genre: Western
Director: Sam Newfield Cast: Bob Steele, Jean Carmen, Ted Adams, Ernie Adams, Lew Meehan, Steve Clark, John Merton, Karl Hackett, A.C. Henderson, Frank Ball, Budd Buster, Horace B. Carpenter, Herman Hack, Hal Price, Tracy Layne
Gunfighter Colt Ferron (Bob Steele) kills his father's murderers and joins Wolf Whitson's (Ted Adams) gang of outlaws. Two years later, Wolf ends his life as a gang leader by turning himself in and giving Colt his ranch. All goes well, until the old gang members appear on the scene, now led by Snake Bralt (Lew Meehan). Colt goes to Governor Gray (A.C. Henderson) and tells him that if he will release Wolf from prison, the two of them can bring in the gang. Now, it is up to the governor to make a big decision.
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Blue Canadian Rockies 1952 N/R, 58 min. Genre: Western
Director: George Archainbaud Cast: Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, Carolina Cotton, Don Beddoe, Gail Davis, Tom London, Ross Ford, Mauritz Hugo, John Merton, Gene Roth
Murders at a dude ranch are the subject of Gene Autry's investigation in this musical Western.
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Boot Hill Bandits 1942 N/R, 58 min. Genre: Western
Director: S. Roy Luby Cast: Ray Corrigan, John "Dusty" King, Max Terhune, Jean Brooks, John Merton, Glenn Strange, I. Stanford Jolley, Steve Clark, George Chesebro, Richard Cramer, Budd Buster, Milburn Morante
Stagecoach robbing is the saloon owner's job in his spare time, and when his gang robs a miner's payroll, Marshal Crash Corrigan (Ray Corrigan) is thought to have been killed. But Crash is very much alive, and he and his Range Busters are on the job to put an end to the robberies and to bring the REAL boss to justice.
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Border Caballero 1936 N/R, 60 min. Genre: Western
Director: Sam Newfield Cast: Tim McCoy, Lois January, Ralph Byrd, Ted Adams, J. Frank Glendon, Earl Hodgins, John Merton, Slim Whitaker, Jack Rockwell, Tex Phelps, Horace B. Carpenter, Steve Clark, Dick Botiller, Henry Hall, Si Jenks
Justice Department agent Tex Weaver (Ralph Byrd) is working undercover at Doc Shaw's (Earle Hodgins) medicine show in an effort to find evidence on bank robber Buff Brayden (Ted Adams). Tex gets assistance from an old friend and ex-agent Tim Ross (Tim McCoy) and saloon girl Goldie Harris (Lois January). When Tex is murdered, Tim takes over the investigation and gets evidence to convict Braden as well as the head of the gang, bank examiner Wiley Taggart (J. Frank Glendon).
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Bullets and Saddles 1943 N/R, 56 min. Genre: Western
Director: Anthony Marshall Cast: Ray Corrigan, Dennis Moore, Max Terhune, Julie Duncan, Budd Buster, Rose Plumer, Forrest Taylor, Glenn Strange, Steve Clark, John Merton, Ed Cassidy
The popular "Range Busters" series comes to an end in this film that brings the crime-fighters to a town where a rich property owner wants to take over the remaining territory.
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Dick Tracy Returns 1938 N/R, 254 min. Genre: Action / Mystery / Romance
Director: John English, William Witney Cast: Ralph Byrd, Charles Middleton, Lynne Roberts, Jack Ingram, Jerry Tucker, Ned Glass, David Sharpe, John Archer, Lee Ford, Reed Howes, Michael Kent, John Merton, Ray Bennett, Jack Roberts, Eddie Foster
Ralph Byrd is back as Dick Tracy in another 15 episode installment that finds Tracy on the trail of the Stark gang, a murderous Stark family, led by Pa Stark (Charles Middleton), who has added one of Tracy's men to their list of victims.
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Flaming Lead 1939 N/R, 57 min. Genre: Western
Director: Sam Newfield Cast: Ken Maynard, Eleanor Stewart, Walter Long, Tom London, Ralph Peters, Carleton Young, Reed Howes, Bob Terry, Dave O'Brien, Kenne Duncan, Ethan Allen, John Merton, Carl Mathews
While stranded in Chicago, Clark (Ken Maynard) takes a job at a nightclub as an entertainer performing rope and gun tricks in order to fund his way back home. He meets horse rancher Gordon (Dave O'Brien) who needs Clark's aid in stopping a gang of rustlers who are stealing his horses. Clark agrees to help, and heads West to take care of the situation.
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Fuzzy Settles Down 1944 60 min. Genre: Western
Director: Sam Newfield Cast: Buster Crabbe, Al St. John, Patty McCarthy, Charles King, John Merton, Frank McCarroll, Hal Price, John Elliott, Ed Cassidy, Robert F. Hill, Ted Mapes, Tex Palmer
Despite Billy's (Buster Crabbe) pleas, sidekick Fuzzy (Al St. John) decides to settle down and buy a newspaper in a small town. When he is falsely accused of stealing the newspaper's money, Billy is close by to save the day. Fuzzy thinks that perhaps the countryside might be a better place to retire.
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Galloping Dynamite 1937 N/R, 57 min. Genre: Western
Director: Harry L. Fraser Cast: Kermit Maynard, Ariane Allen, John Merton, David Sharpe, Stanley Blystone, Earl Dwire, Budd Buster, John Ward, Bob Burns, Tracy Layne, Bert Dillard, Allen Greer, Bruce Mitchell, Francis Walker
Gold appears to be the reason that the brother of Texas Ranger Jim Dillon (Kermit Maynard) was killed by the bad guys, and Jim is determined to avenge the killing.
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Gang Bullets 1938 N/R, 63 min. Genre: Drama aka: The Crooked Way
Director: Lambert Hillyer Cast: Anne Nagel, Robert Kent, Charles Trowbridge, Morgan Wallace, J. Farrell MacDonald, John T. Murray, Arthur Loft, John Merton, Donald Kerr, Carleton Young, Benny Bartlett
As a last resort to gain enough evidence to put racketeer Big Bill Anderson (Morgan Wallace) in jail, Asst. Dist. Atty. John Carter (Robert Kent) pretends to be crooked and joins the racketeering gang. In the meantime, John's girlfriend Patricia (Anne Nagel), who does not know about the subterfuge, questions her choice in men.
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The Golden Eye 1948 N/R, 69 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama / Mystery / Thriller aka: The Mystery of the Golden Eye Charlie Chan and the Golden Eye
Director: William Beaudine Cast: Roland Winters, Victor Sen Yung, Mantan Moreland, Tim Ryan, Bruce Kellogg, Wanda McKay, Evelyn Brent, Ralph Dunn, Lois Austin, Forrest Taylor, Lee "Lasses" White, Edmund Cobb, John Merton, George Spaulding, Lee Tung Foo
Charlie Chan (Roland Winters) visits an Arizona dude ranch where a defunct gold mine, mysteriously, has become active and, once again, is producing gold. The mine owner, Mr. Manning (Forrest Taylor) has called on Chan to help him when he learns that he is the intended victim of a murderer. Chan, his son Tommy (Victor Sen Yung), and chauffeur Birmingham (Mantan Moreland) pose as tourists, and the investigation begins. Clues lead to mine operator Driscoll (Ralph Dunn) who is smuggling gold from Mexico and passing it off as coming from the mine. But solving this case will prove difficult–and dangerous.
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The Gunman from Bodie 1941 N/R, 62 min. Genre: Western
Director: Spencer Gordon Bennet Cast: Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, Raymond Hatton, Christine McIntyre, Dave O'Brien, Robert Frazer, Frank LaRue, Charles King, Lynton Brent, John Merton, Max Waizmann
The Rough Riders (Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, and Raymond Hatton) are on the trail of rustlers who murdered the parents of a baby.
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Headline Crasher 1937 N/R, 58 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Leslie Goodwins Cast: Frankie Darro, Kane Richmond, Muriel Evans, John Merton, Richard Tucker, Edward Earle, Jack Ingram, Charles King, Dick Curtis, Eleanor Stewart, Harry Harvey, John Ward
Embittered Tony Scarlotti (John Merton) is released from prison on parole and plans to exact revenge on Senator James Tallant (Richard Tucker) who put him away. He plans and executes the kidnapping of Tallant's not-so-perfect son, Jimmy (Frankie Darro). At the same time, Tallant's rival, Atwood (Edward Earle), takes over "The Morning Herald" and publishes reports of what a poor father Senator Tallant has been. Now, Jimmy must find a way to escape from Scarlotti and defeat the plot to ruin his father's political career.
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The Law Commands 1938 N/R, 58 min. Genre: Western
Director: William Nigh Cast: Tom Keene, Lorraine Randall, Robert Fiske, Budd Buster, Matthew Betz, John Merton, Carl Stockdale, Marie Stoddard, Horace B. Carpenter, David Sharpe, Allan Cavan
Iowa is the unlikely setting for this Western as a gang harasses homesteaders in an attempt to grab their land. When harassing turns into killing, something must be done, and the task falls on the town's doctor (Tom Keene).
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The Lone Ranger 1938 N/R, 255 min. Genre: Western
Director: John English, William Witney Cast: Chief Thundercloud, Lynne Roberts, Stanley Andrews, Hal Taliaferro, Bruce Bennett, Lee Powell, George Cleveland, William Farnum, Lane Chandler, George Montgomery, John Merton, Tom London
The saga of the Lone Ranger is told in this 15-episode serial–with a twist. After the Civil War, an outlaw leader seeks to control Texas, and, in the process, murders a troop of Texas Rangers. Tonto (Chief Thundercloud) finds one Ranger still alive, and the legend of the Lone Ranger is born. The twist comes when the outlaw boss believes that the Lone Ranger could be any one of five Rangers, so each one must be killed. After many adventures and some good cliff-hangers, the good guys win.
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Phantom Ranger 1938 N/R, 54 min. Genre: Western
Director: Sam Newfield Cast: Tim McCoy, Suzanne Kaaren, Karl Hackett, John St. Polis, John Merton, Harry Strang, Charles King, Edward Earle, Robert Frazer, Tom London, Richard Cramer, Horace B. Carpenter
A government engraver, Pat (John St. Polis), has been kidnapped by a gang of counterfeiters who expect his help in producing counterfeit money. Agent Tim (Tim McCoy) infiltrates the gang and, with the help of Pat's daughter (Suzanne Kaaren), brings the gang members to justice.
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Queen of the Yukon 1940 N/R, 73 min. Genre: Adventure / Western
Director: Phil Rosen Cast: Charles Bickford, Irene Rich, Melvin Lang, George Cleveland, June Carlson, Guy Usher, Dave O'Brien, Tristram Coffin, I. Stanford Jolley, Jess Cavin, John Merton
Sadie (Irene Rich) owns an Alaskan riverboat in the Yukon and has been using the money made taking gold-miners to their claims to pay for her daughter Helen's (June Carlson) education at boarding school. Finding that she is strapped for cash, Sadie sells the boat to the shady John Thorne (Melvin Lang) who now uses the boat to jump miners' claims. Unexpectedly, Helen arrives on the scene, and her boyfriend Bob (Dave O'Brien) goes to work for Thorne. But, fear not, Sadie's friend Ace (Charles Bickford) comes to the rescue and saves the day.
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Roaring Six Guns 1937 N/R, 57 min. Genre: Western
Director: J.P. McGowan Cast: Kermit Maynard, Mary Hayes, Sam Flint, John Merton, Budd Buster, Robert Fiske, Ed Cassidy, Curley Dresden, Earle Hodgins, Slim Whitaker, Dick Morehead, J.P. McGowan, Tex Phelps, Rene Stone, Bob Woodward
Buck Sinclair's (Kermit Maynard) lease on his range land is about to expire, and he vies with his fiancee Beth's (Mary Hayes) father, George (Sam Flint), for the land. But the feuding ends when Buck uncovers the fact that George's partner, Roberts (John Merton), is a crook, and a grateful George now becomes friends with Buck.
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Under Fiesta Stars 1941 N/R, 64 min. Genre: Western
Director: Frank McDonald Cast: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Carol Hughes, Frank Darien, Joseph Strauch Jr., Pauline Drake, Ivan Miller, Sam Flint, John Merton, Jack Kirk, Inez Palange, Lee Shumway
When Gene Autry inherits a gold mine, trouble can't be far away.
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The Vigilantes Are Coming 1936 N/R, 226 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ray Taylor, Mack V. Wright Cast: Robert Livingston, Fred Kohler, Kay Hughes, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Raymond Hatton, Robert Warwick, William Farnum, Bob Kortman, John Merton, Lloyd Ingraham, William Desmond, Yakima Canutt
Russians, under the leadership of General Burr (Fred Kohler), set out to colonize California using Cossack soldiers. But, there is resistance out there in the person of a church organist (Don Loring) who dons a black mask, calls himself "The Eagle," and leads a gang of misfits in pursuit of the Russians. There are plenty of cliffhangers in this 12-episode serial.
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Wild Horse Roundup 1936 N/R, 58 min. Genre: Western
Director: Alan James Cast: Kermit Maynard, Beth Marion, Dickie Jones, John Merton, Frank Hagney, Roger Williams, Dick Curtis, Budd Buster, Jack Ingram, Bob Burns, Art Dillard, Frank McCarroll
The Railroad is coming, so that means that bad guys will try to take over people's land in order to make a killing. Ruth's (Beth Marion) Wild Horse Ranch is a prime target for Charlie Doan (John Merton) and his thugs. But riding to the rescue are Jack Benson (Kermit Maynard) and his sidekicks to save the day.
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Zorro's Black Whip 1944 N/R, 182 min. Genre: Western
Director: Spencer Gordon Bennet, Wallace Grissell Cast: Linda Stirling, Francis McDonald, George J. Lewis, Lucien Littlefield, Hal Taliaferro, John Merton, John Hamilton, Tom Chatterton, Jack Kirk, Tom London, Jay Kirby, Si Jenks
Stagecoach owner Dan Hammond (Francis McDonald) is opposed to statehood for Idaho and will stop at nothing to influence the upcoming vote. He kills the editor of the town's newspaper, a statehood supporter. But now he must deal with the editor's sister, Barbara Meredith (Linda Stirling), who not only takes over the paper but also dons a black suit and mask to take care of the problem–just like her famous ancestor Zorro. This is a 12-episode serial with good "cliffhangers" between episodes.
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Zorro's Fighting Legion 1939 N/R, 212 min. Genre: Western
Director: John English, William Witney Cast: Reed Hadley, Sheila Darcy, William Corson, Leander De Cordova, Edmund Cobb, John Merton, C. Montague Shaw, Budd Buster, Carleton Young, James Pierce
This good 12-episode serial takes place in Mexico shortly after the country gained independence. A member of a group opposing the council setting up the government masquerades as Don del Oro, in full armor, pretending to be a god of the Yaqui Indians and intending to become emperor. Don Diego (Reed Hadley), a relative of resident Volita (Sheila Darcy), enters the scene. The foppish Don Diego works with the council while, as the masked Zorro, he deals with the henchmen of Don del Oro. Traps, explosions, avalanches, and other assorted hazards will not stop Zorro in his quest for justice, and the real identity of Don del oro is revealed. Some of the best cliffhangers of any serial.
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| 1. Aces and Eights (1936)
2. Arizona Gunfighter (1937)
3. Blue Canadian Rockies (1952)
4. Boot Hill Bandits (1942)
5. Border Caballero (1936)
6. Bullets and Saddles (1943)
7. Dick Tracy Returns (1938)
8. Flaming Lead (1939)
9. Fuzzy Settles Down (1944)
10. Galloping Dynamite (1937)
11. Gang Bullets (1938) aka: The Crooked Way
12. The Golden Eye (1948) aka: The Mystery of the Golden Eye aka: Charlie Chan and the Golden Eye
13. The Gunman from Bodie (1941)
14. Headline Crasher (1937)
15. The Law Commands (1938)
16. The Lone Ranger (1938)
17. Phantom Ranger (1938)
18. Queen of the Yukon (1940)
19. Roaring Six Guns (1937)
20. Under Fiesta Stars (1941)
21. The Vigilantes Are Coming (1936)
22. Wild Horse Roundup (1936)
23. Zorro's Black Whip (1944)
24. Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939)
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