Border Vengeance
Border Vengeance is a 1935 American western B movie directed by Ray Heinz, written by Forbes Parkhill based upon the novel The Return of the Muley Kid by R. Craig Christensen. The film had its premiere on June 1, 1935 and was released to theaters on June 5.[1][2][3][4] [5][6]
| Border Vengeance | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Ray Heinz |
| Produced by | Willis Kent |
| Written by | Forbes Parkhill |
| Based on | The Return of the Muley Kid by R. Craig Christensen |
| Starring | Reb Russell Kenneth MacDonald Clarence Geldart |
| Cinematography | James Diamond |
| Edited by | S. Roy Luby |
Production company | Willis Kent Productions |
| Distributed by | Marcy Pictures Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 56 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Background
The project starred former football player Lafayette H. "Reb" Russell, and was filmed in 1934 by Willis Kent, an independent filmmaker known for his low budget exploitation melodramas.[7]
Plot
A rancher is murdered by Flash Purdue (Kenneth MacDonald) after he catches Flash in the act of rustling his cattle. Flash diverts attention from himself by accusing the nearby Benson ranch of being the ones who perpetrated the deed. When his family is accused, Peeler Benson (Reb Russell) shoots at Flash and hits his ear. As a mob grows, he is able to get to his family in time to warn them so that they are able to escape across the border to safety. Hoping to clear his family's name, Peeler decides to stay behind, and joins a traveling rodeo circuit under the name The Muley Kid. Five years later he returns to town and is captured by Flash, who intends kill him out of vengeance for the injury to his ear.
Cast
- Reb Russell as Peeler Benson, aka The Muley Kid
- Kenneth MacDonald as Flash Purdue
- Clarence Geldart as Sam Griswold
- Pat Harmon as Tex Pryor
- Ben Corbett as Bud Benson
- Slim Whitaker as Posse Leader
- Mary Jane Carey as Sally Griswold
- Norman Feusier as Old Man Benson
- Marty Joyce as Young Benson
- June Brewster as June Griswold
- Hank Bell as Sheriff
- Rex Bell as Rodeo Guest Star
- Glenn Strange as Cowhand
Critical reception
According to Hans J. Wollstein of Rovi, even as "bottom-of-the-barrel filmmaking on all fronts", the film did have good points. The climatic finale of a nighttime shootout was "quite effective", and with "blood oozing", it was one of the few films of its genre to show the effects of a bullet on its victim. However, the padding out of the film by its inclusion of rodeo footage of former Western hero Rex Bell and horse stunt and trick rider Montie Montana "manages to drag out the 58 minutes of running time almost beyond human endurance".[7]
References
- Michael R. Pitts (2005). Poverty Row Studios, 1929–1940: An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies, with a Filmography for Each. McFarland & Co. pp. 211–212. ISBN 0-7864-2319-6.
- Don Miller; Packy Smith; Ed Hulse (1993). Don Miller's Hollywood corral: a comprehensive B-Western roundup. Riverwood Press. p. 63. ISBN 1-880756-03-X.
- Alan G. Barbour (1971). The thrill of it all. Macmillan. pp. 63.
- Jim Craddock (2005). Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever 2005. Thomson/Gale. pp. 129. ISBN 0-7876-7470-2.
- Alan G. Fetrow (1992). Sound films, 1927–1939: a United States filmography. McFarland. p. 61. ISBN 0-89950-546-5.
- "Border Vengeance (1935)". archive.org. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- Hans J. Wollstein. "Border Vengeance". Rovi. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
External links
- Border Vengeance on IMDb
- Border Vengeance is available for free download at the Internet Archive