Texas Buddies (1932, directed by Robert N. Bradbury)


Ted “Jet” Morgan (Bob Steele) returns home from World War I.  When he gets off the train in his small, western town, he’s met by Si “Old Timer” Haller (George “Gabby” Hayes).  Si explains that Ted’s aunt is dead and his uncle was run out of town for being a drunk.  Alice, “the girl next door” who Ted hoped to marry, married someone else.  Si invites Ted to stay with him.  Ted agrees and things start to look up when he meets Si’s niece, June (Nancy Drexel).

Meanwhile, a gang of outlaws led by Ken Kincade (Harry Semel) hijack a mail plane and steal the payroll that it was carrying.  Ted is not nicknamed Jet for nothing.  He not only know how to ride a horse but he’s good with planes too.  With the help of Si and the local sheriff (William Dyer), he aims to stop those turn of the century skyjackers before they can force another unexpected landing.

Though the film takes place after World War I and features Bob Steele flying a plane and Gabby Hayes driving the same car he drove in Rainbow Valley, this is definitely a western.  Before he proves himself as a pilot, Ted has to prove himself as a horseman and the movie ends with a traditional western gunfight.  The postwar setting does still bring some unexpected elements to the story.  Ted’s lonely arrival in his hometown reflects what it was like for many veterans returning home from Europe.  At first, Ted doesn’t feel like he has a place in his old town but he soon gets a chance to prove to both himself and the townspeople that he belongs.

Bob Steele and Gabby Hayes are good heroes.  Robert N. Bradbury, who was also Steele’s father, was one of the best of the B-western directors.  For fans of the genre, this film is a definite treat.

Overland Mail (1939, directed by Robert F. Hill)


Jack Mason (Jack Randall) has the most important job on the frontier.  He delivers the mail.  After he’s chased by the members of the local Indian tribe, he learns that an uprising is imminent because a young brave has been murdered and the tribe blames the citizens of a nearby town.  Of course, the murder was actually committed by a gang of counterfeiters led by saloon owner Pollini (Tristram Coffin).  Pollini is not only a counterfeiter but he also lies to sweet Mary Martin (Jean Joyce), telling her that he’s hiring her to be a waitress when he’s actually looking for a dance hall girl.  Jack has to bring Pollini to justice before a full scale war breaks out.

This is not a bad B-western.  It’s short and quick but the story is slightly better than the average Monogram oater and Jack Randall and co-star Dennis Moore are both believable as cowboys and gunslingers.  Fans of the genre will be happy to see Glenn Strange as the sheriff and Iron Eyes Cody as the chief of the tribe.  I’ve always liked westerns where the heroes were just trying to keep the peace so that they could deliver the mail.  We take mail for granted nowadays but in the 1800s, delivering mail was almost as dangerous as delivering money.  If you’re not into westerns, Overland Mail won’t change your mind but, if you’re already a fan of the genre, Overland Mail makes for an entertaining 50 minutes.