RKO-Radio release of Cliff Reid production from novel by Wm Colt MacDonald. Reviewed at Astor, NY, week of March 7, 1936. Running time 72 minutes.
Weekly Variety
RKO has a bang-up western release in "Powdersmoke Range", a film entailing a topnotch cast, and, judging from Hollywood’s recent hoss opry output, an exceptionally good story. Will do moderately well on its own in some spots and has sufficient strength to count for something in dualers.
Cliff Reid, associate producer, garnered a swell cast, toplined them with two western fan faves, Hoot Gibson and Harry Carey, and then turned them over to Wallace Fox for a corking directorial job. Adele Buffington’s script provides all the action and good dialogue necessary to hold the mustang fans.
The manner in which the gunplay is handled goes back to old times, there being one good street duel, a mass shooting spree, and the finale fight-to-the-death in a saloon. Sounds like another World War, but the cannoneering is well enough spaced and timed to make everything plausible. Story itself departs from the usual western musical comedy stuff and at times is believable.
Harry Carey, Hoot Gibson, and Guin Williams are three pals who suddenly find themselves owners of a ranch that is sought after by a ruthless gambler, well played by the late Sam Hardy. The original owner of the shebang was killed by Hardy, and his daughter’s sweetheart, also a pal of the range musketeers, buys in the outfit before Hardy can grab it. From then on the trouble starts, with Carey as the square reformer who can also handle a rod. He proves that when he beats the imported killer to the draw, Tom Tyler, and then plugs Hardy and a couple of his henchmen. This cleans up the town, Bob Steele wins the girl, ‘Boots’ Mallory, and the range is quiet at the fadeout.
Carey, Gibson, Williams, Tyler, and Hardy handle well the most important male roles in the script, but Miss Mallory’s, film’s sole femme, has very little to do. The love interest is down to a minimum. Adrian Morris is the phoney sheriff, but not phoney enough, and there are brief glimpses of William Farnum and William Desmond, two old time western faves.
Harold Wenstrom’s photography is an added feature for the film.
Copyright September 27, 1935.
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