Shadow Ranch (1930)

★★★★ · Intelligent, non-cliché Western · lgeubank · 2012-02-07

I liked this Western a lot. It's not built on clichés and worn-out stereotypes, but shows some imagination and artistry. For one thing, the music (a couple of songs) isn't standard "songs of the prairie" fare; it's a little like that, but more "glee club" style, almost barbershop harmonies. The group sings a chorus of "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" at one point. The closing music is more "30's jazz band" style. The movie has nice touches like this one: at one point, the heroine knocks the heel of her boot loose. She asks the hero, "Sim," if he can fix it. He takes her foot between his legs from behind…

★★★★ · Buck Jones Banishes the Shadows · Poohbah70 · 2019-12-24

Buck Jones heads south to help his buddy Frank Price fight the local outlaws only to find Price has been murdered - now things get personal and then more personal as the cute ranch owner Marguerite De La Motte and he fall for each other at first sight. According to IMDb, De La Motte was star material during the silent era, but her squeaky little girl voice kept her from being a star in the talking movies. Between 1918-34 she appeared in 59 films and 3 more during 1941-42. Here she goes back and forth between being touching and the usual stiff, girlish fare we get from most female leads in B…