The Dude Ranger (1934)

George O'Brien wants to sell the ranch he's just inherited, but the lawyer tells him that he can't get a good price for it. Five thousand head of cattle have disappeared. When he goes to the ranch to make enquiries, everyone assumes he's another saddle tramp who has fallen in love at first sight with the manager's daughter, Irene Hervey, so they give him a job and make fun of him.This B western is something special. Under the direction of comedy specialist Eddie Cline, the performers get to act with great charm, and the tricks that are played on O'Brien are deadly -- and funny. Sid Saylor plays the comic sidekick, but he's not simply another clown, but a smart, tough cowboy with a strong goofy streak. There is plenty of good location shooting, with a beautiful long shot for the final confrontation. For a B western, this is as good as it gets.

"The Dude Ranger" was the first in a series of film Westerns George O'Brien did for producer Sol Lesser, released by Fox Studios. That collaboration lasted for two years and resulted in a total of eight films. Irene Hervey, who appears as the romantic interest in this one, was also the leading lady in 1935's "Hard Rock Harrigan".Western fans can file this one under the usual plot line in which a back East greenhorn inherits a cattle ranch from his uncle (it's always an uncle), and arrives to find that someone is rustling all the cattle. As can be expected, the main heavy Dale Hyslip (LeRoy Mason) is behind the gang that's robbing caretaker Hepburn (Henry Hall) blind, and he also has eyes for Hepburn's pretty daughter Ann (Irene Hervey). O'Brien's character Selby comes on the scene, and in a case of mistaken identity, decides to play along as a working hand on the ranch in order to do some undercover work. Veteran character actor Sid Saylor provides some interesting work as the rhyme singing sidekick to Selby, going by the name of Nebraska.The story plays out pretty much as you'd expect, but there were two unique elements in the picture that are worth mentioning. An unseen villain's hand dumps a rattlesnake on Selby's bed in the middle of the night, with Nebraska making the save. Later, near the end of the picture when Selby confronts Hyslip over the money stolen from Hepburn's safe, he pretends to shoot the bad guy with an unusual behind the back maneuver that you'll just have to see for yourself. I also found it odd in retrospect that Selby and Hyslip never got into a traditional fist fight throughout the picture. The only time they roughed it up was when Selby knocked him off his horse just prior to the throw down I just mentioned.The Selby/Ann Hepburn relationship see-saws back and forth throughout the story, but you know it has to end with the couple hitching up at the finale. I'd have to say that Irene Hervey is one of the prettiest female leads you'll find in a film going this far back, and that would go for any genre. She made a slew of films into the late 1940's, then popped up in numerous guest spots in dozens of TV series for the rest of her career.

Solidly entertaining in all departments, this Dude will disappoint in only one respect. Some bloodthirsty fans may find it a little lacking in action. Mind you, there was certainly enough for me. I enjoyed the equal measures of romance, humor and mystery. True, the basic plot is a familiar one, but it's given a very classy work-out here.Irene Hervey walks away with the picture's acting honors, closely followed by personable hero O'Brien, surly heavy Mason, and, of all people, comic sidekick Syd Saylor — whom I usually can't stand! That in itself is a sure-fire indication of the top-grade entertainment qualities of script, direction and photography.

This Western is based on a Zane Grey story about a crooked rancher who is stealing cattle. George O'Brien plays the owner of the ranch, who through a case of mistaken identity, is thought to be the Dude Ranger on the ranch. He is after the crooked bosses daughter, played by Irene Harvey.The film as the typical western sidekick, in this case a guitar playing singer. The film is OK, nothing special, and is an example of a cheap B-Western film, filmed with spectacular scenery. Irene Hervey was loaned out from her home film studio to play the role in this film. LeRoy Mason plays one of the villains.