Across the Plains (1939)

Warning.....spoilers ahead.....I really liked this movie, mostly because I'm a big, big fan of Dennis Moore (Denny Meadows). He's great here, as the Kansas Kid. This is a step above the usual "B" westerns of the time in that it features a nice story (touching at times) about brothers reunited later in life. One had turned out bad, the other good. The story plays out well and believable, for the most part. A case in point is near the end when Buff shoots young Jimmy. He grabs his shoulder and falls. After the bad guys have been taken care of, Jack asks his brother where he's been hit and he moans "all over". Huh? Did I miss something? Last I saw, he didn't have a fatal wound. That said, this is a good film, with good acting, good direction, and exciting action. Well worth watching. I just wish I could get all of Denny's movies on DVD.john-boy

This is by far one of the better films Randall made . The locations are better than usual being done in the Lone Pine area . The script is far above average for the continuity . The story actually flows although the subplot of Randall and Moore being brothers takes the center stage . But this is unusual for a Monogram programmer . I was impressed by story ,continuity ,scenery and even acting . Randall was more subdued and especially Yaconelli . He can be a real pain as noted in the Tom Keene series .Tansy was in charge of this film as well as 'The Song of Old Wyoming '. He wrote the script for this film and directed ' Song of Old Wyoming ' You can see without too much thought that this film was the genesis for " Song of Old Wyoming " and why. Buckskin ( Hal Price ) becomes Uncle Ezra ( Emmett Lynn ) . Both teach the kid how to carve a doll which reveals their true identity . The Kansas Kid ( Dennis Moore ) becomes The Cheyenne Kid ( Lash LaRue).Randall's interest in Joyce Bryant has a little play which the ending reveals he is satisfied that justice has been satisfied . Moore had no interest in her . If you want to see Randall at his best , this is the one for you

Jack Randall and Dennis Moore play the Winters brothers in Across The Plains. The problem for both of them is that they don't know they're brothers until the very end of the film.The reason being is that they were separated as kids during an attack on the wagon train. The outlaws who did the deed took the child who grew up to be Moore and raised him. Of course they told the kid it was Indians who killed his parents. Real Indians found the older kid who grew up to be Randall and raised him as they're own, in fact he now goes by the nickname of Cherokee. Odd though since they're in Apache country.But despite those little faux pas, Across The Plains is not a bad western. Randall grows up to be a trail scout and Moore an outlaw. If you've watched a gazillion B westerns, I think you know how this will end, especially with both being interested in the same girl played by Joyce Bryant.I'm sure this Monogram B played well for the Saturday afternoon kid trade back in the day.

I had this one since a while in my collection. Several years. And I discover it only now. Such a shame. It is directed by the young Spencer Gordon Bennet, who later will make dozens of serials for Republic and Columbia Pictures. This little western is very rare. It is shot in locations, somewhere in Arizona. This flick is fast paced, the actors pretty good, and the story enjoyable. Even also predictable.But we can't ask for everything...I won't resume the topic, it is already explained in the Tagline and Plot page, on IMDb. It would be interesting to watch many more of these early westerns. I know they are easily available, from the thirties and forties, but perhaps not all interesting. And it may be boring to watch one hundred of them in order to catch only one good...Isn't it?