The Man from Hell

Normally I'd never call out one person and say that a film stank because of them, but such is the case with Reb Russell in "The Man from Hell". It seems that Russell was an All-American football player in college and this and his youthful looks made him a natural for westerns. Sadly, however, after a dozen films, it was obvious he just wasn't cut out to be an actor. I assume he was a swell guy....and I've never heard anything bad about the guy aside from his inability to act...and it's obvious here in his first starring B-western. When he delivers lines, they sound flat...as if he's reading them instead of acting them. And, despite being a decent looking guy, he has less charisma than a bilious frog!

It's sad, as the basic plot is pretty good and the film could have been good with a different man in the lead. It seems that Clint (Russell) was just released from prison for a robbery he still claims he never committed. He also is committed to staying out of trouble...which is tough. For instance, in the opening scene, a local jerk is in a fight and ends up slapping around a little boy in the process. When Clint calls him on this, the jerk takes a swing at him....and Clint knocks him down...only to get yelled at and threatened by the local marshal. Why Clint never tried to explain WHY he decked the guy, I have no idea...nor did it make any sense that no one in the crowd said a word about WHY Clint slugged the man. This isn't great writing and seems odd. Can Clint manage to avoid breaking the law AND proving he was innocent in this awful town? See the film to find out...or, don't bother, as there are hundreds (if not more) better westerns waiting to be seen.

The bottom line is that putting a terrible actor in the lead will doom a low-budgeted film. After all, it already had a few strikes against it due to the cheapness of the production. The only bright point is that like many Bs of the early to mid-1930s, you get to see George Hayes before he developed his 'Gabby' Hayes persona. Yep, gone is his grizzled beard and he looks downright respectable in this and a few other westerns!

Willis Kent, a producer of exploitation movies and B westerns, offers Reb Russell in his first starring role. Reb is a man who has spent four years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He is paroled to his home town, where he finds that his girl friend Ann Darcy, in her first and next-to-last substantial role, is engaged to perennial western heavy Fred Kohler Senior. Unfortunately, neither lead can manage a decent line reading.

This is a pity, because there were people involved in this production interested in doing a good job. Cameraman William Nobles produces some fine moving compositions and most of the actors know how to act. Mr. Russell, however, cannot speak without embarrassing himself. He looks fine and in silent days might have made a good silent cowboy star. He has a habit off jumping on his white horse, Rebel, in a manner that must have caused the animal some complaint, but Rebel takes it well enough and apparently offers Mr. Russell both his loyalty and some good advice. In return, he gets the last shot in the movie.

The poor acting of the leads and the bad prints available these days makes this a rather unhappy work. Even for those of us who enjoy B westerns, our time could be better spent than watching this one.

"The Man From Hell" (1934) starring Reb Russell is a good enough film to be worth viewing if one is a B-western fan, if only to appreciate how much more our more well-known western heroes can actually put across a reasonably good performance. For most other viewers this film may seem amateurish at times in its acting, even though the cast is populated by many solid actors. Maybe it is because Russell brings everyone down a notch or two with his lifeless delivery (it occurred to me that both Yakima Canutt, who has a small role in this film, and Russell may have gone to the same elocution school?). Reb Russell just doesn't look like a purpose-driven, high-confidence western hero, carrying a largely blank facial expression most of the time and a voice that can get lost in the wind.

However, the film itself has a good story line and plenty of action, including a prolonged street fight between Russell and Mayor Fred Kohler Sr. This fight results in both men showing battle scars and being physically spent from their efforts, which is not often depicted in these films. And the final shoot-out is really something, too. The outdoor scenes are well-appointed in topography and vegetation, and the camera work captures the action in exciting and sweeping style. I especially appreciated the town's siting, nestled at the base of some hills, and its' layout, with T-intersections, vacant lots, and wildflowers between the wooden buildings. Best of all were the plank sidewalks. I would like to live in a town like that... at least for a few days.

Fred Kohler had some good moments in his portrayal as the mayor, but our beloved George E. Hayes was pretty much lost in the proceedings... he had little to do as the girl's father, despite his high billing in the credits; but he did look surprisingly dapper and clean.

One final point is to validate Russell's reference to Yuma Penitentiary as a "hell hole." For those viewers that may not be aware, Yuma Territorial Prison's nickname was indeed the "hell hole" in the days when it was in operation and even today. If one has a chance to visit the rebuilt and maintained ruins of the attraction on and overlooking the Colorado River in Yuma, AZ, one should indeed do so.