Roarin' Guns

"Roarin' Guns" is a pretty standard B-western. The plot is very familiar and you must accept that too many of the citizens are idiots in order for it all to make sense. But, at least the film stars Tim McCoy--one of the best cowboy stars of his age. Unlike the 'pretty- boy' cowboy stars who wore ultra-fancy duds and sang, McCoy was more of a no-nonsense star who actually had an amazing life off camera-- being a real honest-to-goodness trick shooter who traveled the country putting on shooting expositions as well as being a Colonel in the US military (serving in both WWI and WWII). So, for his presence and acting, the film gains a point or two.

As for the plot, it's all a very standard sort of clichéd story. Some baddie is trying to grab up as much of the west as he can and to do so he sets rancher against rancher. And, of course, our hero, Tim, is there to save the day.

The biggest reason I cannot score this one higher than 5 is that there are a few brainless moments. One had an anonymous caller phone the sheriff* and say that Tim murdered someone--and the idiot sheriff just assumed Tim was a killer and went to arrest him. Wow...what a rube. Overall, not a terrible western--and one that at least has a few good moments.

*Yes, like too many westerns of the 30s, they have telephones and this makes it a strange sort of hybrid modern and old west sort of story.

FYI--The title screen says 1926 not 1936. Apparently whoever made this graphic didn't understand Roman numerals.

Bob Morgan (John Elliot) proclaims, "Corwin's a killer, that's right this is liable to be a killin' business before we're through." Loved the shooting scene with Tim McCoy and Tommy Bupp. In real life, McCoy was an expert marksman and Colonel in WWI and WWII. Also some good actors of the era with Wheeler Oakman the henchmen's henchman, Rex Lease from the silent era and Flash Gordon's loyal ally, Richard Alexander. Jack Rockwell's acting is solid as ever as is lovely Rosalinda Price in her short-lived career.

Roarin' Guns stars Tim McCoy as a Shane like western hero who being sent for by his good friend John Elliot who is caught in a squeeze play between two feuding ranchers Karl Hackett and Wheeler Oakman. They both want to acquire the property he's running for niece Rosalinda Price.

Elliot is killed and McCoy's reputation makes him a likely suspect. The one who truly believes in him is Elliot's young son Tommy Bupp. In fact he has a headshot autographed photograph of McCoy just like the ones that McCoy autographed for all the fans of his movies. I have to say that Roarin' Guns has first in B westerns or even C westerns where this one belongs. First time I ever saw a gunslinger having 8 by 10 glossies available for his fans.

That bit of silliness was really too much for me. This film was given or inflicted on the movie-going public by an outfit called Puritan Pictures. Poor McCoy, he really must have not had any better offers.