Cheyenne Rides Again

At 56 minutes, "Cheyenne Rides Again" moves at breakneck speed, introducing Tom Tyler's 'Cheyenne Tommy' Wade character, which he would repeat four more times. Victory Pictures was producer Sam Katzman and director Bob Hill, previously responsible for the Bela Lugosi serial "Shadow of Chinatown," lasting four years turning out a succession of Westerns. Tyler was a popular star in lower budgeted oaters, and did play a memorable villain opposite John Wayne in John Ford's "Stagecoach," but here is opposed by Lon Chaney Jr., interestingly the very actor who replaced Tyler as Kharis the Mummy in Universal's 'Mummy' series of the 1940s. We begin with Cheyenne on the run from a sheriff's posse, a cattle detective posing as an outlaw to bring the cattle rustling gang out into the open. Chaney's Girard is, as usual, the main henchman, but quickly learns the truth about Cheyenne, and enjoys far more screen time than his employer. Despite the ads billing him under his real name, 'Creighton Chaney,' he is indeed listed on screen as 'Lon Chaney Jr.' (his last billing as 'Creighton' was in 1934, the 'Jr.' finally dropped by Universal in 1941).

Tom Tyler starts things off by robbing the rustlers of their ill-gotten gains until he is recognized by one of the gang, none other than Lon Chaney Jr. The money belonged to a cattle buyer named Gleason (Ed Cassidy). Tyler tells the sheriff he must've had a tip but where did that tip come from? Too bad leading lady Lucile Browne retired from the business in '38 to get married. Slim Whitaker, who played the sheriff was one of the most prolific western villains. Jimmy Fox playing Dopey does a great job as Tyler's sidekick and singing "He was a storybook cowboy."

This cowboy classic from the late 1930's features the always heroic Tom Tyler in another great western role. Tyler was at his best here, handling the action & gun play with great skill and pacing. The story of outlaw gang infiltration and capture was familiar, but creatively filmed and scripted.

It was fun to see the great Lon Chaney, Jr in this great co-starring role. Although he is best remembered today from the Wolfman and other horror roles, he actually appeared in dozens of westerns during his long career !

Tom Tyler was one of my favorite early western stars, and this one is fun, exciting and satisfying......... A great film !