Bullet Code

George O'Brien stars in this RKO B western Bullet Code which is a remake of another film Melody Of The Plains. Somehow I doubt the movie-going public noticed it back in the day. Plots were continually getting recycled in the B picture market.

Despite that it's a compact little western that gets right down to the business of the plot with little frills. O'Brien thinks he shot young Kirby Grant, the future Sky King, who was actually killed by the gang he was really working for while in the employ of O'Brien. Filled with some remorse O'Brien and sidekick Slim Whitman who usually was a western villain travel to see Grant's family which consists of sister Virginia Vale and father Howard Hickman.

They've got troubles of their own with a gang of rustlers who seem to be targeting them exclusively in the area. If you're a fan of B westerns I don't think I have to go to much further into the story.

George O'Brien who was a John Ford favorite and had an A film career in silents had slipped into the B film cowboy market and more than held his own there. Later on Ford would use him in Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, and Cheyenne Autumn. Bullet Code packs quite a bit into its slightly less than an hour running time, enough riding and shooting for western fans to enjoy.

George O'Brien thinks he has killed Kirby Grant by accident in a fight with rustlers. He goes to tell his father, Howard Hickman, and sister, Virginia Vale. Before he can do so, he finds out that they are besieged by rustlers of their own, so he and sidekick Slim Whitaker sign on as the only hands on the ranch.

It's a rote script for an O'Brien western, although Harry Wild's camerawork is up to its standard, both in portrait shots and landscape work, and O'Brien gives his usual fine performance. Later in the year, he ended his movie career, returning occasionally to appear in a western by his old friend, John Ford. Perhaps RKO felt there was not much point in investing extra money for a star who would be leaving them; the professionalism of the cast and crew would have to do and any drop-off in quality wouldn't matter.

Why not explain it to Mathews family properly?

Pop--sidekick (Slim Whitaker) catsup.

As far as B-westerns go, "Bullet Code" is among the best. There are a variety of reasons....but the biggest one to me is that it emphasizes realism compared to films with singing cowboys with idiot sidekicks.

Steven Condon (George O'Brien) is a decent man. However, when one of his range hands betrays him to a group of cattle rustlers, he's able to drive away the rustlers...but THINKS he's accidentally shot the guy who betrayed them. Now, to me, even if he had, it would have been justified...but in reality the rustlers shot him and have convinced Steve he did it. As his friend (and betrayer) lies dying, he askes Steve to go check on his family, the Mathews,....and Steve agrees.

When Steve arrives along with his friend, Pop (Slim Whitaker), the pair soon discover that some unknown person is trying to destroy the Mathews ranch. But who and why? Well, Steve and Pop help out...even when the Mathews family thinks Steve is a murderer for killing that guy at the beginning of the picture...which he really didn't do.

The main plot of a greedy land baron trying to steal a ranch is hardly original, the story is done well. O'Brien is excellent as an 'everyman' sort of cowboy hero and Whitaker is good because he's NOT a dopey sidekick but a very competent one. My only complaint is that when Steve realizes he didn't kill the man, he did a lousy job of explaining it to the Mathews family!