The Tulsa Kid

A routine B western, with Don Barry as the most wooden actor in a fairly competent cast which is headed by Noah Beery. Beery is fun to watch as Barry's mentor, as a good bad guy, or a bad good guy, & what a great, deep voice he has! Things are interesting while Beery is on screen, & when he's off screen, I found myself waiting for him to return. There's a little romance thrown in (Luana Walters has very little to do & is wasted in her role) & a little music (one song by Jimmy Wakely). For some reason, the director decided to block the dancers' legs from audience view with a table while they were dancing. Barry doesn't carry a gun for most of the movie, so he's not entirely involved in most of the action scenes, but we get a few nice shots of him doing his own riding, & he seems pretty good at it. If you like this kind of western, you'll probably like Roy Rogers better. I rate it 5/10.

Don Red Barry, called Red because he played Red Ryder in a popular serial based on the comic strip, was more the Bob Steele type cowboy, short, feisty, and a veritable buzz saw in a fight. He brings that energy to the screen this outing by playing a reformed gunfighter who used to have the moniker The Tulsa Kid. Strange that this little B western tackles a major theme that would later be explored in greater depth and character by Henry King with his classic "The Gunfighter." Actually, "The Tulsa Kid" deals with two gunfighters, one young who has assumed a new identity to try to live down the past and start anew. He no longer even wears a gun. The other an old gunfighter Montana played by Noah Beery who refuses to surrender his reputation and who works for the boss outlaw Dirk Saunders (George Douglas). It seems the two gunfighters are almost father and son with Montana having partly raised the Kid. He also taught the kid the art of fan shooting without taking the gun from the holster. When the Kid comes to the aid of the set upon Wallace family, he also comes at odds with his old gunfighting mentor. That Mary Wallace (Luana Walters) is also a pretty young woman attracted to the Kid only complicates matters.

A future singing cowboy star, Jimmy Wakely, makes a brief appearance to sing with his band, The Roughriders, the only song in the film, a traditional piece from the 19th century. A member of Wakely's band at the time was Johnny Bond who appeared in several other westerns. He and Wakely both became popular singers with hit records. Fred 'Snowflake' Toones as a cook represents the racial stereotyping of African-Americans by Hollywood at the time of production.

There is plenty of action with the usual uptown cinematography and stunt work for which Republic was noted. If you've never seen the popular Don Red Barry films of the early 40's, "The Tulsa Kid" is a good place to start.

When the Tulsa Kid (Don 'Red' Barry) arrives in town looking for his former mentor Montana Smith (Noah Beery), he witnesses a shooting and quickly finds himself caught up in the middle of a scheme by Dirk Saunders (George Douglas) to steal water rights from Bob Wallace (David Durand) and his sister Mary (Luana Walters). The Kid learns that his old friend Montana is working as a hired gun for Saunders. Soon the two find themselves on opposite sides of the fight.

A former football player, Don 'Red' Barry always brought an athletic action to his movies and The Tulsa Kid is one of the best examples. In this one the Tulsa Kid, having given up his outlaw ways, no longer wears a gun. The use of this plot device gives the Kid the opportunity to use multiple tricks and chicanery throughout the movie to outwit Wallace and his henchmen (Ethan Laidlaw,John Beach and Cactus Mack). But going straight isn't easy and the Kid must decide if he will strap back on the gun belt to stop Wallace and face down his friend Montana.

Good action B-Western.