Thunder Over Texas

'Big Boy' Williams is trying to make his mortgage payment, but banker Claude Payton has just learned that the railroad is coming through, and he's going to round up all the land as cheap as he can. He's so cheap -- how cheap is he? -- that he tries to cheat hired killers out of half their fee. He's gotten the engineer doing the survey killed, but the maps he's made are missing, so he goes after the engineer's daughter, tiny Helen Westcott. Fortunately, Williams and schoolmarm Marion Shilling get custody.

This is directed by Edward Ulmer under the pseudonym of Joen Warner, from a script by his current squeeze and future wife, still going by her married name of Shirley Alexander.... all part of the story of how Ulmer lost his directing gig at Universal. It's a short B western, eked out not only by overlong riding sequences in which horses climb fifty-degree inclines, but by his ranch hands doing imitations of radio stars of the day.

Williams was the son of a World War One Officer, who served one term as a U.S. Congressman. The story goes that he turned down a chance to go to West Point to take up acting. He quickly became friends with Will Rogers and was in the movies by 1919. Later, he became a stalwart member of Warner's company of supporting actors whever they needed a big, dumb guy who wasn't Alan Hale.

This is the first of five Western films that the soon-to-be-popular character actor Guinn "Big Boy" Williams completed with poverty row Beacon Productions, Williams here cast as Ted Wright, a two gun toting ranch owner who serves as the protector and surrogate father for child actress Helen Westcott making her film debut as "Tiny" after the latter becomes orphaned. He removes the endangered tyke to his home, although her continued existence is a threat to evil hearted land speculator Bruce Laird (Claude Payton) due to her somehow having in her possession several maps coveted by Laird that pinpoint the locations of planned railroad sites. This plot line will, however, be of merely ancillary interest for those viewers who will enjoy contemporary social references that cross through the story via popular entertainers and their songs, showcased by a trio of Wright's ranch hands, who seem fascinated by the programming that they listen to from their portable radio set. Ted Lewis ("Is Everybody Happy?"), Rudy Vallee, and Kate Smith are mentioned, and a pair of Ford Model As play a significant part in the enjoyable goings-on. One of a small number of U.S. film directors who, because of his stylistics, realistically deserves to be described as an auteur, Edgar Ullmer, helms the production here, as quaintly named Joen Warner, apparently to mislead Universal, the studio to which he was under contract. His wife of a later day, Sherle Castle (as Shirley Alexander), is responsible for the script. The title is a bit incongruous since no thunder can be heard, and the piece is filmed in California's Kern County rather than Texas. A good 35mm. print can be found in VHS format upon the VCI label. It is also produced (as is) by Alpha Video as a DVD.

You'll be having every Tom, Dick and Harry seeing this movie. That's the radio troupe of Ben Corbett, Tiny Skelton and Victor Potel who gave a much needed entertaining welcome to 'Tiny' Norton (Helen Westcott) after she become a ward of the state. Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams to the rescue in more ways than one in this movie. The most popular lady in westerns, Marion Shilling can attest to that. My favorite scene was when Wescott returns the favor and gives a most needed prayer lesson to Ben Corbett. Can the boys stop the crooked banker Bruce Laird (Claude Payton) and his Sheriff on the take (Philo McCullough)?