The Man from Guntown

Tim McCoy's 1935-36 westerns for Puritan Pictures were an above-average lot, and this is one of his best. McCoy's "mistaken identity" plot is trotted out once again, and while this could never happen in real life, it's a great movie plot device and keeps the viewer on the edge of the chair. Will the bad guys find out who time REALLY is? Classic movie villain Wheeler Oakman is perfectly cast as the slimy crime boss, and his standoffs with McCoy--featuring many close-ups as they stare each other down--remind the viewer of how good acting can elevate a genre western. Rex Lease (although not in the movie that much) is his usual charming self, and Robert McKenzie is hilarious as a bumbling attorney who is under the thumb of Oakman but tries to pretend he isn't. As always, McCoy carries himself with an almost regal manner-- he and Wild Bill Elliott were certainly the most dignified of B-Western heroes--and the unexpected ending gives depth to McCoy's character. This film is in a class of its own and should satisfy any lover of solid genre westerns of the 1930s. It would also be a fine film to introduce novices to the genre.

When the story begins, a fast-talking shyster is trying to cheat a woman out of her inheritance by telling her the estate has practically no value. Fortunately, she isn't dumb and insists she wants to talk to her estranged brother to help her determine what to do next. Unfortunately, the shyster and his friends are evil and evil minions are sent to find the brother and kill him! In the meantime, Tim Hanlon (Tim McCoy) meets the brother and they spend the day together. However, the minions soon strike and kill the poor brother. Tim decides to help out the sister by posing as her brother. After all, it's been so long that he might just be able to get along with it. But remember...Tim always plays the hero and he's not doing this to cheat anyone...just in order to figure out what's going on and who's behind the dam thing.

Despite coming from a tiny studio (Puritan Pictures), this B-western is actually quite good. The story is very good and has some originality to it, I liked Aunt Sarah and she was a good supporting character and the story wasn't burdened with cliches such as songs or dopey sidekicks. Well worth seeing and among McCoy's better westerns.

By the way, late in the film McCoy shoots some baddies and does it by whipping the pistol back and forth in a most peculiar manner. In actuality, McCoy was a champion trick shooter and this was how he actually shot a gun....and it obviously worked for him quite well!