Trail of Terror

I enjoyed this Bob Steele showcase very much and recommend it to all B-western fans. The story is strong and presented economically, inter-cutting simultaneous but geographically separated actions nicely. The acting by the B-western cast of stalwarts is sharp and earnest, including Charles King who was in good sinister form. Especially enjoyed was Beth Marion who seems here to be more than just female set decoration, as she really helped provide impetus to the program with fine facial expression, appropriately projected voicing, and even relevant involvement in the story. There are several arresting locales depicted, including the grimy prison, a frontier bar, a lightning-filled rainy night in the great outdoors, a log ride down an aqueduct or sluice of some kind, and even a surprisingly large wrestling venue. In fact, the wrestling match in the movie is shown in its entirety, from start to finish, so much so that the realistic and exciting 5-minute match runs even longer than the five minutes it depicts because it includes the breaks between rounds. This was a great scene! Keep in mind this is a B-western, but the cinematography is excellent, the sounds rich, varied, and clear, and the sets are fully stocked and atmospheric. The horse action is plentiful and stirring, and to top it all off, gun play is not gratuitous and used relatively sparingly. Wow, the more I think about the film the more I like it. This is a really good one!

Muggs (Richard Cramer) tells Bob Steele from his cell, " Listen Spike if you make it we'll meet you at the hideout we told you about, we'll be outta here in a couple of weeks." The warden (Lloyd Ingraham) tells Steele he is all bad news. Steele's not having any of it and makes a stunning escape crashing head first through a window. This is only the beginning of some great action and stunt work throughout this movie. Charles K. French is the sheriff who hires Spike as his foreman unbeknownst to him that he's a wanted man. His daughter (Beth Marion) falls head over heels for Spike but has some grave reservations later. Marion was a captivating leading lady of early westerns but unfortunately for fans retired a few years after this film. Forrest Taylor a veteran of the stage does a good job of playing both sides of the fence and who can forget everybody's favorite villain Charles King as Hashknife. Look for a great scene when Steele has mix it up in the ring for 5 minutes with Barney Cosnack as Wrestler Dugan. Must of been tough for fans to see Steele as a villain at the beginning but will the real Jim Wilson come through in the end?

Bob Steele is in prison. He breaks out and falls in with Forrest Taylor. They had pulled a big score a year ago, but the money is missing, and they're looking for another score. Fortunately, they have an in: Charles French is the local sheriff and his son, Frank Lyman Jr., is one of their number.

Bob Steele as a bad man? Oh, no! It must have been tough for the audience to accept their clean-cut young hero, in the midst of this mare's nest of conflicting loyalties -- French has a pretty daughter, Beth Marion, and Bob and she get on like a house on fire, but he also seems pretty familiar with Nancy Deshon, the bar maid at the local watering hole who seems to be familiar with the bad guys. To add to the confusion, the Bradbury-Steele unit regular, Lloyd Ingraham, is credited as "Floyd Ingraham."

It's a pretty good story, and for those ladies in the audience looking for some beefcake, Bob strips down to trunks for a wrestling match.