Dynamite Ranch

The story in "Dynamite Ranch" centers on a group of tenderfoots from the east who arrive at a working ranch and Hacienda in the modern old West, around which swirls concern for a couple of large sums of money that have gone missing. Ken Maynard is his usual amiable self, maybe just a tad more focused on accepting romance than usual, but the film itself is disappointing, perhaps mostly because Ken just doesn't seem that involved or engaged with us the viewers.

Much of the later action is carried out amidst a backdrop of a costume ball, which is an unusual and effectively fun touch, but one can see that this film has a lot of filler, including the music and dance during the ball, and most pointedly by the copious amount of time spent with the fistfight between two of the antagonists.

Although the dialogue is logical and sometimes curiously comical, it is sometimes too economical and delivered in a non-fluid and unrehearsed way. The sets for the two haciendas, one of which is abandoned, are imaginative and with some noir-like shadow play. And finally, the resolution scene is considerably far-fetched, albeit well filmed and very well edited, particularly for a B-product.

In sum, die-hard Maynard and Tarzan fans should give it a try but others may not feel engaged or tolerant with this one.