Tombstone Canyon

Ken Maynard was a champion horse rider and in his early days worked in rodeos. Not for him the effete air-conditioned acting studio but he learned his acting trade the hard practical way by living the life of a real cowboy. He enjoyed the rough and tumble and hard knocks of cowboy life. He would feel the the pain of dare devil horse riding, eating his meals by camp fire and sleeping under the stars in the cold and hot seasons. Therefore we accept the often improbable story plot elements because we believe the people playing the roles are similar to the those who lived in the real Old West. This is a second tier Ken Maynard movie but we treasure the limited hours of being with Ken as he portrays a real cowboy and a real man . Thank you Ken.

After one of the greatest studio logos I've ever seen (check out those whirling hooters!) and getting all hyped about that, the next hour is a pretty boring escapade. Ken Maynard, who's shirt seems to be saying "look at my buttons and my armpits!" stars as Ken, a cowboy new to town, but has a lot of clothes stashed away somewhere, who is looking to find out who is his father. There are a lot of mysterious deaths going on, by one "Phantom Killer", who wanders around canyons in, yes, a cape and big hat (he looks like the V for Vendetta guy), and everyone in town thinks that Ken is the Phantom. It's up to Ken to prove them wrong and find out who his father is! Gee. One guess. This is SLOW. The plot just creeps along, not giving us a lot of suspense. The acting is OK, but the guy playing the sheriff seems to be sleepwalking through this role. As proved before in other movies, Ken Maynard is not much of an action star, as his fight scenes sure are flat. There are MUCH MUCH better westerns out there.

Within the context of a B western, Tombstone Canyon is close to perfect. Yes, it looks a lot like every other cheap western of its time, but the early 1930's were a great time for westerns. Ken Maynard never falters for the entire run time of this movie.

As the movie starts we are introduced to the place known as Tombstone Canyon. Ken rides in to find himself unwelcome and the desired target of many ill-intended shots. Between the gang of bad guys and the mysterious phantom Ken has his hands full, but fortunately Jenny Lee happens to be riding through and fires a few helpful shots of her own. It is then that Ken learns more about Tombstone Canyon and the mysterious screaming phantom who kills as many of the Lazy S cowboys as possible. The phantom is not Ken's worry, however. He has traveled to meet a friend who has a secret to reveal, but by the time Ken arrives he finds out that his friend is murdered. Alf Sykes, owner of the Lazy S does not want Ken to learn anything, so he does everything he can to destroy Ken. The phantom also confronts Ken and threatens him. It is only at the end that Ken learns the secret someone wanted him to know, and the phantom's identity is revealed.

Even if the plot was done hundreds of times over the years, it was done right in this 1932 movie. Most of the credit must go to Ken Maynard for making Tombstone Canyon so much fun to watch. His on screen personality was at its most captivating. Few western heroes looked as good and had the ability to act as well as Ken Maynard.

Some elements of melodrama and even Gothic horror are part of this poverty row western starring Ken Maynard entitled Tombstone Canyon.

Ken's been sent for by a rancher who knows something of his parentage which Ken is unaware of. Growing up in an orphanage Ken has no clue of his background.

There's a fellow who for years has a hideout in Tombstone Canyon where he does a whole Zorro act terrorizing one outfit run by Frank Brownlee and his son George Gerwing. But he's got a hideous look to him, more the Phantom of the Opera unmasked than Zorro. And he's as touched as the Phantom was living down in those catacombs of the Paris sewers.

A whole lot of killings, a manhunt for Maynard who is blamed for all of them including a sympathetic sheriff before Ken puts it all together about himself and the Phantom.

A bit of an unusual western for the Saturday matinée kid crowd, but entertaining.

"Tombstone Canyon" (1932) combines an above average story with Ken Maynard (the all- time best movie cowboy) and Cecilia Parker (Andy Hardy's blonde sister). Plus it was filmed in California's spectacular Red Rock Canyon State Park (Canti, CA.) which was to become the scene of countless western movies and many of the 1950's western television series. All these factors make for an excellent combination as this early sound film is a very entertaining feature of slightly less than 60 minutes.

The film begins with a wrangler with only the first name Ken (Maynard) fighting off ambushers in Tombstone Canyon. Ken gets unexpected assistance from a cowgirl named Jenny Lee (Parker). Jenny rode out to meet him at the request of the man who requested that Ken come to the area for some information about his identity. Ken does not know who his parents were and has never adopted a last name.

Tombstone Canyon is a spooky place that most of the locals avoid because they fear a spectral figure called The Black Phantom. The Phantom was been systematically killing cowboys from the Lazy S. ranch, and frightening everyone else with his banshee like scream.

Ken and Jenny must contend with the owner of the Lazy S who wants him dead for some reason; and tries several times to frame him for murder. The town's sympathetic marshal refuses to arrest Ken, believing in his innocence and reasoning that the best way to solve the mystery is by giving Ken a free hand to investigate.

One thing to avoid is the 1990 VHS version being distributed by MNTEX Entertainment and titled "Classic Westerns". This is the one with a pair of Tombstones on the cover. They used a truly horrible print of the film and most scenes are so dark it is difficult to follow them, let alone pick out many of the details. Probably the worst commercially released print I have ever run across. Hopefully the other versions and the DVD are better.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.