Harlem Rides the Range

Immediately noticeable in the opening credits was the name Spencer Williams, Jr. This should have been a guarantee of good quality, but Mr. Williams' acting skill was not matched by much of the cast nor was his screenplay as good as it could have been. The premise of the story was standard, and the dialog was at times too simple as if it had been written quickly with intent to fix it later. Some scenes had clever or natural spoken parts along with attempted humor that was consistent with other B westerns. Too often the actors spoke far too simple lines with far too long pauses between lines. Too bad.

Talent as a singer, rodeo champion, or athlete does not always qualify one to attempt acting as many movie cowboys had done. Often it was acceptable as a matter of authentication for the real cowboy to make it as a western movie actor. The same leniency is afforded to singers who make the leap into acting. Herb Jeffries and the Four Tones were definitely capable singers. Acting was not their forte. Sadly, the same is true for much of the cast. Herb Jeffries looked good as he filled the cowboy suit, and his acting was no worse than early Gene Autry entries into motion pictures. Maybe it was a little worse, but it worked for a cowboy movie. As the faithful sidekick, Dusty, Lucius Brooks had a likable presence that paralleled many sidekick performers. Perhaps if there had been more acting opportunities he could have become a better actor.

Musically, this movie had three song performances including the opening credits. It fit the feel of western music while the Four Tones added an Ink Spots style. Mr. Jeffries singing voice put him among the better cowboy singers. Had he wanted to continue to build a larger repertoire in the western music field he would be admired for that work today. We are all lucky that he left movies to work with Duke Ellington.

As Bob Blake, Jeffries is the hero of Harlem Rides The Range while the actual heroism is shared between Blake and Cactus (John Thomas). Blake is the singing cowboy dressed better than everyone else as he investigates a possible crime and pursues the only girl in the movie. Cactus is the vigilant ranch hand who ultimately delivers justice with a gun. While Blake plays the happy cowboy, Cactus plays the determined man of righteous pursuit. Had the two characters been combined the viewer would have seen a character closer to Hopalong Cassidy or Buck Jones.

As a B western, Harlem Rides The Range is an average movie. It is enjoyable, just not outstanding.

This all-black movie had the usual B-western qualities in both plot and action. There's a singing cowboy (Herbert Jeffrey) and his comic sidekick (Lucius Brooks), a love interest (Artie Young), bad guys (led by Clarence Brooks) trying to steal a radium mine, a frame-up, an all-too-easy escape, etc. I was not too impressed with Jeffrey as a cowboy, but he sings well, accompanied by The Four Tones, a group playing string instruments. But I enjoyed most the comedy of both Lucius Brooks and the ranch cook, F.E. Miller. The best sequence had them investigating a house where a murder may have been committed. Something scares them so badly they run all the way home, leaving their horses back at the house. And when they sit down, their boots are smoking. This funny bit made me laugh and feel guilty that I did so, because their behavior (fear and cowardice) was so stereotypical of some blacks in these early movies. But these so-called "race" films were made by blacks and intended for black audiences. They were very popular, proving that my guilt is really unfounded. When a bit is funny it knows no race boundaries.

Having just watched The Bronze Buckaroo, I picked the next film on the "Black Westerns" disc of the DVD set "Black Entertainment in Film" which happened to be Harlem Rides the Range. Once again Herb Jeffries stars as Bob Blake with Lucius Brooks as sidekick Dusty and Clarence Brooks in a villainous role. Spencer Williams, however, is on the good side this time as Blake's ranch-hand boss and previously female lead Artie Young is just a picture here until the last 10 min. Also F. E. Miller appears again as Slim Perkins who with Lucius provides some amusing comic relief that in a white cast movie might have been considered racist. I actually thought Harlem Rides the Range might have been slightly duller than The Bronz Buckaroo but at least this time the print was good and the soundtrack was clear so I could actually hear the dialogue well and the singing was more enjoyable as a result which was provided by Mr. Jeffries and The Four Tones of which Lucius is a member. P. S. Another player, Wade Dumas who was the Dog City Sheriff, came from my home state of Louisiana in addition to Mr. Williams. Also, Mr. Williams and Mr. Miller wrote the screenplay this time.

In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, Black movie goers were usually not allowed in White movie theaters here in the United States. In addition, theaters catering to Black audiences had difficulties getting first-run film and Black audiences really didn't feel much connection to the all-White films Hollywood was producing. As a result, small Black-owned movie companies sprang up and tried to fill this void. The problem was that these companies were operated on shoestring budgets and they simply couldn't afford to make polished and high quality films. Some of them turned out pretty good, but in general these films were pretty dreadful--and what more could you expect considering that 99% of all the money went to make Hollywood films.

Because of this context, you need to understand that with so many strikes against this film, it's a wonder it even achieves a score of 3 (and perhaps my 3 is being a tad generous). The film is a Black version of a typical Gene Autry film but starring a cast of less experienced actors, lacking incidental music and a good Foley artist (a lot of the action has no sound effects or they are severely muffled) and experienced writers and directors. This was purely a 3rd string group of film makers and I am sure they were trying their best, but the lack of professionalism shows. All too often, actors just stand around or utter their lines with no emotion or conviction--because they almost universally lacked experience and training. As for the film's star, Herb Jeffries, he wasn't too bad. His singing wasn't bad but he certainly lacked charisma. It's no surprise, then, that this marked the last of Jeffries cowboy films--being the fifth in a series of very inconsequential low-budget Westerns.

The plot, if anyone really cares, is about a hidden radium mine and some baddies attempt to steal it from its rightful owner. The problem I saw with that is that radium occurs only in trace amounts in uranium and must be processed and refined to collect radium. So why didn't they call it a 'uranium mine' instead?! After all, you don't mine pure radium. But this is also not particularly important--nor is the film unless you are watching it for historical purposes or if you are curious to see the most famous Black singing cowboy.

Also, one final note. This is packaged on a DVD along with MURDER IN HARLEM by Alpha Video--one of the worst DVD producers on the planet. Most of their videos are fuzzy and tough to watch and this film was certainly no exception. However, Alpha also specializes in some public domain and hard to find films where there simply aren't better copies available and it doesn't make financial sense to properly restore the films. Like 'em or not, if you want to see this film, Alpha is probably your only source.

They weren't supposed to be documentaries. lol So let's forget the "straining credulity" and "logistics" and "plot problems" and just settle down with some popcorn for an old-fashioned good time. This is Saturday matinée. You want something to put a smile on your face that makes you forget the horrors in the world--war, poverty, racism. You want a cinema universe with good music, perhaps some snappy dancing, beautiful gutsy women and handsome gutsy men, and gorgeous horses with streaming mane and tail galloping through exotic scenery in a part of the US most Americans had yet to explore. It's a fantasy land where good always triumphs over evil, mortgages always get paid, people aren't told they can't do something because of their skin color, and wittiness is woven throughout. In short, it isn't reality, which is just the way the audiences wanted it.

When we are introduced to the hero and sidekick I was strongly reminded of Cisco and Pancho in looks and humorous interchange. :) The two funny fellows in the movie play out a scene that might have come from a Charlie Chan, where Number One Son and black friend tear off in a panic. It might also be from an Abbot and Costello monster movie. Or any of the other early comedy acts when a none-too-bright fellow is confronted by something frightening. "Did you think you could run faster than your horse?" "The horse didn't see what I saw." tee hee Or the hero literally picking up the extremely capable heroine at the way station! Those western ladies were game for anything! My mother was a Great Plains lady of that era and she could handle a lot, too.

I'm not a big fan of early westerns, except maybe the Cisco Kid, but I found this series to be entertaining because of the comedy. As with musicals, I don't particularly care about the plot, which seems to be the way the writers felt about it! :)