Two-Gun Man from Harlem

I loved this movie. My father was a jazz drummer and he talked just like these cats. There is a great jazz drummer/tap dancer in it and the opening number is also great. Made me miss my father. Btw, I am not black nor a man nor a western fan. I wanted to give this movie a ten (10) but decided not to because I mostly listened to it and watched the musical bits. Though I did like the plot of unjustly framing a black guy who has to leave the range run and hide I. Harlem. Production values are about equal to that "Witch" movie made on a cell phone.

Pretty typical of the all-black-cast Westerns of the 1930s and 40s, starring the leading black singing cowboy of the genre, Herb Jeffries. The only difference between these movies and the Saturday matinee cowboy pics made for white audiences is the black cast. Which in this case includes the great comedian Mantan Moreland, the equally fine Spencer Williams (who starred in and sometimes directed all-black movies of the era, and later made his mark with white audiences in the short-lived Amos n Andy TV show) and, in a cute role, "Stymie" of the Our Gang series. None of which is to say it's a good movie--even by the low-budget and often plot-deprived standards of 1930s "race" movies, this one's pretty dumb. Its pleasures, as with most movies of the genre, derive from seeing black actors who were always relegated to supporting shtick in mainstream films of the era given starring and somewhat less stereotyped roles.

Greetings & Salutations! Who can forget Mantan Moreland as Bill Blake the cook in this and other cowboy movies with African-America's answer to Randolph Scott and William S. Hart cowboy actors. Mantan went on to star in 133 other films and made special guest appearances on television before his death on September 28th, 1973 at age 71 years. He starred in "One Dark Night" (1939), also known as "Night Club Girl." Also in "What a Guy" in 1939. He stayed very busy for most of his 40 years in front of the camera and can still be seen in so many classics. If anyone ever deserved a Life Time Achievement Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it has to be Mantan Moreland!

This is a fascinating film--especially to old movie buffs and historians (I am both). During the first half of the twentieth century, sadly, Black Americans were usually not allowed into White theaters. As a result, theaters catering to Black audiences wanted to show films reflecting the Black experience and showing Black actors. In many cases, the films were essentially similar plot-wise to standard Hollywood fare, but with a much, much lower budget--and usually horrid production values. You really can't fault the film makers--they just didn't have the money and resources available to the average film company. As a result, they had to make due with a lot less--including an over-reliance on stock actors that were seen again and again, no money for re-shooting scenes and a need to get the films done FAST! This film tried very hard to be a Black version of a Gene Autry film--starring Herb Jeffries instead. Jeffries was a light-skinned man from mixed ancestry and he starred in several similar cowboy films. In each, he sings a little, fights a little (though VERY poorly) and loves a little--everything you need in a cowboy. Believe it or not, Jeffries is STILL alive at age 96.

The general plot was indiscernible from an Autry picture--complete with anachronistic items such as telephones out West! The problem is that despite its similarities, the low budget shines through. Stymie (from the Li'l Rascals) flubbed a few lines but they just left it in, the fight scenes were totally unchoreographed and were among the worst ever put on film, there were some odd plot holes, there was no background music (leaving the film strangely quiet) and the acting was pretty awful.

Now this does NOT mean that the film isn't worth seeing--only that it abouts with technical problems that prevent it from being scored higher. One reviewer, oddly, scored this film a 10! How this can be with all the problems is beyond me. However, I can understand a person liking the film despite its many problems. The plot is generally pretty good, the characters likable, the musical numbers excellent and you know that the people making the film tried so darn hard AND it's a very important piece of American history. But a 10!?

By the way, in an odd bit of casting, the very tall, lean and almost white-skinned Jefferies is paired with short, dumpy and exceptionally dark Mantan Moreland....as his brother!! Also, Spencer Williams may be familiar to you. He played Andy on TV's "Amos 'n Andy".

This movie, Two-Gun Man from Harlem, is the third one in the disc of "Black Westerns" that stars Herb Jeffries with Spencer Williams and Clarence Brooks in support. Marguerite Whitten is the love interest and Mae Turner is the femme fatale. Then there's Mantan Moreland-who's from the town of Monroe in my home state of Louisiana-as the cook sidekick who's also Jeffries' brother here and Matthew "Stymie" Beard as the son of Ms. Whitten who idolizes Mr. Jeffries. In fact, he idolizes two roles of Herb: his usual one of Bob Blake and another of The Deacon who he disguises as to clear his name of a murder. The print I saw on the DVD set called "Black Entertainment in Film" was, at least for the first reel, the worst I saw of any of them there. There were many noticeable splices that might have contributed to some confusion I had concerning the story. Despite that, I did like seeing Jeffries and The Four Tones performing his theme song "I'm a Happy Cowboy" which is only heard in the opening credits of The Bronze Buckaroo and Harlem Rides the Range. And Mantan does provide some amusements whether telling of Lot's Wife or hitting the bad guys with his pan. And what a treat to see him in scenes with fellow Louisianaian Williams (who's from New Orleans) and with "Stymie" at the end. So for all that, Two-Gun Man from Harlem is worth a look.