Rainbow's End

"Rainbow's End" is a bit frustrating to watch. While I like Hoot Gibson and liked the light comedic touch to this film, sometimes the humor is a bit broad and low-brow. Additionally, folks sure seemed to get very mad very quickly in this film! With a bit more polish, this could have been a really good western.

The movie begins with lots of stock footage of a rodeo. It's supposed to be of Hoot winning the Bucking Bronco competition, but it's pretty clearly grainy old footage. When Hoot goes to collect his prize, it turns out that the man handing out the prize is his father---and they DON'T get along. They love each other but Dad can't seem to be able to show it. As a result of an argument soon after this, Hoot storms off to make his own way in life. Through a rather strange set of circumstances, he and his dopey friend find themselves on a ranch--and soon Hoot is the foreman. But eventually he learns that an evil company is trying to force his new employer out of business--and the company is co-owned by his Dad!! How could this be? What is Hoot to do? And, what is Hoot to do about his boss' daughter? Overall, this is a better than average B-western that, with a bit more polish, could have been exceptional. Worth seeing but far from Gibson's best.

This is one of those randomly named B westerns that people went to see because it starred Hoot Gibson. It's not one of his best.

Hoot quarrels with his father, Oscar Apfel, and goes on a toot with buddy Charles Hill. When they wake up and climb off the freight train, they are in a random cattle town, where June Gale hires him to work on the ranch of her father, John Elliott. However, Apfel's crooked partner, Warner Richmond, has been driving out the small ranchers by means fair and foul. So when Hoot winds up as top hand, he sets out to fix things, quarreling with Miss Gale along the way.

Fans of Gibson enjoy his movies for his easy-going charm, his self-deprecating humor, and nice stunt riding. There's not much of any of that, despite Hoot --in long shot -- winning a prize saddle in the opening sequence. The cast is amiable and capable, but this one is a bit too generic, except for Mr. Apfel, who shows some real comic anger in his sequences.

Hoot Gibson still has many fans who greatly enjoy his humor and appreciate his fine natural acting. It is such a pity that in the Talkie era he was not given the opportunity to act in big pictures made by the best directors and with the best screen writers. It is wonderful to go back in time when simple standards of respect and decency were the norm . OK, the story is simple in structure, but this true of every day life even in our twenty first century.( the rampant evils of consumerism had not yet reached today,s zenith and illicit drugs did not dominate ) This is a film which will allow a viewer to escape the ills of our age for an hour. So please relax and enjoy.

This Hoot Gibson vehicle is quite significantly low on action and very high on talk. Oh sure, there are SOME action sequences, but it seems to me that this story was too chit-chatty and something NEEDED to be happening, especially in a low rent Western such as this. When Gibson and his pal are dumped in a train after a wild night of celebrations after Hoot wins a rodeo, they wind up in a one horse town. They decide to stick around for awhile and help with a ranch that's facing some serious financial and employment woes. It's them shifty bankers again you see, and Gibson has to come up with a plan to Save the Ranch! This was OK I guess. I sorta like Hoot Gibson, but he's just pedestrian here. Maybe it's not the western I'm (or he's) accustomed to I guess.

Again, Hoot Gibson has surprised and entertained me in one of his patented roles.

Hoot Gibson was different from most of the B Western heroes: He didn't carry a gun, and his movies had very little shooting.

There was often a lot of comedy, and usually pretty clever stuff, not just knockabout silliness.

"Rainbow's End" is even more different: It starts in a rodeo, takes a detour to a night club, then, via a railroad car, reaches where we want it, the West and a ranch.

Hoot's cast-mates are generally unknown today, although June Gale is probably still known around Los Angeles, since she had quite a TV career, especially as the wife and widow of the eccentric, but immensely talented, Oscar Levant.

Warner Richmond was fairly well known and also highly talented. With his unique looks, he always stood out in any role.

John Elliott should be very well known. He has a loooooong list of credits covering the years 1919 until the year of his death, 1956. And he seemed the most relaxed member of the cast, a remarkable actor.

Even good actors, though, couldn't have created such a great movie without an excellent script. Rare in B Westerns -- and mind you, I love B Westerns! -- is clever dialogue. Rollo Lloyd has provided that here. Oh, not every word is a gem, but enough of them are to warrant a 10 rating from me.

"Rainbow's End" is available in a pretty terrible version at YouTube. It's broken and repaired with bits missing, but the story, the dialogue, the acting are all so good, I could put up with the the lousy print. I hope you take a chance and watch it too. I highly recommend it.