The Night Rider

Harry Carey Sr. plays a newcomer to town and the viewer is led to believe he MIGHT just be the so-called 'Night Rider'--a bandit who dresses a bit like Zorro. Along the way, he makes friends with Manuel and Altoona (Gabby Hayes). And, in the end, the REAL identity of the bandit becomes known.

In some ways, I liked this film. It certainly lacked the glamor, singing and fancy duds you'd see in a Gene Autry or Roy Rogers film--and I liked that. But it was also incredibly slow, low energy and Carey was no longer the handsome silent cowboy and simply seemed too old for such a virile role. Not a terrible film--though a few of the actors were amazingly bad! At best a time-passer.

"The Night Rider" is a sparkling little example of how deftly put-together a B-western can be, even though operating on an obviously shoestring budget. The whole picture was probably produced in the space of two venues, both smaller than a football field combined. But with commitment and sincerity the players and the production staff made a movie that they could be fairly proud of. Additionally, this picture features considerable inter-cutting of two or three simultaneous goings-on, as many B-westerns do, and the efforts are done well., Harry Carey is his ol' mature, dignified, and calmly reassuring self in this one. I could not help but think of Barnaby Jones as we watch Carey, in the role of Jim Blake, calmly and methodically piece together the clues and follow the evidence on an ever-tightening route to the truth. Julian Rivero plays an animated sidekick to fun effect, and George Hayes, already in 1932, shows off his wondrous way with idiosyncratic behaviors. Tom London, who is oft-credited with being the busiest actor in Hollywood history, has a high-level role and it is a pleasure to watch him deliver his lines so naturally and effortlessly. The movie, what with its unusual and intriguing characters parading around the cheap but appropriately-appointed sets, is a actually a delight from start to finish.

The Night Rider (1932)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Jim Blake (Harry Carey) arrives in a small town where he meets and teams up with Altoonie (George 'Gabby' Hayes) and Manuel (Julian Rivero). The three take a job working for a woman (Elinor Fair) who soon finds herself being terrorized by The Night Rider, a man dressed in black who has been robbing various ranches.

THE NIGHT RIDER is a "B" Western that manages to be more entertaining than most in the genre thanks in large part to the three lead actors as well as a decent story or at least a good villain to help keep the film moving at a nice pace. At less than a hour you certainly shouldn't expect a major plot or any deep character development but the film is entertaining, which is the most important thing.

Carey, Hayes and Rivero actually work extremely well together and there's no doubt that their chemistry helps keep things moving. They all work well off of one another and especially during their meeting scene. The look of the bad guy will remind a lot of people of Zorro but I thought it was good. There are quite a few rather violent deaths via gunshots. Obviously nothing too graphic for today's standards but the scenes are a bit much for 1932 standards.

THE NIGHT RIDER isn't going to win any major awards but if you like the genre then you should find it entertaining.

Funny little B Western has Harry Carey teaming up with Gabby Hayes and Julian Rivero in pursuit of the mysterious Night Rider. Carey is as funny and personable as he has ever been, and Hayes actually gets some funny bits. Director Newmeyer, long a stalwart of Harold Lloyd's team, does the material more than justice. Recommended.