Search - Kid Ranger (1936) / Arizona Gunfighter (1937) on DVD

"The King of B-Westerns & Serials ... VCI Entertainment ...

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 10/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"VCI Entertainment present "Bob Steele Double Feature Vol. 3" (Dolby digitally remastered)--- relive
those thrilling days when Bob Steele took us down the dusty trails with hard riding and straight shooting
hitting the bull's eye with excitement everytime ... the Bob Steele series of B-Westerns were a staple
of Saturday matinees in the 1930s and 1940s ... don't miss any of the Bob Steele features loaded with action
that will leave you wanting more of his B-Western adventures

First up of this double feature from Republic Pictures is "The Arizona Gunfighter" (1937).(60 min)..Under director Sam Newfield, producer A.W. Hackel, original short story by Harry F. Olmsted, screenplay by George H. Plympton...the cast include Bob Steele (Colt Ferron/The Arizona Gunfighter), Jean Carmen (Beth Lorimer), Ted Adams (Wolf Whitson), Ernie Adams (Grizzly Barr), Lew Meehan (Snake Bralt), Steve Clark (Sheriff), Karl Hackett (Durkin/rancher), John Merton (Farley/henchman), A.C. Henderson (Gov. Gray), Frank Ball (Dan Lorimer), Budd Buster. . . . . . . . our story has hero Bob Steele (Colt Ferron) shooting down two veteran character actors Karl Hackett (Durkin) and John Merton (Farley) in self defense for killing his father...hitting the trail now as an outlaw Steele meets up with Ted Adams (Wolf Whitson) who is sort of a Robin Hood stealing from the villains and returning to the rightful owners...Steele and Adams become very close and the camaraderie is touching, as Adams turns himself in and deeds is ranch to Steele...Adams old gang shows up led by Lew Meehan (Snake Bralt) and events begin to unfold, can Steele beat them on his own or will the Governor release Adams so they can join forces and thwart these badmen on the Republic lot...has the Arizona Gunfighter confessed that he killed the two who killed his father, will he return and take his medicine...Ernie Adams shows up in a puff of smoke and vanishes the same way, bringing news of the outlaw gangs hideout...is Jean Carmen the daughter of outlaw Ted Adams, is she being held captive by Meehan...well, don't fret Jean is pretty tough when Steele arrives she starts shooting at the gang while he takes care of Meehan in a big fisticuff...watch Ernie Adams as he arrives as the rear guard action...will both men receive pardons from the Governor after bringing in the gang, or will Steele receive a life sentence with the heroine for the rest of the picture.

The second feature is from Supreme Features "Last of the Warrens" (1936) (60 min)...Under director Robert N. Bradbury (Steele's real life father), producer A.W. Hackel, screenplay by Robert N. Bradbury, ..the cast include Bob Steele (Ted Warren), Margaret Marquis (Mary Burns), Charles King (Kent/Shelby), Horace Murphy (Grizzly), Lafe McKee (Sheriff Bates), Charles K. French (Bruce Warren), Blackie Whiteford (Secret Service Agent Harrigan/Slippery Gerns), Steve Clark (Spike/henchman). . . . . . . . . our hero Bob Steele who has returned from World War I presumed dead only to find to find a very young Charles King is in this oater and as always up to no good...King has his eye on Margaret Marquis who is in love with Steele...the reuniting of Steele and his father Charles K. French is a touching scene...King shoots Steele's father and leaves him for dead, but what if King thought he was a ghost...could it be there might be some confessing of past sins in this last reel, that will be King's undoing and let Steele have the heroine...no doubt about it when Bob Steele and Charlie King lock horns it's a show-stopper....another great B-Western from Bob Steele under the Supreme Picture banner, proves to be one of his most dramatic performances.

Special footnote, actor Bob Steele was the son of director Robert N. Bradbury and the age of 14 he and his twin brother Bill Bradbury made a series of comedy shorts "Adventures of Bob and Bill" (1920), directed by their father...along came his first starring western "The Mojave Kid" (1927), released by Film Booking Office of America (FBO) and directed by his father, he changed his name to Bob Steele...making low budget B-Westerns for independent studios such as Republic, Supreme, Monogram and PRC which included nearly 200 feature films, serials and TV appearances...was in his twilight years at the age 59 when he got the part of the cantankerous "Trooper Duffy", in the western comedy series "F Troop" (1965), who at the drop of a hat would give his rendition of fighting "shoulder to shoulder with Davy Crockett at the Alamo"...Steele retired from the screen in 1973...his long career, spanning more than 50 years came to an end in 1988 when he passed away.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Bob Steele (Robert Adrian Bradbury)
Birth Date: 1/23/1907 - Pendleton, Oregon
Died: 12/21/1988 - Burbank, CA.

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features with Bob Steele:

BOB STEELE WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES:
1. Vol. 1 - Tombstone Terror/Lightnin' Crandall (VCI #7212) (DVD)
2. Vol. 2 - The Brand of Hate/Trusted Outlaw (VCI #7252) (DVD)
3. Vol. 3 - The Arizona Gunfighter/Last of the Warrens (VCI #7261) (DVD)
4. Vol. 4 - Gun Lords of Stirrup Basin'/The Feud Maker (VCI #7275) (DVD)
5. Vol. 5 - Border Phantom/A Demon For Trouble (VCI#7311) (DVD)

Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above Bob Steele titles
if they are not available as of yet...you can order
and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "The Arizona Gunfighter" (1937) and "Last of the Warrens" (1936)", the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD and VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em

Total Time: 112 min on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Entertainment #7261~ (2004)"