Way Out West On A Budget

 

 (imdb)

LAST OF THE WILD HORSES-1948-A cowpoke Duke Barnum (James Ellison; I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943)), would be stage robber meets rancher Charles Cooper (Douglas Dumbrille) and his daughter Jane (Jane Frazee) who are involved in a dispute with small ranchers over a herd of wild horses. Unfortunately, Barnum is arrested by the sheriff (James Millican). In town, small ranch owner, Remedy (Olin Howland) and his daughter Carrie (Mary Beth Hughes from I ACCUSE MY PARENTS (1944)) for some reason provide an alibi for Barnum, keeping him out of jail. He goes to work for them. They have a comical cook named Curly (Grady Sutton). Unscrupulous ranch hand Reily Morgan (Reed Hadley; in Sam Fuller's I SHOT JESSE JAMES the next year) wants to take over the ranch and kills Cooper and frames Barnum. After the two have a fairly violent fight, justice prevails. 

This low budget run of the mill western was produced and directed by Robert Lippert (his only time in a director's chair). Albert Glasser did the music and the editor was future director Paul Landres (RETURN OF DRACULA (1958)). Despite its drawbacks, it's watchable.

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Not Frankenstein

THE UNDYING MONSTER-1942-An ancient curse (The Hammond Monster) plagues a family in Wales. The last of the Hammonds are a brother and sister, Oliver (John Howard) and Helga (Heather Angel). After Oliver is attacked the local inspector (Audrey Mather) calls in the Sherlock Holmes like Robert Curtis (James Ellison; I WALK WITH A ZOMBIE) from Scotland Yard who uses science to solve crimes and doesn't believe in the supernatural. He has a female assistant named Christy (Heather Thatcher) who talks a lot ("This place is colder than a tax collector's heart!") and is kind of psychic. Bramwell Fletcher (THE MUMMY) is the suspicious family friend Dr. Colbert. The family butler Walton (Halliwell Hobbs) hangs around mysteriously. A werewolf seems to be responsible.

THE UNDYING MONSTER is in a way an underrated masterpiece. It's certainly one of the best "you never really get to see the monster until the end"  horror tales. Star James Ellison is very good in the lead and his character could have easily starred in a sequel (along with his assistant Christy). The resolution may be a little too pat but hey it's only 63 minutes!

Germany born director John (nee Hans) Brahm does an excellent job creating a eerie atmosphere using shadowy effects and interesting close-ups. After this Brahm made 2 more famous film noirs THE LODGER and HANGOVER SQUARE (both starring the ill-fated Laird Cregar) and THE MAD MAGICIAN with Vincent Price. He ventured into TV in the 1950's and was a busy director in the '60's (ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, THRILLER, THE MAN FROM UNCLE).

Future tough guy Charles McGraw makes his film debut as a poacher.

It's based on the novel "The Undying Monster: A Tale of the Fifth Dimension" written in 1922 by Jesse Douglas Kerruish.

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