[.ca] Double Feature: Ambush Trail/The Red Rope

"Bob Steele Series ... Double Features (1937/1946) ... Poverty Row":
Poverty Row Pictures presents "AMBUSH TRAIL/THE RED ROPE" (1937/1946) (119 mins/B & W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Bob Steele was an American actor --- He was born Robert Adrian Bradbury in 1907 in Portland, Oregon, into a vaudeville family --- Bob's career began to take off for good in 1927, when he was hired by production company Film Booking Offices of America (FBO) to star in a series of Westerns. Bob--who was rechristened Bob Steele at FBO--soon made a name for himself, and in the late 1920s, 1930s and 1940s starred in B-Westerns for almost every minor film studio, including Monogram, Supreme, Tiffany, Syndicate, Republic (including several films of the Three Mesquiteers series) and Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) (including the initial films of their "Billy the Kid" series) In the late 1940s and early 1950s, that "new medium" television had many hours to fill and few dollars to fill them --- They re-discovered the B-Western, still a popular mainstay of Saturday afternoon matinees and many cowboy stars thrilled a new audience --- Taking advantage of this rebirth in popularity, publishers brought to the marketplace comic books featuring these western heroes of "Bob Steele" Westerns --- These bimonthly issues were copyrighted in February and April of 1950 by Fawcet Publications --- His career which included nearly 200 feature films, serials and TV appearances --- Steele 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 --- Bob's long career, spanning more than 50 years came to an end in 1988 when he passed away. The first film of this double feature - "AMBUSH TRAIL" (17 February 1946) (60 mins/B & W) Under the production staff of: Harry L. Fraser - Director Arthur Alexander - Producer Elmer Clifton - Screenwriter John H. Greenhalgh, Jr. - Cinematographer Lee Zahler - Musical Direction/Supervision Roy Livingston - Editor Our story line and plot, our hero Curly Thompson (Bob Steele) out to stop the outlaw gang, gets framed for murder and put in jail --- Hatch Bolton (I. Stanford Jolley) trying to get the ranchers to leave, has his outlaw gang ambush all incoming supply wagons --- The screenplay, by D. W. Griffith alumnus Elmer Clifton, is a medley of western cliches, pausing every so often for a first-rate action sequence. Perennial sagebrush sidekick Sid Saylor provides negligible comedy relief --- One of my favorite badman in B-Westerns Charles King co-stars and gives Bob Steele some tough times during the final reel. the cast includes: Bob Steele ... Curley Thompson Syd Saylor ... Sam Hawkins I. Stanford Jolley ... Hatch Bolton Lorraine Miller ... Alice Rhodes Charles King ... Henchman Al Craig John L. Cason ... Henchman Ed Blaine (as Bob Cason) Budd Buster ... Miner Zeke (Jim Haley in credits) Kermit Maynard ... Deputy Walter Gordon Frank Ellis ... Henchman Frank Owen Ed Cassidy ... Marshal Dawes (as Edward Cassidy) Al Ferguson ... Henchman Joe Moore Henry Hall ... Sheriff Tom Gordon Wally West ... Henchman Second film of the this double feature - "THE RED ROPE" (19 July 1937) (59 mins/B & W) Under the production staff of: Roy S. Luby - Director A.W. Hackel - Producer George Plympton - Screenwriter Bert Longenecker - Cinematographer Roy Claire - Editor Johnston McCulley - Short Story Author Our story line and plot, Grant Brade (Karl Hackett) has hired Rattler Haynes (Lew Meehan) to kill Tom Shaw (Bob Steele) --- But when Shaw intercepts a message between the two, he alters it hoping it will cause the two outlaws to fight each other --- With a little diligence and plenty of fisticuffs, our hero outmaneuvers the villains and wins the girl --- Based on a story by Johnston McCulley (of The Mark of Zorro fame), The Red Rope was one of the best Bob Steele westerns ever made --- Once again Charles King gives one of his best performances with Steele taking a back seat to no one. the cast includes: Bob Steele ... Tom Shaw Lois January ... Betty Duncan Forrest Taylor ... Parson Pete Charles King ... Red Mike Karl Hackett ... Grant Brade Bobby Nelson ... Jimmy Duncan Ed Cassidy ... Logan (as Ed. Cassidy) Lew Meehan ... Rattler Haynes Frank Ball ... John Duncan Jack Rockwell ... Cowhand Dotkins Horace Murphy ... Horner Horace B. Carpenter ... Townsman Richard Cramer ... Buck Fendy Art Dillard ... Cowhand Tex Palmer ... Kurt Fred Parker ... Rancher Wally West ... Cowhand SPECIAL FEATURES: BIO: 1. Bob Steele (aka: Robert Adrian Bradbury) (Actor) Date of Birth: 23 January 1907 - Portland, Oregon Date of Death: 21 December 1988 - Burbank, California If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features --- Ask Amazon.Com to carry the volumes as they are not available on Amazon as of yet --- you can order and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment 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) 6. Vol. 6 - The Kid Ranger/Nevada Buckaroo (VCI #7336) (DVD) 7. Vol. 7 - The Red Rope/Paroled To Die (VCI #7338) (DVD) 8. Vol. 8 - Smokey Smith/Sundown Saunders (VCI #7340) (DVD) 9. Vol. 9 - Doomed At Sundown/The Law Rides (VCI #7344) (DVD) 10.Vol 10 - No Man's Range/Rider of the Law (VCI #7347) (DVD) CLASSIC WESTERNS - BOB STEELE FOUR FEATURE: 11. Border Phantom, A Demon For Trouble, Trusted Outlaw, Brand of Hate (VCI #5521) (DVD) Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- please stand up and take a bow --- all my heroes have been cowboys! Total Time: 119 mins on VHS/DVD ~ Poverty Row Pictures ~ (12/26/2006)