Bulldog Courage (1935)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Sam Newfield

Writers:

Frances Guihan (story)
Joseph O'Donnell (story)

Release Date:

30 December 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

A miner who was swindled out of his mine by a banker turns to robbing stagecoaches. Several years after he is tracked down and killed, his son comes to town to tangle with the banker.

Plot Keywords:

Mine | Banker | Explosion | Stagecoach | Gold Mine

Cast

Tim McCoy	...	Slim Braddock / Tim Braddock
Joan Woodbury	...	Helen Brennan
Paul Fix	...	Bailey
Eddie Buzard	...	Tim as a boy (as Eddie Buzzard)
John Cowell	...	Pete Brennan (as John W. Cowell)
Karl Hackett	...	Williams (as Wm. Karl Hackett)
John Elliott	...	Judge Charley Miller (as John Elliot)
Edmund Cobb	...	Cal Jepson (as Eddie Cobb)
Edward Hearn	...	Henchman Clayton (as Eddie Hearne)
Jack Rockwell	...	Sheriff Pendleton

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #1818)

Company:

Puritan Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time Tim Braddock enters Brennan's mine - there's a sign posted above the entrance that states 'Blue Ridge Mine'. Later, when Braddock and Brennan leave by the same way, the sign is no longer there. It appears and disappears again later in the story.

Solid B-Western

This is a solid B-Western that's mostly carried by the plot, with some interest added by the dual role of Tim McCoy, as a father and son. The story has mostly familiar elements, but it moves at a steady pace, and the production gets decent usage out of generally inexpensive settings and other resources.

McCoy's first character is one of many men who have been swindled by the villain, a dishonest banker who is not above using illegal means, including violence, to seize valuable properties. The fraud victim is succeeded by his son, who carries on the battle against the banker and his cronies. Much of it is predictable, but there are some interesting developments and a couple of good sequences. The best scenes are toward the beginning. The first holdup sequence features some entertaining touches, and the subsequent chase also adds a couple of interesting details.

The father character, who is only in the first few scenes, is actually the more interesting of the two. McCoy also gives him quite a bit more personality and depth than he gives the son, who is the main character the rest of the way. Joan Woodbury is nice to look at as the daughter of his father's old associate, but her limited role doesn't give her very much to work with. The supporting cast features a few good moments from Paul Fix, as one of the banker's shady contacts.

There are some obvious ways that it could have been better. The son character is one-dimensional and is not really that interesting, at least when compared with his father. The editing is also rather ragged throughout the movie, which occasionally becomes a distraction. But the pluses are easily enough to make it entertaining and to be worth watching for the hour or so that it runs.