God's Country and the Man (1937)

Filled with long-and-medium archive-footage shots from an earlier John Wayne Lone Star/Monogram western, especially in the riding-and-and-chase sequences. Red Gentry robs a store and kills ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert N. Bradbury

Writer:

Robert Emmett Tansey (original screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Keene, Betty Compson, Charlotte Henry

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tom Keene	...	Jim Reid
Betty Compson	...	Roxey Moore
Charlotte Henry	...	Betty Briggs
Charles King	...	Red Gentry (as Charles King Jr.)
Billy Bletcher	...	Sandy Briggs (Starbuck Blacksmith)
James Sheridan	...	Pete (Red's Henchman)
Eddie Parker	...	Bill Briggs, RCMP (as Ed Parker)
Robert McKenzie	...	Ed (Middleton Storekeeper) (as Bob McKenzie)
Merrill McCormick	...	Henchman Brokaw (as Merle McCormick)

Storyline

Filled with long-and-medium archive-footage shots from an earlier John Wayne Lone Star/Monogram western, especially in the riding-and-and-chase sequences. Red Gentry robs a store and kills the owner, whose son, Jim Reid, swears revenge. Gentry deserts his sweetheart, Roxey, and heads north. Jim and Roxey meet while both are trailing Gentry, and Jim suspects a relationship between her and Gentry and tries to gain her confidence. Bot stop to rest in a Montana town and Sandy Briggs, local blacksmith, finds a gold nugget in the shoe of Roxey's horse. Both insist the location of where the ore was picked up is her claim, and Roxey becomes rich. Up in Canada, Gentry and his henchies pull a robbery and the RCMP are on his trail. Mountie Bill, Betty's brother, is shot by Gentry but Jim saves his life. Roxey spends all her money on a big dance-hall-saloon hoping to bring Gentry there to trap him for Jim. Her plan works but not without serious consequences to her.

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Plot Keywords:

killer | gold | revenge | montana | blacksmith | 

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Taglines:

The bigger they come, the harder Tom Keene makes them fall!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Il terrore del West

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

56 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Features The Trail Beyond (1934)

User Reviews

A departure for the production line westerns.

While this is neither a masterpiece or a breakthrough, GOD'S COUNTRY AND THE MAN is full of surprises for regular viewers of the series westerns of its day.

To start with, nominal star Tom Keene is a less central character than queen of the Bs Betty Compson, taking her demotion from one time star of the silent spectacular PONY EXPRESS unconcerned. She's a gypsy violinist Dance Hall Entertainer who is done wrong by Charlie King (junior!) and throws in with vengeance bound Keene. Their atmospheric meeting on the trail, by her campfire at night, is one of the film's departures.

King has a bigger part than we are used to seeing him get and ALICE IN WONDERLAND Henry is the romantic interest rather than Compson. They all carry their loads quite skillfully. The ambush and rescue of the Mountie is nicely staged.

There is a bit of the notion of town as character that you get in HELLS HINGES, CAT BALOU or SONS OF KATIE ELDER, before we settle down for the belated arrival of action and background music.

I quite enjoyed this one even with all the expected faults and cost cutting you find in these.