Harlem Rides the Range (1939)

A cowboy and his sidekick try to help a homesteader from being cheated out of his property.

Director:

Richard C. Kahn

Writers:

Spencer Williams (story), Spencer Williams (screenplay),

Stars:

Herb Jeffries, Lucius Brooks, F.E. Miller

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Herb Jeffries	...	Bob Blake (as Herbert Jeffrey)
Lucius Brooks	...	Dusty
F.E. Miller	...	Slim Perkins
Artie Young	...	Miss Dennison
Clarence Brooks	...	Bradley
Spencer Williams	...	Watson (as Spencer Williams Jr.)
Tom Southern	...	Connors
Leonard Christmas	...	Dennison
Wade Dumas	...	Sheriff
John Thomas	...	Cactus
The Four Tones	...	Singing Group

Storyline

Bradley is after Dennison's radium mine and it appears that his henchman Conners has killed him. When Blake arrives at Dennison's, Bradley and Conners arrive at the same time. When Blake leaves he drops a glove. Bradley kills Conners and uses the glove to frame Blake. Learning of Bradley's plan to kill Dennison's daughter, Blake escapes jail and sets out to reach her first.

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Plot Keywords:

radium mine | public domain | frame up | african american | all black cast | 

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Taglines:

Men Of Action Blaze A Trail Of Love And Lead As Law And Order Comes To The Old West!

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1939 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures Corporation (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

56 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in That's Black Entertainment: Westerns (2002)

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Soundtracks

"I'm a Happy Cowboy"
Sung over the credits and by Herb Jeffries and The Four Tones

User Reviews

Harlem Rides the Range was another partially entertaining race musical western

Having just watched The Bronze Buckaroo, I picked the next film on the "Black Westerns" disc of the DVD set "Black Entertainment in Film" which happened to be Harlem Rides the Range. Once again Herb Jeffries stars as Bob Blake with Lucius Brooks as sidekick Dusty and Clarence Brooks in a villainous role. Spencer Williams, however, is on the good side this time as Blake's ranch-hand boss and previously female lead Artie Young is just a picture here until the last 10 min. Also F. E. Miller appears again as Slim Perkins who with Lucius provides some amusing comic relief that in a white cast movie might have been considered racist. I actually thought Harlem Rides the Range might have been slightly duller than The Bronz Buckaroo but at least this time the print was good and the soundtrack was clear so I could actually hear the dialogue well and the singing was more enjoyable as a result which was provided by Mr. Jeffries and The Four Tones of which Lucius is a member. P. S. Another player, Wade Dumas who was the Dog City Sheriff, came from my home state of Louisiana in addition to Mr. Williams. Also, Mr. Williams and Mr. Miller wrote the screenplay this time.