Santa Fe Bound (1936) User Reviews

Taking the identity of the killer

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 14 May 2017]

Tom Tyler is Santa Fe Bound when he comes across a bushwhacking. He gets the bushwhacker and talks to his target before he dies. Most would just bury the two deceaseds and move on, but Tyler's a cowboy hero and that just doesn't happen.

Not knowing the lay of the land he takes money the deceased had on him and the identity of the killer. Just to see reactions. It nearly gets him lynched, but he does find out what he needs to know to save Jeanne Martel's ranch. It was her father who was murdered.

For a poverty row western Santa Fe Bound is not too bad Tyler is one of those actors who does well as hero and villain, his most famous role is one of the western genre's meanest villains Luke Plummer of Stagecoach. He's not bad as the hero as in this film.

Santa Fe Bound should satisfy any aging Saturday matinée kid.

"That's my business, taking chances."

[classicsoncall · 4/10 · 28 December 2007]

Here's something I've never seen before in a Western - a henchman shoots a rancher for his five thousand dollar bankroll, and in turn is shot at the same time by the hero of the story. It allows for Tom Crenshaw (Tom Tyler) to assume a dual identity to get the goods on town boss Stanton (Richard Kramer) and help the daughter of the first victim hang on to the Circle J Ranch.

'Santa Fe Bound" is actually a pretty awkward story in the way Molly Bates (Jeanne Martel) perceives Crenshaw; when he's arrested for the murder of her father virtually dead to rights the typical wrongfully accused scenario never gets to play out. Molly believes he's innocent right from the get go with nothing to go on but his matinée idol good looks. Tyler even has the housekeeper hooked - "There goes a good man."

It didn't help that the DVD print I viewed had some annoying jump cuts, but it's probably the best one can expect from this all but unknown title. As an example, One Shot Morgan (Charles Wittaker) takes up a challenge from Crenshaw, and fires six shots at a target, but you only hear five! There are also a lot of dropped lines from the players, but nothing that really interrupts the flow of the story.

You know, there was the oddest statement made by Crenshaw after he buried the two men on the trail to Santa Fe - "Hardly fair to bury a white man and a skunk side by side". I played it a couple of times to see if I had it right, and that's sure what it sounded like.

The supporting cast in the story consists of a bunch of veteran Western character actors like Charles Whitaker, Ed Cassidy, Lafe McKee, Charles King and Earl Dwire. I swear, I can't tell these guys apart from one movie to the next, except maybe for Dwire who's tall and lanky and has a mustache, I think. See what I mean, I just saw him and I can't remember.

At the time of my posting there were no other user comments or even the prerequisite five vote minimum for a rating. The movie is packaged as part of a two hundred fifty! Western box set from Mill Creek Entertainment, a heck of a value for the price if you can find it. Hint for anyone interested - Sam's Club.

Bushwhacker

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 26 September 2021]

"Santa Fe Bound" was originally released back in 1936.

Anyway - As the story goes - Our hero arrives in town and, due to a case of mistaken identity, is thought to be a hired killer. This gives him the opportunity to save a young woman whose ranch is targeted by a ruthless villain.

Cranky Richard Cramer!!

[kidboots · 7/10 · 4 March 2013]

Tom Tyler was Reliable's shining Western star. A lot of independents were taking advantage of the cinema double bills that were flourishing due to the depression. All the silent western stars were now back from the lean years with series of their own - and for every hero there were numerous villains and "Santa Fe Bound" seemed to have one of the crankiest and grouchiest in Richard Cramer. He played every type of villain, hard hearted bankers, even comic foils for Laurel and Hardy and played them all in the same "straight" manner.

In this movie he was Stanton, friend of heroine Molly (Jeanne Martel who was then briefly married to Tom Tyler) and the only person in the town ready to defend Tom Cranshaw (Tyler), a cowboy who rides into town and puts everyone off side. Tom has stopped to help an old timer who has been caught in a gun fight and, with his last breath, urges Tom to deliver his savings and some bonds to Molly. He fully intends to but to get himself out of a sticky situation, he has to assume the killer's identity and then earns the friendship of the "upright" Stanton who very soon shows his true colours.

One of the very few westerns I've seen where the hero doesn't have a comic sidekick. Molly does though in the person of Brigit the cook and it is her quick thinking that helps Tom out of yet another tight situation. The action in this movie takes a back seat to the plotting but it is still a leisurely way to spend an hour.

A good one for Tom Tyler fans!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 5 September 2015]

Santa Fe is not even mentioned in the script and the fact that the hero may be bound for Santa Fe before stumbling across the heroine's dying dad is really irrelevant. Nevertheless, this one has enough action to satisfy the customers, plus a nice heroine in Jeanne Martel (who was married to hero Tom Tyler at the time) and a good villain in super versatile Dick Cramer (who was equally at home as a gambler, dishwasher, pirate, detective, prison guard, rancher, coroner, book- keeper, bartender, kidnapper or sheriff). For once, our hero doesn't have a sidekick, but our lovely heroine has a reliable cook on hand in Dorothy Wood's housekeeper. (This was possibly Dorothy's final movie. She made 43 appearances in silent movies, but only two sound films – this one and The Idaho Kid, a Rex Bell vehicle that was also released in August, 1936). A very good print of Santa Fe Bound is available as an extra on Alpha's "Trigger Tom" DVD.

some problems but very good

[asinyne · 8/10 · 14 July 2010]

I agree with some points that the other reviewer made about this film. However, I did enjoy this one quite a bit. Despite missing frames, plot holes, and some unlikely scenarios, this is a fast paced, action packed little movie with a very likable cast. Tom Tyler makes a very fine western hero and Jeane Martel is one of the prettiest women I ever saw on film. Her eyes are intensely lovely. There are some things that don't make any sense...like why did the hero hang on to the money and hide it in the bunkhouse when he should have done the right thing and give it to the girl...after all it was her money? And, as the previous review pointed out, why did the heroine welcome the Tyler character back with open arms right after he'd been arrested for gunning down her father??? These things were shot and edited so fast that probably they didn't have time to work out the kinks in the plot. Regardless, it is a very fast moving film and I was never bored or tempted to look away. This one was much better than Lost Ranch which also features the same leads. As for the politically incorrect stuff...its a common feature of these old movies, sometimes I think people forget how old these things are. They were made in a different world and that only adds to the interest factor these old movies have to offer. WARNING no computers were used in the creation of this motion picture!!!!

One-Shot Morgan Throwing Lead

[hines-2000 · 10/10 · 30 October 2020]

Morgan declares, "We're aiming to string up this white livered coyote and save you the trouble". Plenty of action in this Tom Tyler western thriller with gorgeous heroine Jeanne Martel who was the real life wife of Tyler. Also plenty of great regulars of the era including Lafe McKee, Slim Whitaker, Charles King, Earl Dwire and Ed Cassidy. I agree with other reviewers that there were some editing issues but seeing how it was a poverty row film there wasn't much finances for retakes. Richard Cramer noted for his work with Laurel and Hardy does a great job as the villain vying for the affections of the leading lady. Look for some great stunts especially when Tyler has to make a big leap with his horse. Also, Dorothy Wood from the silent era gives a most spirited performance as Bridget.

Really superb Tyler oater; great cast of "B" baddies, too!

[mmipyle · 9/10 · 23 March 2021]

"Santa Fe Bound" (1936) stars Tom Tyler in a really fine "B" Western. His real-life, then-wife Jeanne Martel plays the owner of a ranch that is being underhandedly manipulated away from her father, though her father is killed off within the first five minutes. Now she's in charge. The rest of the show is about Tom's finding out who's behind the nefarious deeds and resolving the mess. Of course, who do you think he ends up with? Right.

Nicely done oater that is one of the best Tyler Westerns I've seen. Acting is top notch most of the way around. A couple of the bad guys probably shouldn't have been given any lines to speak. Otherwise, a fine Western I'd watch again. Also in the show are Richard Cramer (really fine actor in a nasty part! who appeared in 258 films!), Slim Whitaker (350 movie credits!! and almost always a bad guy in Westerns) in a part that within ten minutes of the beginning of the film makes you want to continue to watch, Ed Cassidy (260 film credits), Lafe McKee (337 feature film credits and still counting, 112 short film credits!), Dorothy Wood, Charles King (367 feature film credits, 58 short film credits!), and Earl Dwire (156 film credits). Dorothy Wood plays a crotchety Scottish housekeeper and she's incredibly charming, resourceful, and a lot of fun. For the record, the bad guys (Cramer, Whitaker, Cassidy, and King) define the "B" Western baddies of nearly 40 years of this kind of film. Here, interestingly enough, Earl Dwire surprisingly plays a good guy! Only once or twice otherwise did he ever do that. Lafe McKee plays a sheriff: imagine that! It sometimes seems that if McKee isn't in a "B" Western it's because he was too busy making another one at some other studio.

Overall, superior of its "B" type. Very much recommended for Western enthusiasts of 30s "B"s.