Border Vengeance (1935) watch online HD

I am going to say something that is not very nice, but it's something you will undoubtedly see when you see "Border Vengeance". The people starring in this film are really ugly. I think it's because this was made by a microscopic production company and they simply put anyone in the roles that they could find. Acting and screen presence just didn't seem to be very important. As a result, Reb Russell (an All-American football player) is given nothing in the way of support. In other words, they took a non-actor and threw him into a western with lots of other non-actors and the results are pretty grim.

The film begins with a rancher being shot and killed by a shooter whose identity the audience cannot see. This occurs while the dead man's cattle are being stolen. In the next scene, a lynch mob is planning on catching those responsible but they really do not know who did it. Then a surly looking guy who is obviously a villain says he saw Muley (Russell) and his family do the killing and the mob runs amok. But, Muley's girlfriend runs to warn him and they make a clean getaway to Mexico. However, Muley returns and dispenses a bit of 'frontier justice' on the jerk who blamed him for the murder.

Five years pass. Now Muley is a rodeo cowboy performing under a new name. During this portion, TONS of archival footage of rodeo is shown--and it's very grainy filler. Frankly, it is all very boring as it just goes on and on. Suddenly he receives word that he's needed back home--and we are thrilled because it might just mean SOMETHING will happen in the film! It turns out some baddies are harassing the ranchers and his old girlfriend has contacted him for help. Is it worth wading through HALF the film to get to this conflict? Nope.

Overall, this is one of the worst westerns I've seen--and the only worse western I can think of off the talk of my head is "The Terror of Tiny Town"--the world's first all-midget western.

Very slow western here that has almost 2 plots to it, the first involving our hero Reb Russell (with his horse Rebel!) stopping a cattle rustler from acquiring any more land (he shoots off part of his ear!), and the second part takes place 5 years later, our antagonist not knowing any better by kidnapping Russell's girl AND threatening to kill her father AND Russell (with a pretty stupid plan that the antagonist dreamed up with Russell and her Father getting into a gunfight in a forest at night). So what happens in the middle? A Rodeo. Yes, a rodeo. For 15 MINUTES we see murky footage of a rodeo that Russell is apparently in, but you wouldn't know it, since most of the footage is taken from across the arena. Very dull, not really worth your precious time.

Reb Russell (The Muley Kid), Mary Jane Carey (Sally Griswold), Clarence Geldert (Griswold), Kenneth MacDonald (Flash Purdue), Pat Harmon (Tex Pryor), Norman Fusier (Old Man Benson), Ben Corbett (Bud Benson), Marty Joyce (Jack), June Brewster (Judy Griswold), Charles Slim Whitaker (posse leader), Silver Tip Baker, Bill Patton, Bart Carre (ranchers), Bud Pope (henchman), Glenn Strange (cowhand), Hank Bell (sheriff), and "Rebel".

Director: RAYMOND R. HEINZ. Screenplay: Forbes Parkhill. Based on "The Return of the Muley Kid" by R. Craig Christensen. Photography: James Diamond. Film editor: S. Roy Luby. Assistant director: Bart Carré. Sound recording: J.S. Westmoreland. Producer: Willis Kent.

Not copyrighted by Willis Kent Productions. U.S. release through Marcy Pictures Corporation in 1935. No recorded New York opening. 55 minutes (more or less).

SYNOPSIS: When his lazy father and brothers are chased across the border by an outraged posse, The Muley Kid becomes an accomplished rodeo rider. However, he comes back home when he receives a message from his sweetheart asking for help.

NOTES: Amateurishly incompetent rodeo footage includes trick rider Montie Montana, Mabel Strickland and allegedly Rex Bell (seen in such a long shot, it could be anyone).

COMMENT: Although tricked out with at least 20 minutes of superfluous stock footage of execrable quality, this Reb Russell entry otherwise has at least a good story going for it. It's also good to see Kenneth MacDonald in his element as the chief villain. The heroine is no beauty, but she's convincing. Clarence Geldert likewise impresses as her imperiled dad.

When he's not battling with Mr. Kent's dirt-cheap rodeo material, director Ray Heinz handles the action with a fair degree of skill. As for Mr. Russell himself, I will be kind and merely observe that "Rebel" gives the better performance.

Reb Russell was way down in the ranks of the cowboy heroes, making films for Poverty Row studios that Poverty Row disdained. He wasn't much of an actor, he was a star athlete who was signed to do westerns because he looked good sitting on a horse. Border Vengeance turned out to be the next to last film in his career.

It was a typical plot that would have been great on the stage in Victorian times. Reb's a cowboy who's been accused of murder by the Snidely Whiplash villain who really did the deed. He flees town and this gives the villain time to start pushing his plans with the girl, Mary Jane Carey. Later on a note saying she's in trouble and Reb comes a runnin'.

You could tell that this was a real Poverty Row product because about a third of the film is rodeo footage where Reb's become a champion saddle bronco rider. Take that away and you may have about 40 minutes of real film.

I will say this though, Kenneth MacDonald who did have a long career as an actor looks like he was having a great old time dressing up this turkey with a great show of overacting as the villain.

But it's not reason enough to see this one.