Thunder Over Texas (1934)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Best movie ever!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Not copyrighted by Beacon Productions, Inc. A Max Alexander Production. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 18 October 1934. 61 minutes. (Available on an Alpha DVD).SYNOPSIS: A cowpoke "adopts" the young daughter of a bank robber.NOTES: The first of Williams' six films as a "B" western hero for M. and A. Alexander... Writer, Sherle Castle, is a pseudonym for Shirley Ulmer, wife of the director. COMMENT: There are films that are bad-and vastly amusing because they're so inept in all departments. And then there are movies that are just plain awful, nauseous even, and contain few, if any, redeeming features. Thunder over Texas belongs firmly in the latter category. True, the director (hiding for good reason under the pseudonym, "John Warner") has contrived maybe three or four pleasing camera set-ups. The rest, however, are not only thoroughly routine but mundane in the extreme. Production values with their impoverished sets, dusty locations and inept use of ancient stock footage also leave much to be desired. The acting varies from the excrutiatingly bad (Benny Corbett and company) to the barely passable. The script with its almost complete absence of action and its focus on an archly sentimental story about a garrulous Shirley Temple tot and the not over-bright cowpoke who rescues her, would have to rate as a rabid western fan's worst nightmare. (What little action makes its way into the Milly Molly Mandy plot, is staged with breathtaking ineptitude by cult director Edgar G. Ulmer). When you add in the most boring, mind-numbing "comic" relief we've ever had to endure in a lifetime of picture-watching, you'd have to agree that Thunder over Texas notches up as a prime contender for Worst "B" Western of All Time. And while I'm handing out nominations, how about Ben Corbett (gasp... gasp... "This is Station T=O=M, Tom, signing off for the last time... Signing off... Signing off...") for Worst Supporting Male Performance of All Time?

This is the first of five Western films that the soon-to-be-popular character actor Guinn "Big Boy" Williams completed with poverty row Beacon Productions, Williams here cast as Ted Wright, a two gun toting ranch owner who serves as the protector and surrogate father for child actress Helen Westcott making her film debut as "Tiny" after the latter becomes orphaned. He removes the endangered tyke to his home, although her continued existence is a threat to evil hearted land speculator Bruce Laird (Claude Payton) due to her somehow having in her possession several maps coveted by Laird that pinpoint the locations of planned railroad sites. This plot line will, however, be of merely ancillary interest for those viewers who will enjoy contemporary social references that cross through the story via popular entertainers and their songs, showcased by a trio of Wright's ranch hands, who seem fascinated by the programming that they listen to from their portable radio set. Ted Lewis ("Is Everybody Happy?"), Rudy Vallee, and Kate Smith are mentioned, and a pair of Ford Model As play a significant part in the enjoyable goings-on. One of a small number of U.S. film directors who, because of his stylistics, realistically deserves to be described as an auteur, Edgar Ullmer, helms the production here, as quaintly named Joen Warner, apparently to mislead Universal, the studio to which he was under contract. His wife of a later day, Sherle Castle (as Shirley Alexander), is responsible for the script. The title is a bit incongruous since no thunder can be heard, and the piece is filmed in California's Kern County rather than Texas. A good 35mm. print can be found in VHS format upon the VCI label. It is also produced (as is) by Alpha Video as a DVD.