The Dude Ranger (1934)

Wonderful character development!

Absolutely Fantastic

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

George O'Brien wants to sell the ranch he's just inherited, but the lawyer tells him that he can't get a good price for it. Five thousand head of cattle have disappeared. When he goes to the ranch to make enquiries, everyone assumes he's another saddle tramp who has fallen in love at first sight with the manager's daughter, Irene Hervey, so they give him a job and make fun of him.This B western is something special. Under the direction of comedy specialist Eddie Cline, the performers get to act with great charm, and the tricks that are played on O'Brien are deadly -- and funny. Sid Saylor plays the comic sidekick, but he's not simply another clown, but a smart, tough cowboy with a strong goofy streak. There is plenty of good location shooting, with a beautiful long shot for the final confrontation. For a B western, this is as good as it gets.

Easterner George O'Brien inherits his uncle's half of a ranch and goes undercover as a hired-hand in order to find out exactly who has been rustling his livestock. He soon discovers that his uncle's invalid partner isn't crippled after all and is apparently behind the thefts. Complicating things is O'Brien's crush on the old man's daughter.You really can't go wrong with any of the Zane Grey pictures from the 1930's. They have some of the healthiest budgets and best writing of all the era's B-westerns, making them a cut above the average poverty-row programmer.This may not have Randolph Scott and John Wayne, some of the stars from Paramount's Zane Grey series. However, The Dude Ranger features some great photography, three-dimensional characters, and some genuine suspense, as well as a few twists near the end that I didn't see coming.Leading lady Irene Hervey is quite beautiful too.

The dude in this case is George O'Brien who's been back east, but is on a trip to Arizona to inspect a cattle ranch which is one of his many holdings. But there's been cattle rustling a plenty going on their and when Irene Hervey mistakes him for a new cowhand and orders him around, O'Brien plays along to find out what's been happening.Suspicion falls on Irene's dad who certainly acts very suspicious. He's played by Henry Hall and he runs the office and keeps the records for the ranch. But when you've got a foreman like LeRoy Mason who is a stock villain in about a gazillion B westerns of the time you know where the hammer will fall eventually.O'Brien has a light and breezy personality and he's one cowboy hero who definitely likes the girls more than his horse. Of course he is a New York playboy to start so his interests are natural. And Irene Hervey is definitely an eyeful.Syd Saylor as Nebraskey does very well in the sidekick part, he's the best thing in The Dude Ranger. Adapted from a Zane Grey novel by RKO, The Dude Ranger was probably on the second half of possibly an Astaire- Rogers musical back in the day. I'm sure no one was disappointed.

This Western is based on a Zane Grey story about a crooked rancher who is stealing cattle. George O'Brien plays the owner of the ranch, who through a case of mistaken identity, is thought to be the Dude Ranger on the ranch. He is after the crooked bosses daughter, played by Irene Harvey.The film as the typical western sidekick, in this case a guitar playing singer. The film is OK, nothing special, and is an example of a cheap B-Western film, filmed with spectacular scenery. Irene Hervey was loaned out from her home film studio to play the role in this film. LeRoy Mason plays one of the villains.