Tue 30 May 2017
Western Pulp Fiction Review: L. L. FOREMAN – Jemez Brand.
Posted by Steve under Pulp Fiction , Reviews , Western Fiction[10] Comments
L. L. FOREMAN – Jemez Brand. Ace Double 38500, paperback original, 1971. A “fix-up” novel comprised of two novellas from Western Story Magazine, the first being “Jemez Brand” from the 10 December 1941 issue, the second “Six-Gun Sermon,” from 05 September 1942. Published back-to-back with Ransome’s Move, by Kyle Hollingshead.
The hero of this pair of western tales is Preacher Devlin, who appeared in several dozen pulp magazine stories in the 30s and 40s, beginning with Western Aces in December 1934 before moving over to Western Story in 1939. The last of his adventures appeared in the issue for June 1949.
Something I do not know is whether this is the only appearance in book form of Preacher Devlin or not. He’s basically an outlaw, with posses invariably on his trail. I do not believe that he ever was a minister of any denomination, but he may have been at one time. As the book begins, he is described as wearing a long black coat with a black hat with flat brim and crown. He is also very good with his guns, with the reputation that goes along with such a man in the Old West. He is not averse to coming out ahead in monetary fashion as he travels, but only if he has earned it.
For example, when he comes across a dead man, murdered in some strange fashion at the beginning of the first story, with money still in the man’s pockets, he does not take it. The body is only the beginning of a strange affair that involves a hunt for a city of gold, complete with a tribe of local Indians who may be descendants from the Ucaylis originally from Peru — or even Lost Atlantis.
Add in a young ethnologist searching for traces of his missing father, a young girl with the face of a cat — a mask made of gold — and a band of vicious mercenaries led by an ex-Confederate colonel named Trist. It’s quite a wild story, but unfortunately — and not surprisingly — after a great start, it tails off in rather perfunctory fashion, at least in comparison to the earlier part of the tale.
Even better is Part II of this cobbled-up novel, and thanks to Walker Martin for helping me identify this second tale, after narrowing the possibilities down by the use of Phil Stephenson-Payne’s online Western Fiction Index.
Unlike the story in Part I, this one starts out in bang and gets even better as it goes along. It begins with a traveling minister and his daughter finding Devlin in sorry straits after being bushwhacked and left for dead. They then bring him into a town most inappropriately called Rainbow, where all hell breaks loose. It seems that the rough and very wild gold-mining town is under the control of outlaws, in spite of the best effort of the local lawman. Even more, Devlin has a price on his head, and not only is a posse after him, but hordes of bounty hunters from all over the West.
One highlight of this second story is when Reverend Topcliff tries to start up a church service in Rainbow, not realizing that the bad element in the area are only joshing him along in anticipation of the fun they are going to have with him. It is up to Preacher Devlin to end the chaos that follows, as he makes good use of not only a sermon but both of his six-guns.
A very enjoyable pair of stories. I think more of Preacher Devlin’s western tales should be in print. I hope someone is listening.
May 30th, 2017 at 6:45 pm
I’ve read several in this long running series about Preacher Devlin. One of the better series characters in the western pulps.
May 30th, 2017 at 8:19 pm
Steve: There is one other Ace Double title by Foreman, POWDERSMOKE PARTNERS (1973), featuring Preacher Devlin — three long novelettes from Western Story Magazine, 1946-48.
Another excellent Foreman series character is gambler, gunfighter, and knight errant Rogue Bishop. Titles in the Bishop series include SPANISH GRANT (1962), THE SILVER FLAME (1966), ROGUE’S LEGACY (1968), and TRIPLE CROSS AT TRINIDAD (1972).
May 30th, 2017 at 8:47 pm
Thanks, Bill. I don’t seem to have a copy of POWDERSMOKE PARTNERS catalogued in yet; I may not even own a copy. I’ll see what I can find online.
I came across Rogue Bishop while I was researching Foreman and getting this review ready. He sounds like a character I’d like to read about. I have two of the four you list. I’ll start with those.
May 30th, 2017 at 9:05 pm
I think you’ll like Bishop and his adventures. One other title in the series: THE MUSTANG TRAIL (1965).
May 30th, 2017 at 9:31 pm
I have that one listed as owning a copy. The only problem is that I have a question mark with it saying that I don’t know where it is.
May 30th, 2017 at 11:30 pm
Visiting the Fiction Mags Index, I counted 30 Preacher Devlin stories in WESTERN ACES during the 1930’s and then 15 more when he wrote the series for WESTERN STORY during 1939-1949. Quite a long series that must have been very popular with the readers.
However the best story by Foreman that I’ve read is THE RENEGADE which was a 5 part serial in WESTERN STORY illustrated with some great art by Nick Eggenhofer. Abebooks has copies in hardcover. It was made into a movie also.
May 31st, 2017 at 12:44 am
The movie was THE SAVAGE, made in 1952 and starring Charlton Heston. But it was a pulp story first. I didn’t know that!
May 31st, 2017 at 6:21 am
I just looked at my notes for THE SAVAGE movie. I liked it but did not think it outstanding. Brian Garfield in WESTERN FILMS says it not as bad as some which is praise coming from him because he is highly critical of most western films.
May 31st, 2017 at 10:22 pm
Foreman wasn’t afraid to make his hero a bit roguish and give you a feeling they had to think about doing the right thing even if they always chose that option in the story at hand.
In some ways he prefigures the adult Western of the fifties and even the Spaghetti Western.
May 31st, 2017 at 10:37 pm
I can see Lee Van Cleef playing the part.