Sun 8 Oct 2017
A TIM HOLT Western Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: TRAIL GUIDE (1952).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , Western movies[7] Comments
TRAIL GUIDE. RKO Radio Pictures, 1952. Tim Holt, Linda Douglas, Richard Martin, Frank Wilcox, Robert Sherwood, John Pickard, Kenneth MacDonald. Director: Lesley Selander.
Maybe in 1952 the market had changed and B-Westerns – especially those in black and white – were no longer in demand, and apparently Trail Guide, one of the last Tim Holt RKO westerns, did not make money at the box office. But I found this entry in the series to be an above average oater, one that zips along at a good pace and one with enough grittiness to make it as appealing to adults as to the kiddie matinee crowd. Indeed, there is something of a William Witney feel to this Lesley Selander directed production. Having character actor Frank Wilcox portray the villain wasn’t a bad move either.
The plot: After Tim Holt and his perennially womanizing sidekick Chito Rafferty (Richard Martin) have finished guiding a wagon train out West, they run afoul of cattle ranchers who are none to eager to have homesteaders on their land. Totally original right? But the plot gets a goes off in another direction when the duo stumble upon a bigger criminal enterprise, one that gets not only the local marshal killed, but also the brother of lovely ranch owner Peg Masters (Linda Douglas).
That angers Holt enough that he threatens to beat the truth out of one of the bad guys. And beat it out of him he does. He also slams the guy’s hand in a desk drawer. What did I say about a William Witney feel?
All told, Trail Guide is not a great film and it’s not something that you probably ought to go well out of your way to see. But if you do happen to catch it, you might be pleasantly surprised about how solidly crafted it is. This one didn’t deserve to lose a dime.
October 9th, 2017 at 2:50 pm
In this same series of Tim Holt / Richard Martin westerns, i liked “Under the Tonto Rim” (Lew Landers, 1947). It’s not great, but it has nice story telling. It’s light hearted, and is much less gritty than Trail Guide sounds.
Haven’t seen “Trail Guide”. I’ll keep my eyes open for it. Thank you!
October 9th, 2017 at 2:51 pm
I was always a “Rocky Lane” man myself, but I
keep meaning to get around to Tim Holt. Maybe this is the prompt I need. Thanks!
October 9th, 2017 at 6:05 pm
Rocky Lane was one of my favorites, too. I never saw a movie with Tim Holt when I was a kid. It wasn’t until TCM came along, or maybe AMC before that, that I ever watched one. Rocky Lane has a lot more screen presence, but I think the stories in the Tim Holt westerns are better.
October 9th, 2017 at 7:42 pm
Unlike most cowboy stars Holt had a shot at being a real actor with credible performances in good films. I don’t know if he chose the B Western route or was forced into it, but it was too little too late though the films are overall good.
October 9th, 2017 at 10:38 pm
He wasn’t forced but has been quoted as saying he did not understand why better things were not on the table.
October 9th, 2017 at 10:51 pm
Orson Welles cast Holt in a lead role and he had a major part in TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, but then ended up mainly doing these B-Westerns
October 9th, 2017 at 11:40 pm
No, he was in a variety of big time films prior to The Ambersons,including, but certainly not limited to Stella Dallas, Stagecoach, Gold Is Where You Find It and Fifth avenue Girl, in which he was cast romantically opposite Ginger Rogers, a very big deal at the time. Under contract to RKO, Tim was utilized in westerns, usually quite charming ones.
On loan out, he made a big hit in Hitler’s Children, a better film than its title. After the war and service in it, he came back in My Darling Clementine, a big picture but a lousy part. More westerns and then, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which should have done something for him, but it did not. Further opportunities at that level failed to a appear, and frankly I blame his representation, but the B western was essentially done by the early fifties, and he had spent far too long abusing his identity in second tier product.
I equate B films of that era, and earlier, with television production. In other words, if you did not have job in bigger projects, you took what was on the table. In the early fifties the only film people, and I am not talking about variety performers like Bob Hope, but straight actors to really succeed in the new commercial media, were Lucille Ball, primarily due to her husband, and Dick Powell — a flat out production genius. Otherwise, series television was littered with the remains of previously successful film people. Brian Donlevy, Louis Hayward, Brod Crawford, Edmund Lowe, and many more. Some did a little better than others, but they were all pretty well finished in major motion pictures.