Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Detective Zack and the Mystery at Thunder Mountain by Jerry D. Thomas The Files of Jerry Blake. Movie Serial Reviews and Other Cliffhanging Material. Mystery Mountain. Mascot, 12 Chapters, 1934. Starring Ken Maynard, Syd Saylor, Verna Hillie, Edmund Cobb, Edward Earle, Hooper Atchley, Edward Hearn, Al Bridge, and Tarzan. Mystery Mountain deals with the attempts of the Rattler, a mysterious villain in mask and cloak, to sabotage the construction of a railroad tunnel through Iron Mountain. He hopes to conceal a secret gold mine that he and his henchmen are working in the heart of the mountain, and will stop at nothing to halt railroad work. As part of his schemes, the Rattler stirs up enmity between the railroad and its rival, the wagon-freighting Corwin Transportation Company; towards this end, his men raid both groups, making it appear to each company that their rival is behind the attacks. Jim Corwin, head of the Transportation Company, is killed in one of these attacks, leaving his daughter Jane (Verna Hillie) in charge of both the company and the feud with the railroad. However, beleaguered chief railroad engineer Frank Blayden (Edward Earle), receives assistance in the shape of Ken Williams (Ken Maynard), an ace railroad detective. Williams, together with his trusty horse Tarzan and his pal, reporter Breezy Baker (Syd Saylor), sets out to track down the Rattler and put an end to his raids. But the Rattler is a tricky opponent, and could be almost any one several suspects; could he be railroad doctor Edwards (Hooper Atchley)? Jane Corwin’s foreman Henderson (Al Bridge)? Blayden’s clerk Matthews (Lynton Brent)? Independent freight-hauler Lake (Edward Hearn)? Discovering the Rattler’s identity will prove difficult, as the fiend can disguise himself as almost anyone he pleases, casting suspicion on innocent parties and making Williams’ job even harder. Mystery Mountain is a standard Mascot serial, which is both a good and a bad thing. It’s fast-paced, with enthusiastic performances and exciting action scenes, but at the same time possesses an extremely thin plotline and features a hopelessly complicated and illogical “guess-the-mystery- villain” game. Your enjoyment of the serial will depend on whether your appreciation for the former outweighs your frustration at the latter. We’ll tackle the “bad part” first. The serial’s screenplay, though the product of five writers (Bennett Cohen, Sherman Lowe, Armand Schaefer, Barney Sarecky, and director B. Reeves Eason, serial and B-western veterans one and all) has little variety in its storyline; the Rattler’s schemes of railroad destruction quickly take a back seat to the good guys’ continuing attempt to uncover the villain’s identity and the Rattler’s attempts to hide it, as in the earlier Mascot cliffhanger Shadow of the Eagle . There are multiple chases after important pieces of evidence that will reveal the bad guy’s identity, and a lot of suspicious behavior from assorted characters that might be the Rattler. However, don’t try to figure out the villain’s identity from clues inserted in the film, or you’ll wind up either insane or frustrated; just go along for the ride without guessing, or simply pick a suspect’s name out of a hat. Above: Ken Maynard tries to get Hooper Atchley (center) to admit that he’s the Rattler. Edward Earle is at right. The incoherence mentioned in the proceeding paragraph is the abiding flaw of most Mascot serials, at least those that feature a mystery villain, but Mystery Mountain also shares the chief virtue of other Mascot serials, namely swift and enthusiastic performance by those behind and in front of the camera. The action scenes, directed by good old B. Reeves “Breezy” Eason and Otto Brower and performed largely by Yakima Canutt and Ken Maynard’s long-time stunt double Cliff Lyons, are first-rate, with an emphasis on horseback chases and gunfights; star Ken Maynard, one of Hollywood’s best horsemen, undoubtedly contributes to the former as well. One of the best action sequences has Maynard pursuing an unwitting group of henchmen on horseback; the villains imagine they are chasing our hero but it’s the other way around, as Maynard bulldogs them from their horses one by one until there’s none left. Another good scene features a large-scale shootout between the heroine’s teamsters and the henchmen, as Maynard climbs down a cliff-face via a rope tied to his horse Tarzan’s saddlehorn to surprise the villains in their shack. Most of the action is shot at Iverson’s Ranch, but the serial also features some scenes set at the imposing Bronson Canyon cave, often seen in movies but too infrequently in cliffhangers. The climactic chase, with Maynard pursuing the unmasked Rattler to the villain’s hideout in the canyon and then trading shots with him as the villain takes cover in Bronson Cave’s gaping mouth, is more visually exciting than many last-chapter showdowns due to the striking scenery. The serial’s cliffhangers are good ones, especially the Chapter One ending in which a stagecoach containing our heroes plunges off a cliff, and the Chapter Eleven one that has the Rattler apparently knocking Maynard off a clifftop following a fight. Above: A nice scenic shot, as Maynard prepares to give chase to a Rattler henchman. The cast, which is good all the way down the line, is headed up by Ken Maynard. Now, Maynard could reputedly be an enormous jerk off- screen, but none of his real-life personality flaws show up in Mystery Mountain . He’s an extremely charismatic lead, with a laid-back, serious delivery leavened by a very cowboy-ish sense of humor and complemented by a grim tough-guy attitude when necessary. And, of course, he’s highly convincing in the action scenes, as already mentioned. Having only seen Maynard up till now in a few 1940s “Trail Blazers” B-westerns, in which he was showing definite signs of wear (mainly around the waistline), I had often wondered just what had made him so popular in the 1920s and 1930s; now, I can easily see his appeal. I shouldn’t neglect to mention his horse Tarzan, who isn’t as memorable an equine co-star as Trigger or Buck Jones’ Silver (at least not in this serial), but who does his fair share of helpful tricks, and who is vital in the villain’s undoing in the final chapter. Above: Maynard makes an unusual entrance (particularly for a cowboy hero) in Chapter One. Syd Saylor, a frequent target of critics when this serial discussed, is actually an excellent sidekick. Saylor is a lot less frenetic and obnoxious than many serial comics; his facial reactions (except for his famous Adam’s-apple wobbling, which he actually does not perform very often) and comedy bits are more in the deliberate, slow-reaction style of Laurel and Hardy and thus a lot more enjoyable than the speeded-up pratfalls of other “comic relief” characters. His reaction to a sweaty outlaw hat that he tries to don when he loses his own is priceless, and the sequence in which he tries to straighten out a team of six stagecoach horses is also quite funny, since instead of displaying subhuman stupidity, Saylor simply amuses us by doing what most of us tenderfoots would do in a similar situation–get slowly, understandably, but inexorably mixed up. Saylor’s character is thus “human” enough to convincingly carry whole scenes by himself, which he does frequently–for example, it’s his character that uncovers the Rattler’s secret hideout and gold mine later in the serial, without any help from Maynard. Above: Syd Saylor vs. the team of horses. Blonde and sweet-faced Verna Hillie is an appealing heroine, rather reminiscent of Cecilia Parker. Edward Earle as the railroad engineer is dignified and upright, while Hooper Atchley, with that unique, crisp-sounding voice of his, is perfect as the intelligent but slightly shifty Dr. Edwards. Snarling, sarcastic Al Bridge has a good guy role for a change as Hillie’s faithful foreman, and Edward Hearn is considerably less histrionic than he was in Shadow of the Eagle or Last of the Mohicans as the grouchy freight-hauler Lake. Ugly Bob Kortman and stocky Lew Meehan are the Rattler’s two chief henchmen–the former cunning, the latter dull-witted. They’re backed up by old reliables George Chesebro, Tom London, Frank Ellis, Slim Whittaker, and Jim Mason. Lynton Brent, usually a henchman pack member himself, is Edward Earle’s clerk, and Hal Taliaferro and Jim Corey also get to play on the good guys’ team as two of Verna Hillie’s teamsters. Perennial screen father Lafe McKee is Hillie’s ill-fated parent, and John “Pegleg” Wallace, Trevor Bardette’s double in several scenes of Overland with Kit Carson , is the Rattler’s peg-legged hideout guardian. The Rattler himself is voiced by Edmund Cobb, who really seems to have fun in the role, deepening his voice to an angry, sinister growl which serves to intimidate his own henchmen and the good guys (except Maynard, of course) alike. Cobb, who doesn’t appear elsewhere in the serial, seems to be playing the Rattler beneath his cape and mask in some scenes, while in others his voice seems to be dubbed in. Finally, take a close look at two of Edward Hearn’s wagon drivers, who first appear in Chapter Six and pop up at other points throughout the serial. They are none other than Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette, freshly arrived in Hollywood and earning a little extra money pay from Mascot producer Nat Levine, who was using them concurrently in the Ken Maynard Mascot B-Western In Old Santa Fe . Smiley only has a few lines, but Gene’s role is slightly more notable; he is the wagon driver who shoots Maynard in the Chapter Six cliffhanger sequence, mistakenly thinking him a bad guy. Above: Smiley and Gene. Mystery Mountain is an enjoyable viewing experience, at least for those who can enjoy the fightin’, ridin’, and shootin’ of Maynard, Saylor, Cobb, and company, and forget about trying to solve the hopeless riddle of the Rattler’s identity. Despite its logic gaps, the chapterplay–like many another Mascot outing–is too much fun to miss. Melvil Decimal System: 476. Wording: Language > Latin > [Formerly "Prosody"; No longer used] Dewmoji: > > Works under MDS 476. by Joan Robins by Paul Zindel by Jenny Moss by Margo Hopkins by Nancy Willard by William Durbin by R. A. Herman by Douglas Evans by Lillian Hoban by Julia Cook by Jesse S Ostrow by Claudia Mills by Tracey West by Siobhan Ciminera by Charnan Simon by Jimmy Buffett by David A. Adler by Mike Thaler by Mordicai Gerstein by Jerry D. Thomas by Laura Godwin by Eleanor Schick by Ellie O'Ryan by Patricia MacLachlan by Margaret McNamara. Wording. "Far Friends" MDS classes with significant recommendations overlap, excluding ones under the same top-level class. Related tags. What is MDS? Melvil stands for "Melvil Decimal System," named after Melvil Dewey, the famous librarian. Melvil Dewey invented his Dewey Decimal System in 1876, and early versions of his system are in the public domain. More recent editions of his system are in copyright, and the name "Dewey," "Dewey Decimal," "Dewey Decimal Classification" and "DDC" are registered trademarked by OCLC, who publish periodic revisions. LibraryThing's MDS system is based on the classification work of libraries around the world, whose assignments are not copyrightable. MDS "scheduldes" (the words that describe the numbers) are user-added, and based on public domain editions of the system. The Melvil Decimal System is NOT the Dewey Decimal System of today. Wordings, which are entered by members, can only come from public domain sources. The base system is the Free Decimal System, a public domain classification created by John Mark Ockerbloom. Where useful or necessary, wording comes from the 1922 edition of the Dewey Decimal System. Language and concepts may be changed to fit modern tastes, or to better describe books cataloged. Wordings may not come from in-copyright sources. Der Colt sitzt locker (1947) Our editors have rounded up their most anticipated horror movies of the year. Stars Choose Pride Party Guest Lists. Raven-Symoné, Alex Newell, and Nicole Maines reveal their Pride party guest list. Around The Web. Provided by Taboola. User Lists. Related lists from IMDb users. Share this Rating. Title: Der Colt sitzt locker (1947) Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Photos. Complete credited cast: Tim Holt . Marvin Hayden Martha Hyer . Ellie Jorth Richard Martin . Chito Rafferty Steve Brodie . Chick Jorth Virginia Owen . Ginger Kelly Jason Robards Sr. . Jim Gardner (as Jason Robards) Harry Woods . Trimble Carson Tom Keene . Johnny Blue (as Richard Powers) Robert Clarke . Lee Jorth Harry Harvey . Sheriff Bagley. More Like This. The Trail Blazers are bringing in a prisoner to stand trial for bank robbery, when several attempts are made to kill him; convinced of the man's innocence, they arrange a trap for the real thieves. A man who's a dead ringer for the leader of an outlaw gang kills the gang leader, then takes his place to try to bring the gang to justice. A lawman poses as an outlaw, steals $10,000 from a cattle thief, then promises to return the money if he can join the gang--while finding a way to expose them. Shortly after Brand kills Gelbert, Tom Rayburn arrives on the scene and is accused of the murder. Escaping, he goes after Doc Mathews, the man that can prove his innocence. Brand is also . See full summary » The Rangers are after Travis. When Tom catches three of his gang members, he gets Jimmy to go straight and lead him to Travis where he hopes to join the gang. But Tom is in trouble when Pat. Cowboy Larry O'Day and his sidekick Lucky Smith happen upon a distraught Barbara Hartwell, who is about to be arrested for the murder of her uncle. With Barbara behind bars, Larry is . See full summary » Buck poses as a wanted killer and Sandy as a cook as the trio help ranchers stop a ruthless crook from taking over the area s water rights and help an orphaned baby. Dawson is running rustled cattle across the abandoned Trenton ranch and has given it the reputation of a ghost ranch to keep people away. When Henty Tenton arrives from England to take over. See full summary » The Rough Riders are called upon to help save a stagecoach line. Evil Indian Agent Richards is cheating the Indians into starvation. Gene shows that their raids are only for survival. Stanton breaks Billy and his two friends Fuzzy and Jeff out of jail. He wants them free so three of his men can impersonate them for the robberies and murders he has planned. Tex put the Kern gang away once but they have returned with reinforcements and have take over the town of Red Rock capturing the townsmen and forcing them to work for them in the gold mines. See full summary » Storyline. "Thunder Mountain" is the first of Tim Holt's 29 postwar westerns spread over the five year period from June, 1947 to June, 1952. While the film has one Zane Grey title, it has more elements in it from Grey's "To the Last Man" than from Grey's "Thunder Mountain", a not uncommon practice by RKO when dealing with the works of (Zane Grey). This one had Marvin Hayden(Tim Holt) returning to his Arizona ranch and finding it about to be sold for taxes. It has been in charge of his Mexican-Irish friend Chito Rafferty (Richard Martin). Local saloon-keeper Trimble Carson (Harry Woods), his friend Johnny Blue (Tom Keene) and Sheriff Bagley (Harry Harvey) have information that the ranch is to be the site of a dam and plot to obtain it. Plus, neighboring ranchers Ellen Jorth (Martha Hyer) and her brothers, Chick (Steve Brodie) and Lee (Robert Clarke), are antagonistic toward Hayden because of an old family feud between the Jorths and Haydens. Ellen and Hayden meet while looking for boundary . Written by Les Adams
Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Detective Zack and the Mystery at Thunder Mountain by Jerry D
