I have seen a lot of Tim McCoy westerns during the last six months--at least 15 to 20 of them. However, all the films I have seen are his later ones--mostly from the late 30s and early 40s. That's because these later ones are often in the public domain (which can be downloaded from the IMDb link) and/or are available for very little money from Alpha Video. His earlier films, by and large, are harder to come by and I was thrilled when I saw that Turner Classic Movies was showing "Fighting for Justice" from 1932. This film isn't a lot different from his later ones, though there are a few exceptions. As for McCoy, his acting seemed a bit stiffer and his hair was not yet silver. And, unlike any of his later films, this one had music--though, fortunately, not from McCoy himself. Otherwise, it's a reasonably typical film from him.
The film begins with McCoy coming into a town where he hasn't been since he was a kid. Soon he meets up with a lady and they dislike each other. In B-movies, this DEFINITELY means they will fall in love by the end of the film! But it turns out she is the daughter of a man who apparently owns the land that was stolen from McCoy's father decades earlier. Now, McCoy's back to investigate this and stake a claim to the property. How can McCoy work through his love for the lady AND his desire for justice? See the film and find out for yourself.
This is a very straight-forward sort of western. The plot is simple, the action fast and the entire thing is wrapped up in only about an hour. It's about average for the genre EXCEPT when it comes to the music. In most B-westerns, there is music--and often by the hero (such as Gene Autry or Roy Rogers). Here we also have music but it's more like a talent show shoved into the middle of the film in order to hit its quota of music! But, now here's the odd part, I actually liked the stuff. The crazy-talented kid on the accordion playing "The Blue Danube" (an odd song for a western) was quite good and Fuzzy Knight's nonsense song was also pretty good. I actually wouldn't have minded more had it been up to this quality.
If you like the genre, then by all means see this one. Not great but very solid. Oh, and by the way, if you see this or any McCoy film and are caught off guard by his odd way of shooting, don't fret. While it looks bizarre and inaccurate, McCoy actually was a traveling trick shooter, so this odd flick of the wrist worked great--at least for him. I assume his did it this way because it just looked cool and pleased the crowds.
Blue Danube on accordion McCoy flat delivery and odd shooting style Fuzzy Knight--very unusual song--boogie
The film begins with McCoy coming into a town where he hasn't been since he was a kid. Soon he meets up with a lady and they dislike each other. In B-movies, this DEFINITELY means they will fall in love by the end of the film! But it turns out she is the daughter of a man who apparently owns the land that was stolen from McCoy's father decades earlier. Now, McCoy's back to investigate this and stake a claim to the property. How can McCoy work through his love for the lady AND his desire for justice? See the film and find out for yourself.
This is a very straight-forward sort of western. The plot is simple, the action fast and the entire thing is wrapped up in only about an hour. It's about average for the genre EXCEPT when it comes to the music. In most B-westerns, there is music--and often by the hero (such as Gene Autry or Roy Rogers). Here we also have music but it's more like a talent show shoved into the middle of the film in order to hit its quota of music! But, now here's the odd part, I actually liked the stuff. The crazy-talented kid on the accordion playing "The Blue Danube" (an odd song for a western) was quite good and Fuzzy Knight's nonsense song was also pretty good. I actually wouldn't have minded more had it been up to this quality.
If you like the genre, then by all means see this one. Not great but very solid. Oh, and by the way, if you see this or any McCoy film and are caught off guard by his odd way of shooting, don't fret. While it looks bizarre and inaccurate, McCoy actually was a traveling trick shooter, so this odd flick of the wrist worked great--at least for him. I assume his did it this way because it just looked cool and pleased the crowds.
Blue Danube on accordion McCoy flat delivery and odd shooting style Fuzzy Knight--very unusual song--boogie