People are voting emotionally.

not as good as all the hype

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

RELEASE INFORMATION: Copyright 16 October 1932 by World Wide Pictures, Inc. No recorded New York opening. Los Angeles opening: 14 October 1932. U.S. release: 16 October 1932. 62 minutes. Available on a reasonably good DVD running 55 minutes from Alpha. This DVD doesn't do justice to McCord's outstanding photography and is also cut by at least 5 minutes, but it will have to do until a superior print becomes available. Incidentally, although prominently billed on Alpha's beautiful reproduction of the film's original poster, "Tarzan" has a nothing role.SYNOPSIS: A pretty shepherdess comes between two pals.COMMENT: This top-notch Ken Maynard vehicle boasts an interesting screenplay that successfully combines elements of slapstick comedy, suspenseful western action and true romance. Ken delivers his usual ingratiatingly virile performance and receives solid support all the way down the line, particularly from Ruth Hall's attractive heroine, Josephine Dunn's pugnacious flapper, Walter Law's importunate cattle baron and Albert J. Smith's too opportunistic villain. Even that perennial western foil, the stuttering ranch-hand, is given agreeable life here by James Bradbury, Jr. And for once the saloon owner, nicely played by Jack Curtis, is not the bad guy but a goodie two-shoes! Forrest Sheldon's direction is never less than highly competent and the picture is beautifully photographed by Ted McCord.

I have only recently become a fan of the B movie genre and even more recently become a fan of the old b westerns. I enjoy them very much and its easy to do so. Admittedly, their charm often doesn't include much in originality or good writing. Basically you have a hero, a pretty girl, some bad guys and they spend their time chasing each other on horseback with six guns blazing. It sounds simple but it definitely works. However, you occasionally run across one that rises above and entertains with the usual elements plus gives you something extra. Sometimes its a really exceptional cast, maybe taunt direction, especially well staged action scenes...whatever. This one stands out because it has the usual elements plus outstanding writing. This is a very well plotted movie and the cast seems game to do the material proud. I really like this one and Ken Maynard has not been high on my lists of favorite cowboys before now.You get a really nice love triangle wrapped around some well conceived humor and the usual action. This is a story worth telling and told well. In my opinion this a true Hollywood near classic and a genre gem.

Land is opened up for sheepherders to set up homesteads on the land formerly owned by cattlemen. Naturally this leads to conflict and Win Thompson who owns the largest ranch wants to drive the sheepmen off. Trying to help are Ken & Wally Thompson, who are even given more incentive to help when they see Judy Winters, daughter of one of the sheepherders. Thompson's foreman Butch Martin is given orders to drive the rustle the sheep, but interprets the orders his own way and murders Judy's father. Win takes Judy in at the ranch, but she later learns that Win gave the order to Butch to drive off the sheep. Ken tries to remedy the matter, but can't do much especially when Wally is influenced by Butch that Ken is stealing Judy away from him. Enjoyable B western even though the script had already been done to death at every poverty row studio. The highlight is probably Ruth Hall who does a great job as Judy making us wish she kept up her film career. Another highpoint was Josephine Dunn as the café proprietor whose bit trying to snag Wally at the dance is fun to watch. Maynard is good as he usually is, but I think we could have had a bit more action. Rating, based on B westerns, 6.

Between Fighting Men is a good place to start if you want to learn about Ken Maynard. He always came across as a great guy in all of his westerns. Maynard may have been a jerk in real life, but you would never know it from watching him. In this movie he was still trim and doing a lot of action. He was the perfect cowboy star at the time this movie was made.A war between cattle ranchers and sheep ranchers is always a fun plot element. Add to that a beautiful daughter of the sheep man to lure the affection of the sons of a cattle man and you have a standard, but great, plot for a B western. Ken and Wally cleverly try to best one another for the attention of Judy. Regarless of the western setting, the lengths they go to in their efforts would make any movie from the thirties entertaining.There is no shortage of cowboy action in this movie. Pick it up if you can.