Good idea lost in the noise

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

The first must-see film of the year.

Henry Hunter is a park ranger at Yellowstone, and quite taken with pretty Judith Barrett when she shows up to meet with her father, Ralph Morgan, who has been in Australia for eighteen years -- or so she thinks. By the time things start to come clear, Morgan has been murdered, Hunter has been falsely accused and there are several fine suspects in this nicely scripted B mystery directed by Arthur Lubin.There is nice location shooting, a good supporting cast, including Andy Devine, Alan Hale, Rollo Lloyd (looking like his more famous brother gone to seed), and Paul Harvey. The writers include Stuart Palmer, which accounts for the nice, classically tangled assortment of suspects. I must admit I chose one at the three-quarters mark based on editing choices meant to make the movie shorter -- in the end, though, I was surprised!It's not a classic of the genre, but it does what a B mystery should: gives a good puzzler with good actors and some some nice scenery.

Universal Pictures back in 1936 put some real money into a film shot at both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks simply entitled Yellowstone. They obviously wanted folks to see the real deal and they were not about to do Old Faithful on their back lot. Would that they only had a story to match the scenery.Judith Barrett has come to Yellowstone to reunite with a father she hadn't seen for years. She and Ralph Morgan have only a day together when he's found dead on the trail, frozen and with a bullet in him.After that the Park Rangers have a murder mystery on their hands.It seems that Morgan was part of a notorious gang years ago and he buried a lot of loot somewhere in the National Park. Turns out there were others in the park as well looking for same. It was a great idea both filming in Yellowstone, but a really good mystery writer could have done a better script. Too bad Universal didn't hire Philip Marlowe, Dashiell Hammett or even Agatha Christie to devise one.The leads, Barrett and Forest Ranger Henry Hunter were a colorless pair as well. Color would have been nice to invest in for the film as well. But anytime you can see such scene stealing characters like Alan Hale, Raymond Hatton, Andy Devine, Paul Harvey and even Chinese cook Willie Fung you should avail yourself the opportunity.

Set in the park the story is about a young woman going to the park to meet up with her father who has just been released from prison. While she is being romanced by a park ranger the father is being haunted by the son of his former partner who wants his father's half of the money. When the girl father turns up dead (in spectacular fashion) the hunt is on for the killer. An odd mix of rear screen projection and location shooting this is an often beautiful looking film with nice scenic vistas. Unfortunately the film's plot seems to wander about randomly with a good number of threads brought up before the murder and too many suspects (and too much talk) after. The denouncement of what happened is neat, but the "who done it" part made me go "Huh?" Worth a look mostly because its setting is so radically different than almost any other mystery out there. You'll probably go "huh?" as well but at least you'll enjoy the ride.

Yellowstone National Park ranger Henry Hunter (as Dick Sherwood)'s head is turned by pretty Chicago tourist Judith Barrett (as Ruth Foster). After the two get romantic, her ex-con father is murdered. Then, suspicious-looking visitor Alan Hale (as Hardigan) reveals he's a private detective; so, he investigates the death of Ms. Barrett's dad, Ralph Morgan (as James Foster). When Mr. Hunter becomes the prime suspect, his romance with the deceased's daughter understandably sours. Hunter insist he didn't kill Barrett's father, and begins his own investigation. Andy Devine (as "Pay-Day") and his mule Gertrude provide comic relief. Monroe Owsley leads an enjoyable supporting cast.