Worst B Western actor of 1930s

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    Something got me searching for the name of a really really bad western actor of an old western I saw a while back.


    I am no judge of acting skills because I love the old western genre so much that I do not really notice bad acting. But this guy was such an incredibly bad actor that I just could not watch but a few minutes of the movie.


    I guess Johnnie Mack Brown was such a success as a western actor coming from being a college football star that they tried this guy in movies.



    Lafayette H. "Reb" Russell (May 31, 1905 – March 16, 1978) was an American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles, appearing in 10 games in 1933. He played college football at the University of Nebraska and Northwestern University. He was also a small-time actor, appearing in a series of low-budget Westerns.
    Filmography


    I haven't seen any of those but that is not surprising. Those films were such disposable entertainment for it's day, it was tough to find a true gem in that lot that stands out. Even John Wayne couldn't make a name for himself until he got outside that grouping of cardboard stories.

    Interesting topic Dachsie Lady and thanks for posting it.


    Let's face it most 'B'movie westerns were pretty ropey,
    As Rooster mentions above, even Duke and his Poverty Row movies struggled!


    However there was something about Dukes films that stood out,
    and clearly they must have done!

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Speaking of how ropey B westerns were, here is a quote from Gabby Hayes.


    "[on westerns] I hate 'em. Really can't stand 'em. They always are the same. You have so few plots--the stagecoach holdup, the rustlers, the mortgage gag, the mine setting and the retired gunslinger."


    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371025/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm


    Hayes had this to say about John Wayne...



    [on John Wayne] He's my boy. He's the best. Couldn't think more of him if he was my own son.


    Another common theme in the old Westerns is the young pretty daughter, granddaughter or niece who returns to the West from boarding school in the East. Watched the original "The Virginian" with Joel McCrea last night on YouTube and I must say they did a good job on developing that theme in that movie.

    Quote from DachsieLady

    Speaking of how ropey B westerns were, here is a quote from Gabby Hayes.


    "[on westerns] I hate 'em. Really can't stand 'em. They always are the same. You have so few plots--the stagecoach holdup, the rustlers, the mortgage gag, the mine setting and the retired gunslinger."

    The other so often repeated plot which was so annoying,
    was the one where the up stream nasty rancher had all the water rights
    and was blocking the water getting downstream .


    How often the really nice downstream lady rancher baked some cakes
    or felt sorry for the nasty rancher and yippee the water flowed again YUK!

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    I'm looking forward to getting into some of these films when we start the film of the month review. Most of these will be completely new for me, but I'm ready to be educated.