Western Wednesdays: Texas Cyclone (1932)

 

     Texas Cyclone was released on February 24th, 1932. Directed by D. Ross Lederman and written by Randall Faye from a story by William Colt MacDonald it stars Tim McCoy as "Texas" Grant, a cowboy who is mistaken by the townsfolk of Stampede for a rancher named Jim Rawlings, who was murdered two years prior. 

     Texas Cyclone features much of the same cast and crew from Two-Fisted Law, another of McCoy's pictures for Columbia released the same year and which I reviewed several weeks ago. Both were directed by D. Ross Lederman and had stories by William Colt MacDonald and both featured John Wayne, Walter Brennan and Wheeler Oakman in the cast. This was very common for series westerns, which were generally produced by a single person (Irving Briskin in this case) and often used the same contract players time and time again (Wayne also appears in Range Feud, one of Buck Jones films for Columbia). 

     This film features a much better plot then Two-Fisted Law, even if it is a well worn one for the genre involving mistaken identity and, later, amnesia. The denouement is a bit rushed, but other then that the film is paced very well. Like that film, and like most early Columbia sound pictures, it relies heavily on speeding up the frame rate for the action scenes. The climax, however, is really suspenseful and more then makes up for the film's otherwise less-then-stellar action. Lederman's steady, unobtrusive direction, holds everything together really well. 

     The supporting cast is better utilized this time around. Wayne is more involved in the plot, and even gets a short action scene of his own. Walter Brennan's role here is a more familiar one for him, playing the crotchety old sheriff, Lew Collins. Shirley Grey, who plays Rawlings' wife, is a more interesting love interest then Alice Day was and plays off McCoy really well. Vernon Dent is featured in a small but memorable role as Hefty, a bartender who was friendly with Rawlings. Wheeler Oakman makes for a solid villain once again as does Wallace MacDonald as his henchmen. McCoy himself is in fine form, particularly during the climax when his character is clearly under duress. 

     Featuring a strong cast, a well plotted story and a first-rate climax, Texas Cyclone is a solid Tim McCoy western.

Score: 8/10