The Ivory-Handled Gun (1935) User Reviews (3)

Slightly above average. I would rate it 6.5!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 12 May 2018]

Director: RAY TAYLOR. Screenplay: John T. Neville. Story: Charles E. Barnes. Film editor: Bernard Loftus. Photography: Allen Thompson, Herbert Kirkpatrick. Art director: Ralph Berger. Music: Oliver Wallace, David Klatzkin, Mischa Bakaleinikoff. Stunts: Cliff Lyons. Sound recording: Buddy Myers. Supervising producer: Irving Starr. Producer: Buck Jones.

Presented by Carl Laemmle. Copyright 29 October 1935 by Universal Pictures Corp. U.S. release: November 1935. No recorded New York opening. 6 reels. 58 minutes.

COMMENT: Action a-plenty in this extremely lively, if somewhat routine storywise, Buck Jones entry. Ray Taylor's direction is a shade more inventive than usual and even incorporates a couple of quite startling editing effects, as well as a bit of odd staging which pushes Carl Stockdale into the limelight at Buck Jones' expense.

The cast is nothing if not "B" star-studded with old friends like Lafe McKee and Charles King in solid roles, whilst Ben Corbett, Niles Welch and Stanley Blystone have to contend with little more than walk-ons.

Walter Miller, assisted by Bob Kortman and Lee Shumway, ably distinguish themselves as the heavies, whilst Miss Wynters makes a most attractive heroine.

On the debit side, the film editor tends to go overboard on cross-cutting, and "Silver" is given a little too much footage, but, all in all, "The Ivory Handled Gun" rates as slightly above average.

It is Worth Going for the "Ivory-Handled Gun"

[glennstenb · 7/10 · 21 September 2021]

"The Ivory-Handled Gun" from 1935 is a shade more intriguing than most B-ers as it presents a flashback-enacted and directly relevant backstory. What's more, this is one film whose title actually pertains to the program's story.

Buck Jones almost always had a pathos-filled scene or two in his films where he agonizes over a moral or interpersonal dilema, and he has here, too (he rarely showed a happy-go-lucky side in his films, as he almost always seemed to be weighted down with a dose of brooding self-reflection). There may be one or two scenes too many in this one of horse-and-rider runs and chases going at breakneck speed, but the unfolding story is strongly enough done that these scenes don't quite become irritating.

Buck's horse Silver gets entertainingly in on the action in this movie, too, so much so that he should actually have had a higher ranking in the opening player credits. However, I surmise that contractual technicalities obviated such possibilities, even though I wouldn't be surprised if Lafe McKee would have found it appropriate, as well as fun, to allow Silver a trade of slots.

Buck Jones seemed to usually have an aura of purpose and gravity in his western screen performances, and this picture is one more in his long line of entertaining efforts. "The Ivory-Handled Gun is not especially notable for any one thing, but fans of the genre will likely enjoy.

Where's the Cattle?

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 7 October 2020]

"The Ivory Handled Gun" is supposed to be a cattlemen versus sheepherders movie. The only trouble is that I didn't see any herds of cattle and only a stock shot of a herd of sheep. Budget restraints I suppose. However the film is raised a couple of notches by the casting of star Buck Jones old nemesis Walter Miller as the Wolverine Kid.

It seems that the fathers of Buck Ward (Jones) and the Kid (Miller) have a past having competed for the affections of Buck's mother. The opening scene has Pat Moore the third member of the triangle, accusing Buck of cheating at cards and challenging him to draw. Buck refuses probably due to the fact that Moore has a comely young daughter Paddy (Charlotte Wynters). Also in the card game is the Wolverine Kid so you know that he had something to do with the situation.

The Kid bushwhacks Moore and Paddy lays the blame on Buck. Buck goes to his father Bill Ward (Carl Stockdale) who explains the rivalry between him, Moore and the Kid's father years ago and that the Kid is carrying one of two ivory handled guns. He presents Buck with the other. Bill, who is crippled recognizes the shell casing found by Buck at the scene of the murder as having come from the Kid's gun. When Sheriff Crane (Lafe McKee) arrives with the slug removed from Moore's body, it matches up with the shell casing. Buck and his pal Pike (Frank Rice) set out tpo capture the elusive Kid.

The Kid meanwhile along with co-horts Steen (Bob Kortman), Lee Shamway), Steve (Ben Corbett) and Tom (Charlie King) are plotting to lure the cattlemen into a trap. The Kid is working with saloon boss Squint Barlow (Stanley Blystone) against Buck.

The Kid and his gang string barbed wire across a strategic pass with the aim of luring the cattlemen into the trap. Pike lights a beacon fire from the top of a steep cliff to warn the cattlemen but is shot and falls over clinging to the edge of the rocks. Buck, at the same time, is taken prisoner by the Kid and held for a planned hanging the next day. When Paddy arrives she realizes that the Kid is behind all of the troubles. He leaves to join his gang as Buck escapes from Pete. The cattlemen led by Sheriff Crane fall into the trap prepared by the Kid's gang, a fierce battle ensues and......................................................................... There's an exciting conclusion to the story as Buck finally tracks down the Kid.

Walter Miller appeared in several Jones features and serials and always provided a nasty villain for him to deal with. It was nice to see the ever reliable Charlie King (unbilled) as one of the outlaws. Bob Kortman was also one of my favorites. Charlotte Wynters makes an attractive but feisty heroine. And of course Buck's horse Silver is also along to rescue his master from the bad guys.