Lawless Valley (1938) User Reviews (6)

Fast Moving Above Average "B" Western!

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 25 April 2018]

"Lawless Valley" was one of a series of well made RKO "B' westerns starring George O'Brien.

In this one, Larry Rhodes (O'Brien) is paroled from prison after serving 18 months of a five year sentence for a stagecoach robbery, which of course, he didn't commit. While riding a freight car home, he is befriended by fellow traveler Bob North (Walter Miller). The two go to Rhodes friend Tim Wade's (George MacQuarrie) ranch.

Larry sets out to prove his innocence. Big time rancher Tom Marsh (Fred Kohler Sr.) learns of Larry's release. Marsh is the big cheese in the area controlling law and order through his puppet sheriff Hampton (Earle Hodgins) and his simple minded deputy Speedy (Chill Wills).

Larry's sweetheart, Norma Rogers (Kay Sutton), for whom Marsh is responsible, has been promised to Marsh's son Jeff (Fred Kohler Jr.) in marriage. Ranch cook Fresno (Lew Kelly) assists Norma in slipping away to see Larry. They meet at Wade's ranch but are confronted by the Marshes. A fight breaks out but Wade arrives in time to drive them off.

Wade gives Larry his father's old pistol, a "41" which is a one of a kind piece in the area. Larry's father was said to have committed suicide but Larry is suspicious when the gun appears to have had a defect.

Marsh meanwhile has scheduled the wedding of his son to Norma for the next day. After getting the sheriff to talk, Larry and Bob (who has a secret of his own), rush to stop the wedding and.......................................

George O'Brien like his contemporaries William Boyd and Johnny Mack Brown, had been a major star in the 20s. "The Iron Horse" (1924) and "Sunrise" (1927) were two of his best known silents. His career gradually declined into "B" westerns and this series proved to be his last starring role.

Walter Miller usually played villains but gets to play a good guy for a change. Earle Hodgins appeared in several Hopalong Cassidy westerns in the 40s usually playing a whiskey drummer or snake oil salesman.

It was unusual for a real life father and son to play father and son in the movies The Kohlers did just that. Fred Sr. had been in the movies since the early teens and menaced many a hero over the course of his career. In real life, he was anything but the meanies he portrayed on the screen. He died in 1938 and this film was his next to last.

Chill Wills had been in films only a couple of years as leader of the singing group, "The Avalon Boys". This was his first part on his own. He would play O'Brien's sidekick in three films in this series. And watch for George Chesebro and Kirby Grant as two ranch hands.

Others have pointed this out but look at O'Brien and the prison warden s suits and the outfit worn by Sutton...they are all contemporary i.e. 1938. Also the train carrying O'Brien and Miller is of 1938 vintage as well. Also, the singing group on the train, "The Four Tunes" are actually five in number.

O'Brien on parole

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 9 May 2016]

Lawless Valley is just where George O'Brien is headed for after being released on parole. O'Brien was set up for a robbery that he didn't commit in conjunction with his father. The father committed suicide rather than be taken or so the official story has it.

O'Brien hasn't bought it at all and he's out to clear his and his father's name. The key to this whole business is the fact the father owned and carried a rare .41 caliber pistol. When O'Brien finds the weapon he gets the evidence to clear him.

Lawless Valley is also a chance to see father and son film villains Fred Kohlers senior and junior playing a father and son pair of villains.

Speaking of weapons, being on parole O'Brien also can't carry a six shooter of his own while on parole. Never mind, he manages well without until the final showdown.

Lawless Valley is a good B western with lots of action enough to please any aged Saturday matinée kid.

it's all very okay.

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 13 January 2022]

Wrongly jailed, larry (obrien) is out on parole, and must clear his name. And of course, his old girlfriend (Sutton) is engaged to a bigshot. Seems to be a remake of the 1932 version, also written by oliver drake. Although the 1938 rko one claims to be based on a story by wc tuttle. Liberal use of backdrops. Imdb says filmed in corriganville (outer los angeles) but when they are on the train, we see joshua trees in the background, which only grow in the higher mojave desert. Early credited appearance of chill wills, who would appear in just about every western made, from here on. One of the eleven films kay sutton made in 1938! Of course, some of those were small, uncredited roles. About twelve minutes in, we meet Fresno the cook (lew kelly); imdb shows 229 roles, almost all of them uncredited or short films. And he doesn't even have a profile photo, as of today. The story is okay. Kind of plods along. The acting is pretty stilted, and all the clothes are spotless and creased, like the actors. The usual brawls and fistfights. Directed by david howard. Died young at 45. His first eight films have spanish titles, but according to imdb, he was born in philly. Interesting. It's all just very okay.

very B-western

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 27 January 2024]

Larry Rhodes (George O'Brien) gets parole and released from prison. He rides the rails and is befriended by cowboy Bob North. He returns to his lawless Arizona home town which is run by ruthless Tom Marsh and his son Jeff. They own the law, Sheriff Heck Hampton and Deputy Speedy McGow. Larry is looking for those who framed him and his father who died from an assumed suicide. His girl Norma Rogers is pushed to marry Jeff Marsh.

It's all very B-level western. It's very straight forward. There is a lot of exposition and straight acting. The writing is very direct and the staging is very basic. This is almost like a factory made product. There is a bit of fist fight, gun play, and horse riding. It does have one ok stunt, but it gets silly later on. It's just very B-level.

"Put your hands up, every one o' you!"

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 12 February 2024]

I've seen a few other George O'Brien Westerns which were pretty good, but I still don't understand his appeal as a leading man. He doesn't really look the part, and in this story, he starts out as a prisoner released on parole for a bank robbery that ultimately resulted in his father's suicide, or so the investigation found. You have to know there's more to it, and Larry Rhodes (O'Brien) is determined to find out what. This one is kind of interesting for a number of reasons. For one thing, Earl Hodgins and Chill Wills, usually cast as comedic characters, are here as a crooked sheriff and his deputy in the pocket of rancher Tom Marsh (Fred Kohler). Interesting too because Marsh's son is portrayed by Kohler's real-life son, Fred Kohler Jr. The girl left behind by Rhodes when he went to prison happens to be the ward of the senior Marsh, although it's not made clear why. It's merely a convenient plot point to ensure that Norma Sutton (Kay Sutton) marries Jeff Marsh. Rhodes has other ideas about that too, but gee, wasn't that one awkward kiss that Larry greeted Norma with? It looked like neither one was all that sure about their relationship.

The turning point for this story had to do with the purported gun used by Larry's father to commit suicide. Turns out he couldn't have done it with a disabled weapon! You have to wonder why Sheriff Hampton (Hodgins) didn't realize that when he did his so-called investigation, and why he turned it over to Rhodes in the first place, if he wanted the cover up to continue. That being the murder of Rhodes' father by Tom Marsh and the robbery of the bank that netted him and junior a cool fifty grand. Obviously, these players were not Mensa candidates. With everything cleared up all nice and tidy, Larry Rhodes and gal Norma finally hook up for good, just as George O'Brien's character did in three other Westerns I've seen him in - "The Dude Ranger", "When a Man's a Man", and "The Cowboy Millionaire". I thought all three were better than this one, so if you can get your hands on any of those, they're worth a look.

Lawless Valley

[coltras35 · 5/10 · 11 March 2024]

George O'Brien plays Larry Rhodes, paroled from prison a little over a year into a five-year sentence for a stagecoach robbery, and he heads home to clear his name, as well as that of his father. Larry's father supposedly committed suicide rather than be arrested, but Larry knows he was murdered.

Also waiting for Larry back home is Norma Rogers (Kay Sutton), who is being forced by Tom Marsh (Fred Kohler Sr.) to marry his son Jeff (Fred Kohler Jr.).

Larry is aided by Bob North (Walter Miller), whom he met when hitching a ride home from prison on a railcar, as well as by Tim Wade (George MacQuarrie) and Norma's loyal friend Fresno (Lew Kelly).

Lawless Valley is an ok western with a simple plot, some humorous dialogue, and energetic fisticuffs and action and a good performance by Fred Kohner who plays the main villain who had George O'Brien framed and forces his gal to marry his son.