Cheap Sing Cowboy Sing/Take Me Back to Oklahoma (Video) (Robert N. Bradbury, Albert Herman) Price

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Customer Reviews of Sing Cowboy Sing/Take Me Back to Oklahoma

An odd pairing of two good Tex Ritter B-westerns
This Tex Ritter two-some is a little strange, in that it pairs a 1937 Grand National film alongside a Monogram picture from 1940. From what I've seen, I much prefer the old Grand National films, despite the fact that they sported lower budgets and featured the same old locations over and over again. Some of Tex's Monogram pictures tend to substitute attempts at comedy for good old Western action. Still, how can you not love any Tex Ritter B-western? <
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>Tex Ritter and his horse "White Flash" get top billing in Sing, Cowboy, Sing, a B-western from 1937. A mean hombre named Kalmus (Karl Hackett) and his gang of thugs are out to get the freight contract in town; that means putting an end to the current operation run by a fellow named Summers. Tex Archer (Ritter) and his sidekick Duke Evans (Al "Fuzzy" St. John) just happen along when the raid takes place, and Tex vows to stick around and help Summers' daughter Madge (the lovely Louise Stanley) keep the contract her father died to secure. Kalmus and his guys aren't very happy about this and try to take ole Tex out of the picture several times, but these guys can't hit the spittoon when they spit, let alone hit anybody with their six-shooters. Tex and Duke really are on their own this time, as the local sheriff is incompetent, and the local judge (Robert McKenzie) is just really, really annoying. Never let it be said that Tex failed to help out a cute little filly in distress, though. <
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>Tex sings several songs over the course of the film, once again saving his best number for his time spent in the local jail (the bad guys always manage to get him arrested for a crime he didn't commit); at one point, he is even joined by "Tex Ritter's Tornadoes." All in all, Sing, Cowboy, Sing is a perfectly good Tex Ritter film, but I don't think it ranks up there with the best of them. Louise Stanley makes for a fine damsel in distress, and Al St. John seems to be a precursor to Gabby Hayes with his distinctive facial hair (he has also definitely mastered the art of chewing sideways like a cow), but Kalmus and his group of thugs just aren't up to snuff. Outsmarting these guys is just way too easy. <
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>Tex Ritter teams up with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in Take Me Back to Oklahoma, a 1940 Monogram offering. Tex's old buddy Ace (Carleton Young) is in need of some help; the stagecoach line he works for is under attack from ruthless outlaws. Tex shows up just in time to save a runaway stage carrying Ace's sweetie (Terry Walker), then signs on as the new stage driver in town. Meanwhile, Storm (Karl Hackett) and his gang plot to get rid of ol' Tex by any means necessary. They actually put two plans into play simultaneously: if framing Tex for robbery doesn't work, they'll just send Mule Bates (Olin Francis) to kill him. Of course, before things get too hot and heavy, Tex helps put on a show to raise money for the local church, bringing in Bob Wills and his boys to help out (and to back him up against the outlaws). <
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>Tex always has a sidekick, and this time around it's Slim Hunkapillar (Slim Andrews). Slim plays his role strictly for laughs, even more so than Tex's partners back in his Grand National film days. He's not afraid to do the same gag twice, either. He's funny at times - the old horse-mounting pratfalls always work, and he gets off a few good one-liners - but he can't sing a lick. Aside from his contribution, though, the music is really something to hear and see. Bob Wills was famous in his own right, and he and his boys give us a couple of good songs. Wills seemed to have his own style of fiddling, as I've never seen a fiddler move around so much, arms and all, while playing. As for Tex, he helps out on a couple of songs, but the only real jewel in this film is his rendition of You Are My Sunshine (backed up by Will and the boys). <
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>There's nothing new about the plot, as most of Tex's movies were basically alike, but Take Me Back to Oklahoma is probably one of the more enjoyable Tex Ritter movies. Between Slim's cowboy hijinks and Robert McKenzie's distinctive voice and high-strung nature, Take Me Back to Oklahoma is probably one of Tex's funnier films. The music is definitely a plus, as well. Tex fans won't want to miss this one.

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Great western swing, poor western movie
This 1940 Monogram picture was the first opportunity for many fans to see Bob Wills who at that time was a national phenomenon, a true super star. Wills, along with brother Johnnie Lee, guitarist Eldon Shamblin, bassist Son Lansford, clarinetist Wayne Johnson, and steel guitar legend Leon McAuliffe no doubt thrilled their fans with renditions of "Lone Star Rag", "Playboy Special",and "Gone Indian". Plus they heard an upbeat "Good Old Oklahoma" (compared to the 78 rpm release) and a great version of "You Are My Sunshine" by Tex Ritter. The plot is typical B western, but seeing some of the greatest western swing musicians ever in their prime makes this movie a "must have" for fans of the genre. It has five star music and a one star plot. But forget the plot and enjoy some legendary music by legendary musicians.