James Warren and John Laurenz play hero and sidekick in Code Of The West, purportedly based on a Zane Grey novel. Warren who sang a bit looked a whole lot like Gary Cooper, but with barely a fifth of Cooper's intense screen charisma. As for Laurenz I learned today that other actors actually played Chito Rafferty at RKO, a role I thought was the private preserve of Richard Martin. At least it should have been, it was practically sacrilegious to see someone else as the happy go lucky Chito.
Warren and Laurenz have a small spread and they're siding with banker Harry Harvey, Sr. against town boss Raymond Burr who wants to drive all the small ranchers because of some insider information about the railroad coming through. Not exactly an original western plot, but Burr who was just getting started in the first phase of his career as a screen character actor in mostly villainous roles.
Veteran western heavy Harry Woods plays Burr's handpicked marshal who kills for Burr and makes it legal. And Steve Brodie and Rita Lynn play a pair of card-sharks who are draining Harvey's son quite dry of the family fortune, also at Burr's behest.
In this less than memorable B western Raymond Burr is clearly the best in the field and the main reason to watch Code Of The West if you're interested.
Warren and Laurenz have a small spread and they're siding with banker Harry Harvey, Sr. against town boss Raymond Burr who wants to drive all the small ranchers because of some insider information about the railroad coming through. Not exactly an original western plot, but Burr who was just getting started in the first phase of his career as a screen character actor in mostly villainous roles.
Veteran western heavy Harry Woods plays Burr's handpicked marshal who kills for Burr and makes it legal. And Steve Brodie and Rita Lynn play a pair of card-sharks who are draining Harvey's son quite dry of the family fortune, also at Burr's behest.
In this less than memorable B western Raymond Burr is clearly the best in the field and the main reason to watch Code Of The West if you're interested.