Bad Man of Deadwood (1941) User Reviews

A young cowpoke tries to clear his name by helping businessmen fight a monopoly.

[Wrangler · 6/10 · 19 August 1998]

Better than usual Roy Rogers film, from the refreshingly different pre-Dale days, when Roy's films had plots with a few musical numbers added, instead of being musical reviews with a few plot elements added. You won't feel insulted watching this. And, if you are a B-western fan, you'll enjoy the familiar faces in the fine supporting cast.

Medicine Show People

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 5 September 2007]

Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, and Sally Payne are members of "Professor Blackstone's Medicine Show". Their offering of tuneful entertainment and elixir receives a poor reception in the town of Deadwood, led by Bad Man Hal Taliaferro (as Ripper). They decide to stick around and extinguish the "Bad Man of Deadwood" and his wicked gang.

The Rogers/Hayes/Payne trio (plus cute pet) are a treat as "Medicine" show people. This is an above average, concise Rogers western. Carol Adams (as reporter Linda Barrett) is a good romantic interest for Mr. Rogers; though, they don't flirt enough. It's great to see silent star Monte Blue and weasely Jay Novello among the fine supporting players. It's all lower cost level movie stuff, but ever so pleasant.

***** Bad Man of Deadwood (1941) Joseph Kane ~ Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Carol Adams

the usual ol western

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 4 October 2019]

It wouldn't be a western wthout Roy Rogers and/or Gabby Hayes, and they are both here. Hayes runs a snake oil and singalong side show, but gets run out of town by the local hoods. Bill Brady, one of his group is a sharp shot (Roy ), and that will come in handy later. Roy Acuff, Monty Blue, and Yak Canutt are in here as well. Everyone who has been mistreated or run out of town is gathering up and working together to fight back. When one of the thugs tries to get Brady, we see how corrupt the legal system is here in Deadwood. Carol Adams and Sally Payne co-star. It's way out of copyright, so in some parts,the sound and picture quality are turrible, turrible. When Gabby is robbed, the crew must come up with a plan to try to get his money back. Chasing, shooting. more chasing, more shooting. a very typical western. Story by James Webb, who will win the oscar for How the West was Won. They do pack a lot into this shortie from Republic Pictures. Filmed in the hills north of LA. Directed by Joe Kane, king of the westerns. worked with John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry. Pretty good. showing on Film Detective Channel.

This is a good one to watch!

[padutchland-1 · 13 April 2006]

Any time you have Roy Rogers and George Gabby Hayes on the same screen it will be a winner. Although the story line was similar to some other westerns, it still held enough twists and differences to keep one interested to the end. Roy was great as always. He seems to have a natural born talent for acting and it was probably because he was just being himself - an easy going, decent person of character that good people would follow anywhere. In this picture he was a man who was trying to put his gun handy ways behind him. Of course, the bad guys wouldn't allow that when they pushed him too far. Also starring was the ever wonderful Gabby Hayes as the owner of a traveling medicine show, with Roy as a trick shooter and singer plus the energetic and cute, Sally Payne as a singer and assistant in the show. Gabby was supposed to be her father. You may remember her playing a flamboyant Belle Star in Roy's "Robin Hood of the Pecos". Something unusual crossed my mind as I watched this in that the good guys were Roy, Gabby and Sally. Yet they were working towns doing a medicine show, and medicine shows were known for the "snake oil" sales of liquids that did nothing for the person but make them drunk or dead. Sally even sold bottles from the wagon and Gabby made the comment he was going to make more if he could find some snake juice. But hey, that's the movies. Now over in town, things were controlled by a group of very bad men including a guy named Ripper played by Hal Taliaferro (aka Wally Wales), Jake Marvel played by Ralf Harolde and Monte Burns played by Jay Novello. Novello is that character actor you have seen so many times playing a little weasel (as in this movie), who also showed great comedy ability playing on I Love Lucy and McHale's Navy to name just a couple. Hal Taliaferro is a name you've seen in numerous movies in a supporting role. Another helper of the bad guys was the sheriff, interestingly played by Monte Blue himself. Most people will remember him as a leading man in the silent movies opposite famous females like the Gish sisters, Gloria Swanson, Clara Bow and Norma Shearer. Roy's love interest was played by Carol Adams whom I am not familiar with. But she reminded me of the girl that plays Elaine on Seinfeld, only Carol Adams had a sweeter, not so hard look about her. One of the stage coach drivers was the greatest stunt man and stunt director of all time, Yakima Canutt. For anyone who wanted western stunts done, including large scale stampedes and fights, they just didn't come any better than Canutt. I'm not going to spoil the movie for you, let's just say it was the battle between good and evil, Roy and certain townsfolk forced to live outside of town vs the bad guys who took away their businesses and murdered friends and family....and Roy was the one man people will always follow to fight the injustices perpetrated by bad guys. As an aside, the head of the bad men was played by Henry Brandon. You may recall him playing the part of the menacing Indian chief Scar, in "The Searchers" with John Wayne. Now here is something only a joker like me would notice. In "Bad Man of Deadwood", I was surprised by the difference in height when Brandon practically towered over Roy when they met in the newspaper office. Well no wonder, Brandon was 6'5" tall. Roy looked to be a more normal height of maybe 5'11" there abouts - don't know for sure. I thought it strange because I remembered in "The Searchers", when The Duke and Scar came face to face for the first time, they stared eye to eye level. Looking up The Duke explained it, as he was 6' 4-1/2" tall. I never realized John Wayne was that tall. As you can see, I don't analyze movies so much as I just enjoy them (or not) for what they are, and am more interested in the tidbits and history of the actors and the film. "Bad Man of Deadwood" is well worth watching. The acting was great and the inter-relationships between the actors was well written and also well directed by Joseph Kane. If you like the old style westerns you will like this one. And yet, it went a step beyond the normal western to make for very entertaining viewing.

Roy and Gabby hold up a metallic stage to retrieve Gabby's stolen inheritance

[weezeralfalfa · 6/10 · 8 March 2019]

That's right, Gabby's $36,000. inheritance is stolen not once, but twice! Roy just guessed that it might be in the strong box on this stage, being transported elsewhere. Turned out he guessed right, but would have been embarrassing had he guessed wrong. Strangely, the money was divvied between a number of envelopes, with names on the envelopes that indicated that it had been divided between members of the civic league: a group of well established businessmen in Deadwood who schemed to keep out new competition. Significantly, much the largest portion was in the envelope marked Ted Carver, the editor of the local newspaper. This suggested that he might be the one who divided the money, although this would be a very surprising development, since Carver was regarded as a strong voice for law and order........The film begins with Gabby's(Professor Blackstone) medicine show wagon coming into Deadwood, and putting on a show: mainly of Roy and Sally Payne singing, Sally being scripted as the daughter of Gabby. Thereafter, their medicine show was banned in town, as ticket sales at Jake Marvel's theater were way down when they were performing. It's claimed they need a license to stay, and the mayor, who dispenses such, is said to be out of town. But, before they leave, they get involved in an attack by Ripper's badmen on the town's general store. They barely escape, back to their wagon, and are recommended by a young woman to go to Laramie Gap, where others who have been pressured to leave, have established a small community. They are welcomed by this community, who save them from a gang of badmen chasing them........Aside from a little singing, Sally doesn't do a lot, in contrast to some of her roles in Roger's films. The other young female of interest is Carol Adams, who plays Linda Barrett, reporter for Carver's newspaper. It's later established that she isn't aware of her boss's shady dealings. Thus, she becomes a romantic interest for Roy, who is thinking of settling down nearby.........Among other badmen, as far as I know, we never see the feared Ripper, supposedly behind most of the outlawry around Deadwood. Perhaps he is even Carver? Monte Blue plays the corrupt sheriff, whom Judge Gary(Herbert Rawlinson) complains never gets enough evidence to convict anyone, hence his job is useless. There's Monte Blue(Jay Novello), who sometimes acts as a spy or hatchet man. Teaming with Jake Marvel, the theater owner, he steals Gabby's inheritance for the second time, knocking out Judge Gary, who had been given the money, still in the various envelopes, as evidence of the complicity of the civic league in the original theft. Instead of handing the money over to Carver, they decide to abscond with it. Unfortunately, Carver catches them in the act of leaving, and drills them for their double-cross. Now, Carter again has the money, still in their separate envelops. I will let you see the film to find out what happens next. At the end, Judge Gary pins the sheriff badge on Roy, hoping he will prove a more effective Sheriff than the one being led to jail. Roy then indicates he would like to settle down with Linda. .......I would say this is a middle of the road Rogers film. ........See it at YouTube.

Okay Roy Rogers Vehicle

[FightingWesterner · 6/10 · 5 November 2009]

Roy Rogers, a sharp-shooter in Gabby Hayes' medicine show, helps the refugee townsfolk of Deadwood battle a crooked bigwig and his outlaw gang, who've forced them out of town and stolen their businesses.

Meanwhile, Gabby collects a sizable inheritance that gets stolen by the bad man of Deadwood.

Though not as good as some of Roy's later features, this is fast paced enough, has some good gun-play by Rogers, and features a snappy opening scene featuring Gabby's medicine show that all help make this decently entertaining. However, it does run out of steam a bit near the end.

Once again, George "Gabby" Hayes is quite a scene stealer.

Below average Rogers!

[JohnHowardReid · 5/10 · 25 January 2017]

Despite its enticing title, this is a very ordinary little western with lots of talk, lots of so-so comic relief with George Hayes and Sally Payne, a bit of romance with hero Rogers and moderately pretty Carol Adams, a bit of shoot-out and chase action, and two songs (both of which are treated in such a desultory fashion they serve merely as background for important dialogue and other business). Incidentally, 1941 was Sally Payne's big year. She appeared in no fewer than fifteen films!

Joe Kane's direction is almost totally pedestrian. Even the chase spots are spoiled by obvious studio cut-ins. Production values are minimal. The money spent on an extensive cast has been clawed back by rigid economies elsewhere — particularly on sets.

Stealing in order to promote law and order!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 2 September 2011]

This is a pretty decent Roy Rogers flick. It begins with Roy making a new friend in Tombstone (surprise, surprise it's Gabby Hayes) and the two decide to get to the bottom of the theft of Gabby's new inheritance. Now you'd THINK that it would be a decent place--after all, it has a sheriff, a civic committee and a bank--all signs of civilization. But, there's SOMEONE or SOME GROUP that is evil--and it's up to the good guys to solve the crimes and bring justice to the city. And, in order to do so, they must actually rob the stages to get incriminating evidence on the dastardly foes.

I liked this one for two reason--Roy sings less than usual and its message that the best way to stop crime is resort to taking the law into your own hands! Enjoyable and well done all around...

When an outsider takes on the unlawless law, guns will be blazing...

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 12 April 2014]

In the second film playing Brett Starr, a singing cowboy fighting for justice (well, what else did he always play?), Roy Rogers takes on the law of Deadwood which seems to be able to do nothing to stop a ruthless gang from running everything. Even the federal judge is unable to put any of this gang behind bars, but when Brett shows up, the knife- throwing villain whom Brett catches does end up behind bars, even if only briefly, and that makes Brett intent on taking this gang down and the lawmakers who aide them. It's the typical repetitive scene of shoot- outs, chases and good vs. evil, with George "Gabby" Hayes getting a $36,000 bequest and stupidly taking it all out of the bank with predictable results. That shows the mentality of this quickly produced follow-up to "Sheriff of Tombstone". With town names like "Deadwood" and "Tombstone", is there any wonder why Roy always found criminal activity going on while visiting? "B" westerns are basically fun, if mostly alike, and fortunately extremely short. The lack of comedy from Gabby here is also quite noticeable, although he is acting quite a lot more fatherly to diminutive Sally Payne who is pretty heroic here too in her own right. Carol Adams provides menial services as the romantic interest here and shows a bit of feistiness in her minimal role.

Enforcing A Monopoly With Six Guns

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 15 June 2011]

Bad Men Of Deadwood while it doesn't quite take us back to the days of gold strike in the Black Hills, takes us to when the town was starting to grow. But the people who were there first have a businessman's association that's a cover for a monopoly. They don't like newcomers and will do anything to stop them.

Roy Rogers plays a trick shot artist in Gabby Hayes's medicine show with the lovely and funny Sally Payne and all get involved in the fight for some fair business practices. Also involved are Carol Adams who works for newspaper owner Henry Brandon.

They've got a federal judge who is sympathetic in Herbert Rawlinson. The sheriff is in the pocket of the business association and he's got a murderous deputy in Jay Novello. That's a surprise because later on Novello played funny little ethnic parts usually Italian. Here he's quite serious and deadly.

Singing is kept to a minimum and it's usually part of the medicine show. Emphasis definitely on action in this good Roy Rogers western.

Meh

[arfdawg-1 · 5/10 · 16 May 2014]

If you like Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes, you will probably like this movie.

I'm not a fan.

I admit it's rather watchable, but these low budget westerns don't do anything for me.

The available prints are horrible too, making it painful to watch.

The plot

Deadwood is controlled by Ripper's gang that has rendered the Sheriff and the Judge powerless.

When Gabby's medicine show featuring Roy arrives they are quickly run out.

They join the Laramie Gap gang that is fighting Ripper and when Gabby's inheritance money is stolen they rob the stage to get it back.

Getting the money and the names assigned to it, Roy hopes this evidence will enable the Judge to bring law and order to Deadwood.

Joseph Kane called "Action!" and never said "Cut!"

[stevehaynie · 10/10 · 2 August 2015]

All you need to know: If you have to pick a single movie to introduce someone to B westerns, Bad Man of Deadwood is a good choice.

Bad Man of Deadwood starts off with Roy, Gabby, and the always likable Sally Payne putting on a show with Roy singing a song. They meet the bad guys soon into the story and Roy is shooting it out with the bad guys for the rest of the movie in one gun fight after another. Each shootout fits into the story. Nothing is wasted.

Roy Rogers was a big star, and his movies got extra attention. Bad Man of Deadwood has the look of the perfect cowboy movie in the way scenes are set up and edited together. This one never slows down, hits a lull, or has any filler.

"Now that's what I call a right fast movin' young fella!"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 23 May 2009]

Roy and Gabby again, with a little help from Sally Payne, billed as a full blooded Kickapoo as part of Professor Mortimer Blackstone's Traveling Medicine Show. I was amused by the name of Roy's character in this one, as he went by Bill Brady, the name of his long time sidekick (Pat Brady) in films and TV for many years. The name Bill Brady is an alias for our hero, his past as Brett Starr is mentioned a couple of times but without too much revelation. It's assumed that he was trying to put a gunman's past behind him.

The trio have a good rapport as they battle Deadwood town boss Ripper (Hal Taliaferro) and a whole passel of baddies, notably newspaper editor Carver (Henry Brandon), theater owner Marvel (Ralf Harolde) and henchman Monte Burns (Jay Novello). Novello's character is unbelievable - he's everywhere! Every time you turn around, Burns is there, spying on the good guys, in the Judge's house, hanging out with Marvel, and mixing it up with Brady. It's too bad he didn't make it to the end of the picture.

Roy's romantic interest in this one is played by Carol Adams, and it was kind of hard to warm up to her character because she never smiled. She was pretty enough, but it never came through her serious demeanor. It made me wonder why Roy took such a fancy to her, ready to drop his adventurous ways with the medicine show to settle down at the drop of a hat.

For his part, Roy shows some unusual athletic ability in a couple of running side mounts over a pretty tall fence while chasing a bad guy. At the same time though, there are a couple of credibility defying scenes where he escapes a large group of town folk when they think he's the bad guy, and when he's cornered by outlaws who think he's a good guy. It doesn't say much for the story writing at the time, when these oaters were churned out at a rapid clip to capitalize on the lead actor's ability to draw an audience.

Still, this is a pretty enjoyable little flick that breezes by, as most of Roy's flicks do, in just about an hour. Gabby's fully whiskered in this one, but unusually well groomed too - you'll get a kick out of seeing him in a gentleman's jacket, top hat and walking stick after coming into a large inheritance!

They Can't All Be Winners

[boblipton · 5/10 · 27 June 2023]

Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes, and Gabby's daughter Sally Payne roll up in their medicine show to Deadwood. But Deadwood doesn't want any independent merchants, thanks to the protection racket run by Henry Brandon. With the help of Judge Herbert Rawlinson and Carol Adams, they break into the bank and take a look at the records to discover where all the money is going. But Brandon has a few tricks up his sleeves, and plenty of henchmen.

I didn't enjoy this particular Roy Rogers movie, although that may be due to the poor condition of the print and the removal of three songs. IMDb trivia indicates there was no copyright renewal, which often leads to poor prints circulating. While it's certainly superior to most of the B westerns of the era, in this form it's no pleasure to watch.