A Buck Jones Production, presented by Carl Laemmle. Copyright 20 September 1934 by Universal Pictures Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: November 1934. Australian release: December 1934. 7 reels. 64 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Rocky Rhodes, an honest stock-man, finds himself fighting a land-grabber, Dan Murtch, in Cactus City, Arizona.
NOTES: After a short career as a writer (e.g. Driven (1923) and production assistant (Ben Hur (1925), Al Raboch turned to directing with a minor Columbia effort, Obey the Law (1926).
Rocky Rhodes was the first of Jones' 22 series westerns for Universal. Mr Raboch also directed the 3rd entry, The Crimson Trail.
Buck Jones was the champion western star at the U.S./Canadian box- office in 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1936. In 1937 and 1938, he slipped to 3rd place. His final listing on the charts was in 1939, when he scored 8th position.
COMMENT: Another extraordinary runner from the Buck Jones stable. Admittedly, Raboch's compositions are often rather flat and the opening sequence with its dull introduction to the flat-etched Rocky and his even less promising side-kick, played with characteristic lack of charisma by Stanley Fields — a sequence finally relieved from absolute tedium by a lot of ill-matched, library fire footage — doesn't raise our expectations.
Fortunately, once in Arizona, both script and acting improve dramatically. And as for action and atmosphere — Wow! Most of the picture is set at night, with the moodiest photography on the range providing plenty of chills and spills!
SYNOPSIS: Rocky Rhodes, an honest stock-man, finds himself fighting a land-grabber, Dan Murtch, in Cactus City, Arizona.
NOTES: After a short career as a writer (e.g. Driven (1923) and production assistant (Ben Hur (1925), Al Raboch turned to directing with a minor Columbia effort, Obey the Law (1926).
Rocky Rhodes was the first of Jones' 22 series westerns for Universal. Mr Raboch also directed the 3rd entry, The Crimson Trail.
Buck Jones was the champion western star at the U.S./Canadian box- office in 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1936. In 1937 and 1938, he slipped to 3rd place. His final listing on the charts was in 1939, when he scored 8th position.
COMMENT: Another extraordinary runner from the Buck Jones stable. Admittedly, Raboch's compositions are often rather flat and the opening sequence with its dull introduction to the flat-etched Rocky and his even less promising side-kick, played with characteristic lack of charisma by Stanley Fields — a sequence finally relieved from absolute tedium by a lot of ill-matched, library fire footage — doesn't raise our expectations.
Fortunately, once in Arizona, both script and acting improve dramatically. And as for action and atmosphere — Wow! Most of the picture is set at night, with the moodiest photography on the range providing plenty of chills and spills!
