Review: The California Trail (1933)
I'm still relatively green when it comes to Buck Jones movies, but I like what I see. With so many horse-bound heroes vying for the attention of B-movie audiences, not all of them had the screen presence to be stars. In a dime-a-dozen marketplace, more than a few lacked presence, but that's not the case with good ol' Buck. Considering his career started back in the twenties before pictures had sound, it says something that he had both leading man charisma and a commanding way with dialogue that served him well as the silents transitioned into talkies. Maybe part of what makes me appreciate Buck so much, aside from his lantern jaw and exceptional physical condition--more uncommon than one would expect for a man of action--is how comfortable he seems to be on screen. With so many western plots being recycled over and over, The California Trail rolls out a plot that feels both refreshing and substantial. In 1830s Spanish California, a crooked mayor and Commanda...
