Search - Mystery Mountain on DVD

Best Western Serial, Maybe the Best Serial ever Made

books1357 | 01/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ken Maynard, the star of this serial, took a hand in both the producing and directing of "Mystery Mountain". He rounded up every available cowboy actor he could find to staff it. Even Gene Autry and superstar comedy-singing-sidekick Smiley Burnett have small roles. If you fancy yourself an expert on the old black & white matinee westerns, I'll bet you can identify 20 to 30 of the men who played the bad men, stage drivers, and cowhands in hundreds of the wonderful old films.A few of the good guys are good guys include Jim Carey, Al Bridge, Hal Telifino, Jack Rockwell, Gene Autry, and Smiley Burnett. The homely outlaws include Bob Kortman, Lou Meehan, Tom London, George Chesebro, and many more.Ken Maynard combined the charm and good looks of John Wayne with the stunt riding ability of Yakima Canutt (the best ever cowboy stuntman). Maynard was a professional stunt rider before becoming a silent movie star, and easily made the transition to talkies. Only Maynard was able to compete on equal terms with both Tom Mix in the silents and John Wayne in the talkies. Ken was so muscular and bowlegged, and had such damaged knees that he could hardly run. The beautiful Verna Hille plays second fiddle to Ken Maynard's only true love, his horse Tarzan. Modern movie goers remember Trigger, but Tarzan was certainly the most talented horse in the movies and the most loved by his owner, Ken Maynard. This was the highest grossing western serial ever released. It was meant for matinee audiences, which were mostly kids. So expect a kids' film. I see than Amazon also carries "Six Shootin' Sheriff." It was one of Ken's last pictures and a favorite of mine. Ken has to clean out 3 tough outlaw gangs and makes the supreme sacrifice. He has to pass of a piece of pie made by his girl, Miss Mollie. He's afraid it'll slow him down too much, because bad man Earl Dwire is waiting to gun him down in front of the saloon. "Two Gun Man" is another great Maynard movie. If you're a handgun shooter, you'll love the insane way Ken's partner teaches some cowhands how to shoot. Don't miss this one."In Old Santa Fe." is also not only real good but real famous. Maynard is teamed with Gabbie Hayes; and Gene Autry and Smiley Burnett make their first singing appearance in the movies. This wasn't the first western with a song or two but it was the western that paved the way for Gene, Roy Rogers, Rex Allen, and all the rest"

"The Mightiest of Western Stars"

Scott T. Rivers | Los Angeles, CA USA | 05/29/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"That was the tagline for this engaging Ken Maynard serial. Co-starring the magnificent Tarzan the Wonder Horse, "Mystery Mountain" provides 12 chapters of terrific stunts, hard-riding chases and stylish camera work. If the combative Western star had been more agreeable, he could have carved a niche in the cliffhanging genre. Instead, Mascot producer Nat Levine replaced the difficult Maynard with Gene Autry in 1935's "The Phantom Empire," thereby launching the singing cowboy's movie career."