Arizona Bill

When watching this movie you have to remember the time frame it was filmed in. The humor displayed has been repeated through the years, but here it was cutting edge. The character portrayed by Beery was incredible. I only wish I could find a copy of this movie for my personal collection. OKeefe is the perfect foil for the rascally character played by Beery. You have to pay attention to what is happening all around the characters to appreciate the cold blooded humor this movie contains. If you get the chance, see it. If you get the chance tape it. The scene where the campfire is dying out and BEERY takes his new found son's blanket is a classic piece of work. You have to laugh out loud in this movie. I wish I could have caught it uncut on the big screen (at least as big as they were in the thirties)

Unlike the typical Wallace Beery character, who is bad but good down deep, this incarnation is amazingly evil and actually murders several people in the course of this movie! He truly IS the BAD man of Brimstone!! When the film begins, Jeff (Dennis O'Keefe) is headed west in a stagecoach. It's held up and the masked bandit (Wallace Beery) knocks him out and steals his watch. Later, Beery looks inside the pocket watch and sees a photo....and realizes the person he knocked out is his son he'd deserted long, long ago! When Jeff is made a deputy in order to collect taxes, Bill decides to help him...and apparently Bill is NOT good at being good! What's next? See the film. So is this more violent and nasty version of Wallace Beery and this film worth seeing? Yes. It's got an exciting finale and O'Keefe is quite good. Overall, not a great film but one that is enjoyable despite its flaws.