Upcoming special project for “Red Hot Hoofs”

 There is a special project in the works for one of Tom Tyler’s lost silent films, “Red Hot Hoofs”, from 1926 and produced by FBO. Those who are familiar with “Rip Roarin' Buckaroo (1936)” will recognize the boxing theme in “Red Hot Hoofs”; a number of movie posters and stills have survived. Some interesting trivia about “Red Hot Hoofs”: real-life champion boxer Al Kaufman appears as Battling Jack Riley, but this silent film also marks Kaufman’s last film ever made. 

The best part about this project – well, that will come when it’s ready, and it will be posted here on the Aventuras de Tom Tyler Blog plus social media pages.

Unique Tom Tyler UID silent film arcade/exhibit card

When I first saw this Tom Tyler silent film arcade/exhibit card manufactured by the Exhibit Supply Company (Chicago, Illinois) online I was not really sure what to make of it. It is a standard size at 3 1/4 x 5 ¼", and the scene seems to be from one of Tom’s later silent films made for FBO, possibly from 1928 or 1929. There is no existing match that I could find anywhere online or elsewhere, telling me this card is rarer than most Tom Tyler arcade/exhibit cards. Take a look below to find out what is so different from standard Tom Tyler posters, film stills, and arcade/exhibit cards often seen on Aventuras de Tom Tyler:

This scene could be from one of the following silent films:

The Avenging Rider (1928)

Tyrant of Red Gulch (1928)

Trail of the Horse Thieves

Gun Law (1929)

Idaho Red (1929)

The Pride of Pawnee (1929)

Have you guessed what is so different in this image? Not only is Tom’s western outfit missing the scarf around his neck – but his shirt is unbuttoned to well below his chest. You’re looking very handsome Tom – and sexy.

Calling the murder witness Brilliant: The Blocked Trail

Brilliant the Horse in "The Blocked Trail" 1943

Rarely does the murder-mystery film from the 1930’s to 1940’s have a domestic animal like a dog or cat sitting idly by when its owner becomes a murder victim. What is even more rare, is when the animal happens to be a horse – a smart, seeing-eye horse, who also happens to be a miniature horse. Described in “The Blocked Trail” (1943) as a three-foot high dwarf Mustang, Brilliant is owned by an elderly man by the last name of Martin (Walter Soderling), who lives on the outskirts of a small western town on a piece of land that has a gold. With the mine in claim and a lawyer by the name of Frank Nolan (Charles Miller) to handle the old man’s property after he dies, Martin is capable of taking care of himself, even when he starts to lose his sight. Living in Martin’s cabin, Brilliant is trained to be his eyes, a product of the Clever Hans Effect (Clever Hans was an Orlove Trotter horse owned and trained by Wilhelm von Osten to do math, tell time, read, and spell during the first decade of the twentieth century). Smarter than the average horse, Brilliant takes the viewer on a thrill-filled western adventure, wondering who committed the murder of an elderly man.

Jimmie Dodd with Tom Tyler

The twilight setting of the Martin’s murder arouses intrigue for the audience. A tall male figure clad in all black, including a wide brimmed hat, springs out of the bushes with a gun in hand, attempts to take Martin by surprise. But Martin is ready to take on the stranger, with his rifle in hand and Brilliant by his side. The two men finally wind up in a brawl, the stranger’s face obscured by the camera at all times. Martin gets plugged by the man attempting to vanquish his life, but with the aid of Brilliant, gets ahold of the murder weapon and drops it into her saddlebag. Managing to evade the clutches of the murderer, Brilliant stays by her master until his last breath, then takes off, in hopes of finding someone who might help her. In luck, she encounters The Three Mesquiteers: Stoney Brooke, Tucson Smith, and Lullaby Joslin (Tom Tyler, Bob Steele, Jimmie Dodd) when her rein is caught on a bush and she is unable to free herself. Lullaby untangles Brilliant’s rein, and of the three friends, she immediately develops an affinity for him. Brilliant licks Stoney’s hand upon meeting him, and the men discuss the finding of the horse who a number of people have been looking for, including Martin’s niece Ann Martin (Helen Deverell), the sole heir to Brilliant and the gold mine. Seemingly delighted to meet new friends, Brilliant’s instinct tells her these are good men who will help her track down her master’s murderer, even when they get framed for the murder themselves due to circumstantial evidence: possession of the murder weapon removed from Brilliant’s saddlebag.

Along with The Three Mesquiteers, Brilliant is escorted into town by the sheriff (Hal Price) and his men as being as “evidence” but there is the underlying assumption that she may in fact know who murdered her master. Everyone knew about old man Martin and how smart his seeing-eye horse is. The fact that he had a horse who was smart was no secret to anyone in town, not to the murderer himself, who took special precautions at having Brilliant shuffled away from the stable in town where she was placed, right across from the jail. As suspects, The Three Mesquiteers test Brilliant’s smarts from behind bars with simple math problems, even proving to the sheriff that they are innocent, Brilliant’s identifying the three men as not the murderers of her master. True to form, as Lullaby states, “She knows everything” – and if a smart horse could talk, she could accurately describe the events that transpired the night Martin was murdered – from the time the stage driver Freddy (George J Lewis) dropped off a package of books in Braille to Martin, to when Martin took Brilliant out for a walk, when they ran into the mysterious figure who shot the old man. What is notable is Brilliant’s attitude towards the people she knows, her overall response to them, with the exception of one person: the lawyer Nolan, and with good reason.  Nobody else has an inkling as to any personal vested interest Nolan has in Martin’s property, which is solely for the gold mine. Caught up in the mine situation, Freddy and The Three Mesquiteers are freed from certain destruction by Brilliant, who saves the day and brings the murderer to justice.

Definitely one of the more entertaining Three Mesquiteers westerns made by Republic Pictures starring Tom Tyler as Stoney Brooke, Brilliant figures into the film’s title in a subtle manner – the trail to solving the murder mystery is being blocked by the murderer through her removal, who at times escapes the henchmen and keeps making her way back to The Three Mesquiteers, while being pulled in a third direction, that of her new owner, Ann Martin. The film’s subplot revolves around a Native American medicine man, Chief Plenty Harvest and his wife (Earle Hodgins and Ellen Lowe) who try to swindle the Three Mesquiteers every chance he gets. Unusual for its time period, the film theme of animal-as-murder-witness was repeated in movies like “Shadow of the Cat” (1961, UK) which stars Andre Morrell and Barbara Shelley, and more recently, “Turner and Hooch” (1989), starring Tom Hanks. Directed by Elmer Clifton and written by John K. Butler and Jacquin Frank, “The Blocked Trail” also has support from Kermit Maynard, the brother of western star Ken Maynard. As the real hero and star of “The Blocked Trail”, Brilliant may have you looking at your pets and wondering if they could be as smart in witnessing and solving a murder mystery.

Tom Tyler: A conversation piece?

The thought of a Hollywood actor being labeled a “conversation piece” may seem amusing to most people but that is exactly what Clifton Webb, the star of movies like “Laura” (1944) and “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College” (1949) has in fact called Tom Tyler, according to a Hollywood column in The Tampa Tribune (December 11, 1935). This was around the same time when Tom appeared at a party given by Dorothy DiFrasso, the popular Hollywood hostess during the 1930’s, for she was mentioned in the newspaper column at the same time.

Chances are that Webb was probably at the same party that Tom was, admiring the shy handsome B-western star who was the center of attention for some of the actors and actresses in attendance. Enchanted with Tom’s sparkling eyes and dazzling smile, they were struck by Tom’s ability to be congenial yet not an extrovert, especially in a social setting. Being politely brief when engaging with the other Hollywood stars, Tom and his peers discussed their most recent film roles as well as their next roles in the movies. It is unknown if Tom’s weightlifting career was ever the topic of discussion among the A-list stars although it is possible that some actresses took the time to admire his muscular physique, if only to elicit a shy reply from Tom.

Combining the charm factor with his level of attractiveness, there was reason for the most prominent of Hollywood actors and actresses to talk about Tom Tyler, statements made about him to others were always positive and complimentary.

Happy Father’s Day 2020 from Tom Tyler

"The Desert Pirate" 1927

It may sound unusual for Tom Tyler to be considered a father figure, having never had any children of his own in real life, but onscreen, he played the role on more than one occasion with his young co-stars from the silent film era to early talkies.  Whether his co-stars were Frankie Darro, Andy Shuford, Bobby Nelson, or Wesley Giraud, Tom was someone these boys looked up to onscreen, or even admired and respected in real life, as in Frankie Darro’s case. Tom was very good with children in silent films which drew children from all over the United States and the world to the Saturday matinee to enjoy his latest adventure on the silver screen. Even in silent films where there are multiple children – including babies! –  like “Idaho Red” and “The Man from Nevada”, Tom is there, talking to the youngsters, playing with them, protecting them, rescuing them from bandits. In other words, doing all the things a father does with his children. Let’s not forget when Tom delivers a baby in “Clancy of the Mounted” - the baby of his brother’s wife.

"A Rider of the Plains" 1931

In silent films like “The Desert Pirate”, Tom becomes a surrogate father to Frankie Darro, after shooting the boy’s father who is in fact a major criminal. In the movie “A Rider of the Plains” Tom is literally parenting his pal and riding partner Andy Shuford, who has wayward tendencies but with the help of a pastor friend, helps get him on the straight and narrow with a loving but firm hand. Screen portrayals of fatherly figures aside, in real life, Tom was uncle to a number of nephews his siblings had. In “The Tom Tyler Story” by Mike Chapman, there is a photo of Tom holding his sister Katherine’s newborn baby, Raymond, smiling at the tiny guy. After all, little Raymond could have been his own child. Happy Father’s Day to all dads out there.

Calling Agent Tom: Espionage in Tom Tyler’s movies

"The Man from Death Valley" 1931

The average Tom Tyler B-western of the silent film and sound eras may evoke the concept of the vast undiscovered yellow plains and purple mountains beneath the pink and crimson skies, the landscape dotted with cowboys and rustlers. Very rarely a description would include the topic of espionage; surprisingly, espionage as a plot can and does exist in westerns, often in the form of rustler gang infiltration. As exciting as the action can possibly be in a Tom Tyler movie, it seems like espionage is the perfect complement to the fistfight action and suspense so prevalent in these stories.

The book “The Espionage Filmography: United States Releases, 1898 through 1999” by Paul Mavis (McFarland; 2011) lists five movies with the espionage plot; three which star Tom, one which he co-stars, and two which are not included in the Google Books preview. Following are the five entry numbers and film titles:

370. Deadwood Pass (1933). Tom is a government agent who arrives in Deadwood Pass, originally mistaken for The Hawk due to a tattoo of a Hawk on his left arm – the same spot where the real Hawk has the same tattoo. His job is to find a huge cache full of stolen loot from a robbery and bring the robbers to justice.

"When the Law Rides" (1928)

910. The Man from Death Valley (1931). Tom is a Secret Service agent who gets word about a bank heist about to take place and before the robbers can pull it off, Tom decides to rob the bank himself and keep the money in a safe spot. “The Man from Death Valley” remains a lost film.

1185. ?

1321. Samson and Delilah (1949). Based on the Biblical story, the Philistine Delilah (Hedy Lamarr) has been referred to as one of the first female spies. Spurned by the apple of her eye Samson (Victor Mature), she makes the rash decision to cut his long hair which is the symbol of his power – and later the course of Hebrew history forever. Tom has a minor role in the film as a gristmill captain.

1667. ?

1700. When the Law Rides (1928). Tom is a federal agent, a crime fighter in the form of Captain Marvel minus the red and gold superhero costume. Tom’s character is even compared to Zorro by Mavis, possibly for the stunt where Tom swings from a rope tied to the balcony of a hotel and mounting his horse from the rear. “When the Law Rides” is a lost silent film from FBO.

"Deadwood Pass" 1933

In addition to the above named titles, “Trigger Tom” (1935), “Terror of the Plains” (1934), and “West of Cheyenne” (1931) also carry this espionage subplot: Tom Tyler is in a position where he must infiltrate a gang in order to trap the rustlers and bring someone to justice.

Note: If anyone out there has a copy of this book “The Espionage Filmography: United States Releases, 1898 through 1999” or the following entries numbered 1185 and 1667 please contact me so that I can include them in this article. Credit will be given to the contributor. Thank you!

Repackaging Tom Tyler: “Brothers of the West” as “Cowboy Musketeer”

"Brothers of the West" repackaged on 16mm film

It was the following Ebay auction which caught my eye that made me think about how westerns of the 1930’s were repackaged as 16mm or 8mm/Super 8mm for home viewing: “Brothers of the West” (1937). In this case, “Brothers of the West” received the title of “Cowboy Musketeer” for the 16mm print, possibly a paean to Tom Tyler’s silent film made for FBO in 1925.

Outside of the 1925 silent film “Cowboy Musketeer” made by FBO Productions, Tom Tyler’s name has also been attached to a movie of the same name back in the early 1980’s television schedule listings.  “Cowboy Musketeer” is often accompanied by a “no date” in parentheses, along with the name Tom Keene, who was also a western star of the 1930’s:

From The Orlando Sentinel, FL, March 9, 1983

The SAT cable channel abbreviation stands for Satellite Program, with this time showing being at 6:30 AM on a Wednesday, March 9, 1983. While it cannot be determined what this movie actually was – whether it was “Brothers of the West” purchased by Satellite Program or another Tom Tyler western, the nickname “Cowboy Musketeer” seems well suited to Tom as it connotes a heroic figure, someone who seems to arrive out of nowhere to aid someone in dire need. With that, it is not wrong to consider Tom Tyler to be the “Cowboy Musketeer” of FBO.

A still of Tom in the original "The Cowboy Musketeer" 1925