A Tornado in the Saddle

Plot

A good entry in one of the better B-Western series of the 1940s, A Tornado in the Saddle starred Russell Hayden as the new sheriff of Crestview. Hot on the trail of a gang of claim jumpers led by Dalton (Tristram Coffin) and Slim (Donald Curtis), the novice lawman also has to deal with hotheaded wrangler turned deputy Bob Wilson (Bob Wills), whom he is constantly forced to fight, but only after prudently removing his sheriff's star. The slippery villains prepare an ambush for the sheriff and his deputies, but Hayden's way with a rope eventually saves the day. Ostensibly a music Western, A Tornado in the Saddle refused to let warbling interfere with the almost non-stop action; in fact, the featured music performers, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, mostly have their hands full battling both the new sheriff and the outlaws. Future Goldwyn Girl Alma Carroll, as Curtis' innocent sister, has very little to do other than look fetching and is more or less forgotten by the end of the film. Comic sidekick Dub Taylor's hillbilly act is, as always, a matter of taste. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Review

Russell Hayden made eight starring Westerns for Columbia and A Tornado in the Saddle is one of the very best -- in fact, this little Western remains one of the biggest slugfests in B-Western history. Every five minutes, it seems, someone is knocked more or less unconscious or the entire cast engages in a furious donnybrook, fists hitting chins accompanied by Columbia's legendary loud sound effects. Even Bob Wills, the "King of Cowboy Swing," and his band join in the fun when not performing Cindy Walker's "Dusty Skies," "I'm From Texas, Too," "Hit the Dust," and the lively "Barstool Cowboy From Old Barstow." All of which makes for a noisy hour or so of perfect B-Western entertainment. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Cast

Tristram Coffin; Dub Taylor; Russell Hayden; Alma Carroll; The Texas Playboys

Credit

Lionel Banks - Art Director, William O'Connor - First Assistant Director, William A. Berke - Director, Burton Kramer - Editor, Irving Briskin - Executive Producer, Cindy Walker - Songwriter, George B. Meehan - Cinematographer, Leon Barsha - Producer, Charles Francis Royal - Screenwriter

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