I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore when I see something in an old Western that I haven't seen before. In "Fast Bullets", hero Tom Tyler takes two henchmen off their horses while giving chase in an early scene. He uses something of a domino effect where he knocks one outlaw off his horse into the other riding alongside. Both go down as Tyler continues the fight on the ground with both baddies.
A lot of times these B flicks have nothing at all to do with their titles, but it appears the film makers overcame that by having the main bad guy Travis (Al Bridge) use the term 'fast bullets' not once, but twice to describe Tyler. His character Tom Hilton was a Texas Ranger attempting to uncover the gang that was smuggling contraband and explosives across the territory.
In the story, Ranger Tom enlists the aid of gang member Jimmy (Rex Lease) after capturing him along with a couple other Travis men. Hilton convinces Jimmy that a life of crime would only bring about his downfall, and that he was still young enough to change the direction of his life. Tom kept calling him a youngster so many times that I had to check for myself, since Jimmy didn't look any younger than Tom to me. Wouldn't you know it, Rex Lease and Tom Tyler were both the same age when they made this picture. It always makes me wonder about the way they made casting decisions back then.
The one scene that looks entirely out of place here is that energetic dance number done by Margaret Nearing in the saloon sequence. Her character is Joan, sister of Jimmy, who winds up as the romantic interest for Tyler's character by the time it's all over. Actually, I couldn't decide what was more surprising, the dance itself or the skimpy dress she wore doing the routine. She sure didn't fit the mold of your standard Western saloon gal.
I won't tell you how it ends, other than allowing the good guys win out over the bad guys. The one hint I can give is that Tyler's group uses the 'bunch of dummies' gimmick to win the day. You'll just have to see it.
A lot of times these B flicks have nothing at all to do with their titles, but it appears the film makers overcame that by having the main bad guy Travis (Al Bridge) use the term 'fast bullets' not once, but twice to describe Tyler. His character Tom Hilton was a Texas Ranger attempting to uncover the gang that was smuggling contraband and explosives across the territory.
In the story, Ranger Tom enlists the aid of gang member Jimmy (Rex Lease) after capturing him along with a couple other Travis men. Hilton convinces Jimmy that a life of crime would only bring about his downfall, and that he was still young enough to change the direction of his life. Tom kept calling him a youngster so many times that I had to check for myself, since Jimmy didn't look any younger than Tom to me. Wouldn't you know it, Rex Lease and Tom Tyler were both the same age when they made this picture. It always makes me wonder about the way they made casting decisions back then.
The one scene that looks entirely out of place here is that energetic dance number done by Margaret Nearing in the saloon sequence. Her character is Joan, sister of Jimmy, who winds up as the romantic interest for Tyler's character by the time it's all over. Actually, I couldn't decide what was more surprising, the dance itself or the skimpy dress she wore doing the routine. She sure didn't fit the mold of your standard Western saloon gal.
I won't tell you how it ends, other than allowing the good guys win out over the bad guys. The one hint I can give is that Tyler's group uses the 'bunch of dummies' gimmick to win the day. You'll just have to see it.