Riders of the Whistling Skull

Rating:
Summary: Cowboys, Indians, and Archeologists?
Review: A massive rock shaped as a human skull and a fierce Indian tribe guard an archeological treasure-trove in a lost valley. Things start to pop when the Three Mesquiteers and an expedition of archeologists searching for the treasure and a lost colleague enter the sacred Indian territory. This film is an entertaining Grade B western that includes the familiar elements of cliff-hanging western adventure and light humor. The unusual blend of western and archeology themes gives this little movie an unusual twist that adds to its appeal. "The Three Mesquiteers" was a familiar series of the '30s and '40s. The three saddle pals kept changing over time, and once included John Wayne before he became a major star. Good old Saturday matinee stuff. Kill an hour an enjoy yourself.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Idea Ruined by Low Budget
Review: I really wanted to like this movie. The plot is actully intriguing--but the low production value and low quality DVD print just can't be ignored. Bob Livingston and Ray Corrigan are pretty good (and likable) here. If the producers had spent more money, this would have been an enjoyable flick. But alas, all the acting with the exception of the 2 principals is strictly wooden and makes it look like the director sent out for people off the street to fill the cast. Max Terhune is Livingston's and Corrigan's sidekick, but his few attempts at comedy fall pretty flat. Then there is the hostile Indian tribe--which looks to be about 6-7 braves large. When they are doing the war dance around the fire you can count the members of the tribe on one hand (then add one each for the chief and the drum beater). Probaly the best segment of the movie is when Bob Livingston is chased down the mountain by three braves (leaving the tribe really under-manned)--which mirrors the similar scene of Henry Fonda being chased in Drums Along the Mohawk (filmed 2 years later--could it be...?). The DVD print is pretty bad, but then how many prints of this film can still exist? Like many B-Westerns, this film never will be restored. I guess all I can finally say (borrowing from Abraham Lincoln) is that "people who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like."

Rating:
Summary: Weird Little Western Curiosity
Review: The reviewer below has just about given everything away except a free copy of the DVD, so if you are inclined to purchase this creaky little B-western, be advised that the print isn't very good although it does seem to improve as it goes along after a very scratchy start. The sound leaves a lot to be desired as well, but the cheap Alpha DVD is probably the only place where you'll get to see this 52-minute oater unless you buy the Sinister Cinema VHS tape. The movie itself, in my humble opinion, isn't all that great. Basically a group of people go looking for a lost professor and end up at a sinister-looking cliffside rock formation/temple that resembles something out of King Kong. A giant skull!! The eerie sound of the wind howling through it is the "whistling" part, in case you were wondering. If you're in the mood for some two-fisted action from Ray Corrigan and Bob Livingston plus some lame comedy relief from Max Terhune, and in there somewhere - stunt legend Yakima Canutt, you probably could do a lot worse than this. It's a little more weird than most of this genre and that can't be a bad thing.

Rating:
Summary: Better-than-average example of the genre.
Review: The Three Mesquiteers (get it?) were one of the Saturday matinee staples of the 30's, starring in more than 20 low-budget oaters never much more than 60 minutes in length. They did battle with all variety of sidewinders and banditos and claimjumpers and murderers. Crash Corrigan is perhaps the best known name to modern fans, but all three were likable types, handy with a horse and a gun.

The Mesquiteers had no time for women, and were too busy working on their ranch to drink much or smoke or swear at all. And thankfully, there are no songs here to kill the momentum. But kill people, they did, with impunity. So many villains get thrown off cliffs or shot (bloodlessly, natch) in these movies, that the body count is akin to a small war. This aspect alone keeps Riders of the Whistling Skull from being cartoon-ish in the manner of Scooby Doo, one of its closest modern ilk. Yet there is a guileless innocence to the proceedings here that renders the mayhem all in fun: the good guys are good, the bad guys are bad and deserve to die before they kill more people. (This overlooks a few un-enlightened subtexts, but roll with it, okay?)

The plot, as I hinted before, is like something from Scooby Doo, with a few more red herrings than that show typically adds. It involves the archaeological search for a mountain shaped like a skull, a map torn in pieces, and murders which may or may not be related to a legendary curse connected to the Whistling Skull. The group sets out and the murders continue. There are chases and shootouts and captures and rescues. It must've laid 'em flat in 1937.

The "mystery" is solved (or rather, revealed) well before the end. But there's enough action that it really doesn't matter. The rescue of the scientist's daughter from a sacrificial ceremony in a cramped grotto offers good atmosphere. Bad staging in early scenes gets markedly better later, and some shots even manage to be beautiful, especially some forced perspectives of isolated craggy peaks against wispy clouds. They do look spooky, especially in black-and-white. The print of the movie and the sound get better, too; the recurring wind howling onscreen manages to heighten the tension as was its intent. Fine Republic miniature work (a good rock slide), a couple of nice stunts (a man hangs from a fraying rope over certain death- mandatory from Republic), and one decent "effect" (the skull-like cave itself) add to the fun. There's even a "mummy," although not in the Universal sense of the term. The manner in which our heroes defeat the evil cult behind it all is not altogether satisfying, but it's likely the production was coming to the end of its three-day shooting schedule. :-)

While a notch below the polish of Roy Rogers' King of the Cowboys, a highwater mark of juvenile westerns, Riders of the Whistling Skull still possesses a lot of old-skool charm. If you like the Lone Ranger or old cliffhanger serials, give this a try.