Funny little B Western has Harry Carey teaming up with Gabby Hayes and Julian Rivero in pursuit of the mysterious Night Rider. Carey is as funny and personable as he has ever been, and Hayes actually gets some funny bits. Director Newmeyer, long a stalwart of Harold Lloyd's team, does the material more than justice. Recommended.
6 Reviews
The "Night Rider" is a Delight!
glennstenb2 December 2019
"The Night Rider" is a sparkling little example of how deftly put-together a B-western can be, even though operating on an obviously shoestring budget. The whole picture was probably produced in the space of two venues, both smaller than a football field combined. But with commitment and sincerity the players and the production staff made a movie that they could be fairly proud of. Additionally, this picture features considerable inter-cutting of two or three simultaneous goings-on, as many B-westerns do, and the efforts are done well.,
Harry Carey is his ol' mature, dignified, and calmly reassuring self in this one. I could not help but think of Barnaby Jones as we watch Carey, in the role of Jim Blake, calmly and methodically piece together the clues and follow the evidence on an ever-tightening route to the truth. Julian Rivero plays an animated sidekick to fun effect, and George Hayes, already in 1932, shows off his wondrous way with idiosyncratic behaviors. Tom London, who is oft-credited with being the busiest actor in Hollywood history, has a high-level role and it is a pleasure to watch him deliver his lines so naturally and effortlessly. The movie, what with its unusual and intriguing characters parading around the cheap but appropriately-appointed sets, is a actually a delight from start to finish.
How To Catch A Crook
StrictlyConfidential6 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
"The Night Rider" was originally released back in 1932.
Anyway - As the story goes - A number of raids conducted by the mysterious Night Rider have plagued the local ranches, with the owners becoming desperate to catch the bandit. Suspected of being the Night Rider, an undercover lawman takes a job on a local ranch that he believes has ties with this mysterious bandit.
Anyway - As the story goes - A number of raids conducted by the mysterious Night Rider have plagued the local ranches, with the owners becoming desperate to catch the bandit. Suspected of being the Night Rider, an undercover lawman takes a job on a local ranch that he believes has ties with this mysterious bandit.
Fun B Western
Michael_Elliott27 October 2015
The Night Rider (1932)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Jim Blake (Harry Carey) arrives in a small town where he meets and teams up with Altoonie (George 'Gabby' Hayes) and Manuel (Julian Rivero). The three take a job working for a woman (Elinor Fair) who soon finds herself being terrorized by The Night Rider, a man dressed in black who has been robbing various ranches.
THE NIGHT RIDER is a "B" Western that manages to be more entertaining than most in the genre thanks in large part to the three lead actors as well as a decent story or at least a good villain to help keep the film moving at a nice pace. At less than a hour you certainly shouldn't expect a major plot or any deep character development but the film is entertaining, which is the most important thing.
Carey, Hayes and Rivero actually work extremely well together and there's no doubt that their chemistry helps keep things moving. They all work well off of one another and especially during their meeting scene. The look of the bad guy will remind a lot of people of Zorro but I thought it was good. There are quite a few rather violent deaths via gunshots. Obviously nothing too graphic for today's standards but the scenes are a bit much for 1932 standards.
THE NIGHT RIDER isn't going to win any major awards but if you like the genre then you should find it entertaining.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Jim Blake (Harry Carey) arrives in a small town where he meets and teams up with Altoonie (George 'Gabby' Hayes) and Manuel (Julian Rivero). The three take a job working for a woman (Elinor Fair) who soon finds herself being terrorized by The Night Rider, a man dressed in black who has been robbing various ranches.
THE NIGHT RIDER is a "B" Western that manages to be more entertaining than most in the genre thanks in large part to the three lead actors as well as a decent story or at least a good villain to help keep the film moving at a nice pace. At less than a hour you certainly shouldn't expect a major plot or any deep character development but the film is entertaining, which is the most important thing.
Carey, Hayes and Rivero actually work extremely well together and there's no doubt that their chemistry helps keep things moving. They all work well off of one another and especially during their meeting scene. The look of the bad guy will remind a lot of people of Zorro but I thought it was good. There are quite a few rather violent deaths via gunshots. Obviously nothing too graphic for today's standards but the scenes are a bit much for 1932 standards.
THE NIGHT RIDER isn't going to win any major awards but if you like the genre then you should find it entertaining.
"He's quite a pair, ain't he?"
classicsoncall12 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
A disjointed and muddled story line make this a hard one to follow, and it doesn't help that characters' heads are quite often lopped off by shoddy camera work. At fifty four years old, Harry Carey wasn't the best choice to put in the lead role of an undercover Western hero, especially when the leading lady (Elinor Fair as Barbara Rogers) was almost half his age. You know you're in for trouble when rancher Burt Logan (Cliff Lyons) asks a masked man on horseback - "Are you the Night Rider"? - and gets shot! Considering the title of the story and the earlier mention of an outlaw going by that name, couldn't Logan have figured that out for himself?
But there are some unintentionally funny moments. I had to chuckle when one of the ranchers in an opening scene was called by name - it was George Burns! And that line by Jim Blake (Carey) when asked what he did for a living - "Oh I don't know, I rob banks, hold up trains, do a little second story work, play the saxophone". I didn't know if I heard that right, so I had to hit the rewind button.
So to smoke out the Night Rider, Blake has to go under cover as the Night Rider, and after a while he winds up capturing the Night Rider. It all sounds a little redundant, and that's kind of how it all played out. If it weren't for a bit of Gabby Hayes comic relief as the man from Altoonie, this one had little else going for it.
But there are some unintentionally funny moments. I had to chuckle when one of the ranchers in an opening scene was called by name - it was George Burns! And that line by Jim Blake (Carey) when asked what he did for a living - "Oh I don't know, I rob banks, hold up trains, do a little second story work, play the saxophone". I didn't know if I heard that right, so I had to hit the rewind button.
So to smoke out the Night Rider, Blake has to go under cover as the Night Rider, and after a while he winds up capturing the Night Rider. It all sounds a little redundant, and that's kind of how it all played out. If it weren't for a bit of Gabby Hayes comic relief as the man from Altoonie, this one had little else going for it.
Good because it lacks the singing and glitz of later westerns, but also awfully dull.
planktonrules24 September 2013
Harry Carey Sr. plays a newcomer to town and the viewer is led to believe he MIGHT just be the so-called 'Night Rider'--a bandit who dresses a bit like Zorro. Along the way, he makes friends with Manuel and Altoona (Gabby Hayes). And, in the end, the REAL identity of the bandit becomes known.
In some ways, I liked this film. It certainly lacked the glamor, singing and fancy duds you'd see in a Gene Autry or Roy Rogers film--and I liked that. But it was also incredibly slow, low energy and Carey was no longer the handsome silent cowboy and simply seemed too old for such a virile role. Not a terrible film--though a few of the actors were amazingly bad! At best a time-passer.
In some ways, I liked this film. It certainly lacked the glamor, singing and fancy duds you'd see in a Gene Autry or Roy Rogers film--and I liked that. But it was also incredibly slow, low energy and Carey was no longer the handsome silent cowboy and simply seemed too old for such a virile role. Not a terrible film--though a few of the actors were amazingly bad! At best a time-passer.
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