The Border Patrolman (1936) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
2 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
7/10
See Loretta's less famous sister...
planktonrules5 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This is a fascinating film due to its casting of Polly Ann Young in the lead. I almost thought this was Loretta Young, as she looked quite a bit like her but REALLY sounded like her. Not surprisingly, it turns out that the two were sisters--and their other sister was Sally Blaine. While Polly and Sally never saw same level of stardom, it is interesting that acting seemed to run in the family. Other famous acting siblings would include the Lane sisters, Ralph and Frank Morgan, Wallace and Noah Beery and Jimmy Cagney's brother, Bill and I am sure if you do a bit of research you'll be able up come up with a few of your own.

In addition to Polly, the film stars George O'Brien--a very reliable B-movie actor who often starred as a rugged cowboy. And, not surprisingly, is another family western actor, sidekick Smiley Burnett.

The film finds O'Brien playing a border patrolman who has had some run-ins with a very, very spoiled rich girl (Young). When she deliberately defies the law and O'Brien's boss will not back him up in this case, O'Brien quits. Soon after, Young's father hires O'Brien to keep an eye on his daughter and keep her out of trouble. O'Brien takes this VERY seriously and becomes almost like a jailer--keeping her away from alcohol, gambling and any other self-destructive activities. Considering how bratty and obnoxious she's been throughout the film, the audience is definitely rooting for him! While I could draw some comparisons to some modern day spoiled rich kids, I'll let you handle that if you are so inclined...though the film does make me wish that O'Brien's character was alive and employed doing this today! It turns out during the course of the film that one of Polly's biggest problem are her so-called friends. It turns out her boyfriend is a thief and he uses their close proximity to the Mexican border to smuggle stolen goods. Can O'Brien expose these crooks AND break Polly of her wicked ways? Now I will admit that the writing was occasionally disappointing--as they made the rich girl too annoying and one-dimensional at times. But, I also must admit that the film was entertaining and fun. For a low-budget film, it really does deliver.
3 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Might Have Enjoyed It More If I Could Have Heard It.
boblipton7 May 2022
That's George O'Brien in the title role, and Polly Ann Young as the spoiled rich girl who keeps breaking the rules. When he quits, her father hires him to teach her to respect matters, so of course, they wrangle a lot.

The copy I looked at was fuzzy, and the sound was mostly inaudible, but even in his cheapest features, O'Brien is a lot of fun, and Miss Young is quite pretty. Smiley Burnette sings a couple of songs, and so does a band at a cantina.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed