Perry Kate Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Beulah Bram A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

JohnHowardReid Director: ALAN JAMES. Screenplay: Earle Snell, Ken Maynard. Story: Claude Rister. Photography: Ted McCord. Art director: Dave Berg. Art director: Ralph M. DeLacy. Set decorator: Eddie Boyle. Costumes: Elizabeth Coleman. Music director: Val Burton. Associate producer: Irving Starr. Producer:Ken Maynard. Executive producers: Burt Kelly, Sam Bischoff, William Saal. A KBS Production, filmed at California Tiffany Studios and on locations in Red Rock Canyon in the Mojave Desert. Presented by E. W. Hammons. RCA Sound System.Copyright 25 December 1932 by K.B.S. Productions, Inc. Released through World Wide Pictures. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 25 December 1932. U.K. release: 24 March 1934. 62 minutes. SYNOPSIS: The Phantom is a mysterious killer who is bush-whacking anyone with allegiances to the Lazy S Ranch. A stranger is accused, but with the help of a girl he has befriended and her father (the owner of a neighboring ranch), he manages to track down the true culprit.COMMENT: Wonderful atmosphere, a strong, fast-paced story, great photography, vigorous direction and a fascinating cast — Maynard himself, Cecilia Parker, Bob Burns, George Chesebro, Lafe McKee, Sheldon Lewis, and not to forget "Tarzan" — combine to make this entry a stand-out even among the normally superlatively entertaining output of the Ken Maynard unit.Happily, the print under review, whilst slightly track-marked, does full justice to the breathtaking cinematography of Ted McCord. Many other commentators, were likewise impressed by this entry, but let me just say that Ken Maynard is my favorite western hero and that "Tombstone Canyon" is one of his very best films. But even if you don't like Maynard, this one is an absolute "must" for any collection of classic westerns.

rmahaney4 Cool Ken Maynard movie. The 'texture' of the movie is perfect b-western including the crusty actors, early-talkie technology, sets and staging, and costumes. There are some fun shots of characters moving ominously toward the camera or seen at a distance through binoculars. B-westerns really don't get much better than this one.Basically, Ken's returns to his birthplace to discover the secret of his birthright. He becomes entangled in feud between the crooked crew of the Lazy S ranch and the mysterious black-clad figure called the Phantom who is killing them off one after the other.The locations, especially "Tombstone Canyon" are incredible. The opening to the movie is evocative and fun. Gothic or pulp touches like the mysterious Shadow-like Phantom character are cool in this rugged landscape. Interestingly, 3 years before director Alan James helmed another movie called The Phantom (1931). Like many b-western directors, he had deep roots in the silent era. B-Western Rating Scale: 8 of 10

valis666 The plot is set in motion from the time the studio logo disappears from the screen and nary a second is wasted on anything but advancing the plot over the film's sixty minutes. No atmosphere, no characterization; all action, almost like a TV episode. The story concerns one man's search for his unknown identity and the apparent ranch war he walks into on his quest. There are some quaint old timey quirks like every horse ride and fist fight running in double speed, and the word "fellas" is used a good thirty times, but even someone like myself who wasn't born until forty years after this picture was made found it to be consistently entertaining.

mccrohan Ken Maynard was a champion horse rider and in his early days worked in rodeos. Not for him the effete air-conditioned acting studio but he learned his acting trade the hard practical way by living the life of a real cowboy. He enjoyed the rough and tumble and hard knocks of cowboy life. He would feel the the pain of dare devil horse riding, eating his meals by camp fire and sleeping under the stars in the cold and hot seasons. Therefore we accept the often improbable story plot elements because we believe the people playing the roles are similar to the those who lived in the real Old West. This is a second tier Ken Maynard movie but we treasure the limited hours of being with Ken as he portrays a real cowboy and a real man . Thank you Ken.