Wildfire (1945)

Too much of everything

Thanks for the memories!

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Though the title of this B movie western suggests that the horse in question will be up front and center, that is not actually the case - after the opening ten or so minutes, the horse is almost completely missing for the remainder of the movie! But that fact is not why "Wildfire" is a big disappointment in the end. Lead actor Bob Steele has a character that's somewhat thin - his character isn't given a terrible amount of introduction and detail. But the main problem with the movie is that it is really slow and dull. The movie really needed more of a swift pace and more action. The action that is in the movie isn't that exciting, though I will admit that it was nice to see fist fights where the punches actually sounded realistic for a change. Even if you've enjoyed other '40s B movie westerns in the past, chances are that you'll find "Wildfire" below par.

In the 1930s and 40s, Hollywood made about 16,290,383 cheap cowboy pictures. Because of this, there is no way anyone could ever see them all! Most are pretty forgettable, though a few manage to be a bit better--and "Wildfire" is one of these. One thing that sets this Bob Steele film apart from most is that it's filmed in Cinecolor--something very unusual considering it comes from tiny Action Pictures. Most films, including those of larger studios, were still coming out in black & white.When the film begins, two guys have shot a wild horse and are about to kill it once and for all. It seems the locals have been blaming this horse for leading their horses out of the corrals--though it's really the work of rustlers. Happy (Bob Steele) comes upon them and stops them from dispatching the animal. And, with patience and love, he and his friend Alkalai (Sterling Holloway) manage to rehab the horse.In the meantime, the local baddie (John Miljan) and his gang have been stealing horses right and left--but proving it is another thing. The only one in this crappy town who seems to want to do anything about this is the Sheriff--and soon he deputizes Happy to help him get to the bottom of things. However, the trouble ends up being much deeper--and it turns out that the judge and much of the town is involved. Can Happy, Alkalai and the Sheriff manage to solve the crimes and escape with their lives? While the baddie and his gang is a very standard plot for these films, a few things stand out for the better. The fight scenes are well done and Steele always managed to make it look real. The color is very nice. And, it's nice to see that in this case the sidekick is NOT a dumb boob thrown in for comic relief--Holloway shoots some of the gang and saves his friend's life as well. Overall, entertaining and a film that rises above the norm for this often dull genre.

Wouldn't you know it - the first time I get to see Bob Steele in a color Western, he's playing second fiddle to a horse! Actually this one wasn't too bad, as horse trader Happy Haye (Steele) and sidekick Alkali Jones (Sterling Holloway) arrive on the scene to break up a gang of horse thieves and swindlers led by villain Pete Fanning (John Miljan). Along the way they manage to get an assist from cowboy crooner Eddie Dean who portrays Sheriff Johnny Deal. The gimmick here is having the horse of the title framed for rustling, a convenient way for Fanning and his bunch to misdirect the sheriff and the local ranchers into thinking Wildfire is responsible for horses gone missing from nearby ranches. The premise is kind of thin but I've seen it used before. Speaking of gimmicks, Holloway's character also has one. He throws a clichéd phrase around every ten minutes or so, along the lines of "Let's not start anything we can't finish, shall we"? There's also an attractive female lead portrayed by Virginia Maples in the story, and starting out it looks like she has eyes for Bob Steele's character, but in a mid-picture course correction casts her lot with colorful singer Eddie Dean. Dean serenades Miss Judy Gordon at one point, and in an uncharacteristic move I haven't seen before, actually holds hands with the leading lady. Smart move, because by the end of the picture, not only does the Sheriff get the girl, but she's wearing a wedding dress to boot!

Bob Steele and Eddie Dean teamed on this B western done in color, but the title role of Wildfire was played by a horse. A most remarkable wild stallion who is being blamed for the loss of stock by several ranchers.Steele and sidekick Sterling Holloway are horse traders and Dean is the local sheriff. After Holloway is shot by the bad guys, Steele and Dean join forces to apprehend the bad guys and clear the good name of Wildfire.This is a nice independent production from Screen Gems Features which I believe later merged into Columbia Pictures. Dean who was a singing cowboy gets to warble a couple of nice sagebrush ballads. The color utilized was something not often seen in B pictures from poverty row studios.Fans of the B western should like this one.