Lightning Strikes West (1940)

Lightning Strikes West: Directed by Harry L. Fraser. With Ken Maynard, Claire Rochelle, Bob Terry, Michael Vallon. When Butch Taggart escapes prison, the Marshal sends Lightning Morgan to find him and his hidden gold. He finds the map to the gold on Taggart’s boot. Joe Laikon and his men are also after the gold and they overpower Morgan, get the map, and head for the treasure. But Morgan and Tod Grant are soon on their trail.

“Pretty good Western script with a great performance by Ken Maynard make this a must-see movie.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOf course any movie with Charles King is also a must-see, but Maynard and King are surrounded by players ranging from capable to excellent.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGeorge Chesebro gets a rare chance to play a good guy; Wally West gets another unbilled part; Reed Howes and Bob Terry had small parts which they handled very well.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWilliam Gould had what might now be called a cameo, but he might have been the smoothest actor in the entire cast. I thought he showed ability, subtlety, presence enough to have been a major performer. He did have a very long career, anyway.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMichael Vallon beautifully and slimily played a character named Butch Taggart, surely the worst Taggart ever except for James Taggart in u0026quot;Atlas Shrugged.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut Maynard surprised me. His characterization might well have been his best performance ever. He showed nuance, subtlety, a grasp of his character that might be because of a good director, Harry Fraser, but still had to come from within him.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn one scene, when he tries to convey a message to his horse, Tarzan, his character shows frustration worthy of a Chaplin.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn his next to last performance, the movie u0026quot;Bigfootu0026quot; with tons of great character actors, John Carradine had high praise for his ability in front of a camera, despite a 26-year layoff, his knowing how to stand with the light and avoid shadows. Carradine called Maynard u0026quot;an old pro.u0026quot; u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHigh praise, indeed, from one of the best, and, coupled with his Lightning Ken Morgan role here, surely enough to earn Ken Maynard another look as an actor, not just a cowboy star.”