Sam Peckinpah is well known for his ‘stock company’, a coterie of characters actors who repeatedly appeared in his films. Warren Oates, L. Q. Jones, R. G. Armstrong, Strother Martin… these actors and others appeared in multiple Peckinpah movies. The director’s centenary celebration here at JAW is broad enough to include posts about non-Peckinpah movies featuring members of his stock company. This post concerns a film co-starring a perhaps lesser-known member, Walter ‘Dub’ Taylor, who started with Peckinpah in The Westerner, appeared in Major Dundee, and then was a familiar face in later films.
Taylor as the horse thief Priam in Major Dundee
Walter Clarence Taylor Jr. was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1907. Walter Jr.’s nickname became ‘W’ which was shortened to ‘Dub’ over time. The family moved around the country, living in Augusta, Georgia and Oklahoma City for significant stretches. Taylor’s comment about his years as a student at Classen High School in OKC: “I didn’t learn nothin’, but I went there.*”
After high school, he caught the show business bug and went into vaudeville. Due to a certain talent discussed below, Taylor was able to break into movies courtesy of Columbia Pictures and director Frank Capra. He must have made an impression on the studio and audiences; his next film, Taming of the West, introduced his character ‘Cannonball’.
Taylor in The Wild Bunch
In this 1939 offering, to be covered by a future post, Taylor was not *quite* the sidekick to the lead, Bill Elliott (not Wild just yet); Cannonball is the town jailer and has some lightly comic moments. But the combination of Elliott and Taylor clicked; the actors were paired in 12 more Columbia pictures over a 3-year period.
Like Slim Pickens, Taylor was a Western fixture for years before his films with Peckinpah. Playing the Cannonball character (surnames would differ, the first name remained the same), Taylor appeared in approximately 50 (!) oaters over about 10 years for multiple studios. In Jeff Arnold’s post ranking The Sidekicks, Cannonball was deemed the 8th best sidekick out of 10. Taylor rode with Elliott, Tex Ritter, Russell Hayden, Charles Starrett, and finally Jimmy Wakely, the star of Oklahoma Blues.
Cannonball and the Gun Totin’ Tune Star
Jimmy Wakely made 28 films, but Oklahoma Blues was this writer’s first exposure to his CV. The fuzzy print on view was DVR’ed from TCM. I have no idea how this singing cowboy B-movie ranks among of Wakely and Taylor’s collaborations; one takes what is available.
On occasion, I’ve happened upon on-line content which refers to some low-budget 50s oater as a ‘B-movie’ followed by a flood of quarrelsome comments debating if said movie actually qualifies as a B-movie. Oklahoma Blues is completely and unabashedly a B-movie – riding, fighting, shooting, a pinch of comedy, a dash of music, and a dab of romance packed into 56 compact minutes. Released by Monogram, this picture was built for the second half of double bills shown by neighborhood theaters across mid-America.
The film opens with Jimmy Wakely, playing Jimmy Wakely, singing Okie Blues and working on a barrel shower. Taylor enters as Cannonball, masking his face with a kerchief, chattering excitedly about ‘the Melody Kid’ as an alias for Jimmy, and brandishing a rifle… which accidentally goes off, splintering the barrel, drenching the sidekick, and preparing the viewer for the level of humor in the next hour or so.
The plot must’ve been a grabber for the young’uns: two Oklahoma towns, Rainbow’s End and Yuba City, are competing to be selected as the county seat. A State Commissioner is en-route to Rainbow’s End with the town’s sheriff when the stage is stopped by an armed band hiding behind the ubiquitous kerchiefs. The gang demands the stage’s strongbox, only to find it does not have one, “thanks to your gang”. The enraged leader pistol-whips Sheriff Sam Oldring, (Steve Clark) into unconsciousness, sends stage and Commissioner on its way, and leaves the unfortunate lawman lying in the dirt.
After arriving in town and surveying it for a tick or two, the Commissioner denounces Rainbow’s End as a disgrace: infested by outlaws, dominated by organized banditry. Judge Emerson makes a (poorly acted) plea on behalf of the townfolk, who have raised $40,000 to erect a courthouse. Cannonball then arrives, loudly announcing that the Melody Kid, the “singing killer”, is coming to town. This news drives the easily-ruffled Commissioner into apoplexy.
Jimmy arrives, singing, yodeling, and whistling. His entrance is as intimidating as Cannonball’s new persona for him.
The townsfolk disperse and Jimmy enters Joyce’s, the restaurant owned by Judy (Virginia Belmont). A member of the gang, Slip Drago, joins Jimmy. Judy refuses to serve either of them and so Slip starts shooting her dishware, the varmint. A fight ensues and even more crockery is broken.
Spirits don’t improve when the sheriff trudges into town after a presumably long walk. Jimmy visits the sheriff, who is an old friend. Sheriff Sam intends to leave town over his failure to stop the banditry.
Also leaving town is Beasley, the local undertaker. Not out of shame, though: he travels to a shack where Slip and other henchman types are loitering. Playing Beasley, the excellently named I. Stanford Jolley (literally hundreds of credits, Western and otherwise) naturally wears black and sports a villainous pencil mustache, as does Matt Drago, one of the shack dwellers. We learn that Beasley is the brains behind the gang and Matt is its leader.
Beasley, you see, has purchased land in Yuba City and is looking forward to an appreciation in value when it becomes the county seat. Gasp! Speaking of seats, this plot point surely had kids in the audience on the edge of theirs.
The gang rides into town, guns a-blazing and looking for the Melody Kid. Sheriff Sam, having a really terrible day, goes down with an arm wound. A gun fight ensues and the gang rides out of town (not before a B-movie moment: outlaws are hurriedly mounting to leave, but one has to awkwardly chase his horse after the animal forgets its blocking and trots forward a few steps – no budget for retakes!)
Given this turn of events, the State Commissioner indicates Rainbow’s End has a chance… IF the town’s clean-up continues. The Judge wants to engage the Melody Kid, but Judy woodenly disagrees. And says she’s leaving town!
Wakely, Taylor, and Steve Clark as Sheriff Sam
Wakely agrees to take the job temporarily, until the Sheriff heals, but insists that Judy remains because “I’m little bit fussy about my meals, if they’re not home-cooked, it affects my trigger finger.” Yes, he wants Judy to stay to cook. And she does. Oof.
Time passes. The Melody Kid’s presence quiets the town. The Judge tells Beasley that committee has voted to turn over the $40,000 to the Commissioner at, uh, ‘Capital City’.
I. Stanford Jolley
Meanwhile, Beasley has henchmen trouble. The Dragos are leaving his gang, quaking in their boots about that durn Melody Kid. To shore up the troops, he quickly cooks up an evil plan: a phony sheriff will arrest the Melody Kid on bogus charges.
Joy of joys, the sheriff is played by Charlie King, bulky master of B-movie bad guys. King had countless credits as heavies dating back to the silent era. According to no less an authority than westernclippings.com, this film was King’s last role in a B-Western.
Sporting a badge, King finds Cannonball and asks about the Melody Kid and his whereabouts, giving Taylor the opportunity for a stream of non-sequiturs and tomfoolery. The fake sheriff is unamused.
Sheriff King pops into Joyce’s Diner and arrests Jimmy in front of Judy, Beasley, and the Judge, naming a litany of crimes that include murder: “I have a special kind of necktie a-waiting for you,” the phony Sheriff solemnly intones. Jimmy protests, but the gun wins the argument.
Distraught over Wakely’s apparent double life, the Judge, Beasley, and a guy named Amos (seemingly the only other person in town besides Judy) decide to take the money to Capital City.
Cannonball catches wind of the situation and pursues the ‘sheriff’ and his prisoner. With Cannonball’s assistance, Jimmy gets the drop on King and improbably beats him up. (King was one of the great B-Western brawlers, surprisingly nimble for a larger man, but his skills are not much in evidence during this fight.)
After securing the fake sheriff with Cannonball, Wakely rides away and intercepts the good citizens (well, except for Beasley) of Rainbow’s End. Trusting no one and with no explanation (“I have no time for speeches!”), he commandeers the $40,000 and rides away from the astonished and chagrined townfolk.
He doesn’t ride far before the Dragos intercept him. Jimmy hides the money under his horse’s saddle. Pretty sneaky, Jim. The criminals capture Jimmy and his mount, but the dim Dragos don’t bother to frisk the horse.
When the discouraged Rainbow’s Endians return to town, Sheriff Sam spills the beans – the Melody Kid doesn’t exist! But the Judge calls the bank in Capital City and finds the $40,000 hasn’t been received. (While the Judge indeed uses a telephone, this film’s events do not occur in “Roy Rogers Land”, the name affectionately given by friend Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings to that Western setting where horses and six-shooters co-exist with mid-20th century cars and other contrivances.)
Cannonball brings Sheriff Sham to Sheriff Sam. The real sheriff sharply rebukes Cannonball for impugning the integrity of a brother lawman, then returns the gun to King and allows him to leave. Ah, but wily ol’ Sheriff Sam also catches a whiff of rat. He and Cannonball follow the fake Sheriff.
Meanwhile, the Dragos work over Jimmy, trying to learn just where the $40,000 is hidden, while Jimmy works on the Dragos. Using the money as leverage, he attempts to turn them from their current gang to a new one… with the Melody Kid as gang leader. The dubious Dragos leave the room to confer.
“He ain’t talkin’ hogwash. He uses his noodle while we duck sheriffs.”
Then Beasley arrives. The defection by the Dragos is a surprise and Beasley is anxious to learn just who lured away his henchmen. Seeing that it is none other than the erstwhile Melody Kid, he informs the Dragos of Cannonball and Wakely’s subterfuge.
Outside the cabin, Sheriff King arrives. But Cannonball and Sheriff Sam ride up and capture him yet again, making Charlie King’s last scene in a B-Western a brief one.
Regarding the ending, or that dab of romance… no spoilers, e-pards.
Cannonball, however, exits the film with a face full of cake after a pratfall, thereby closing the movie with the same level of humor with which it opened.
Director Lambert Hillyer had credits stretching from the silent era, on films starring William S. Hart no less, to early television. His best-known picture is probably Dracula’s Daughter from 1936, but he was staggeringly prolific with Westerns. Oklahoma Blues is a more pedestrian entry among his many oaters. Visually, the film has little flair; its appeal is based upon the performers.
Jimmy Wakely was a late entrant in the singing cowboy sweepstakes, joining the party as it was winding to a close. (Even so, he appeared in 28 pictures.) As a singer, his three songs are enjoyable examples of the Western side of country-and-western. And the music isn’t all vocal: at one point, Judy storms into the diner where Jimmy has arranged for a Western Swing instrumental interlude (the fiddle, guitar, and upright bass sound is comparable to current group Hot Club of Cowtown; their music is well worth a listen!). The musical numbers are actually strengthened by Monogram’s austere production values. No massed strings or angelic backing choirs in this movie!
As an actor, Wakely is probably the best in the picture.
As a cowboy, he is definitely a bit slight to be the “tough hombre” mentioned by all the characters.
After the Monogram series ended, Wakely appeared in two more films but mostly concentrated on his singing career. He and Margaret Whiting had hits together and sang at the Grand Ole Opry until his death.
Virginia Belmont is attractive as Judy. Early in the film, when her character is unhappy with the Melody Kid, her acting is decidedly wooden; it improves as Judy warms to Jimmy Wakely. Belmont was a consummate B-movie actress, but her post-Hollywood life is probably more interesting: she married an Italian restauranteur, moved to Italy, and appeared in a few Italian movies (she spoke fluent Italian). Later, she worked for United Airlines as a sales agent for 28 years.
As for Dub Taylor, his Cannonball is boisterous but also buffoonish. Sources indicate that Taylor was unhappy during his stint with Wakely; the same sources are silent as to the reason. One wonders if Dub didn’t like the writers’ handling of Cannonball or if he simply grew tired of playing the same character. Regardless, Oklahoma Blues does afford him a showcase moment.
Taylor had played xylophone during his vaudeville days. And Frank Capra needed an actor who could play a tuned percussion instrument in You Can’t Take It with You. The combination resulted in Dub’s big break.
Taylor in You Can’t Take It With You
Ten years later in Oklahoma Blues, and for no apparent reason, Cannonball unrolls an improvised xylophone made of barrel staves and then tears into a dextrous solo. The townsfolk in Joyce’s Diner are apparently delighted.
The whole sequence is just so random, e-pards. This writer could not help but love it.
Ultimately, Oklahoma Blues is a movie of moments. But its musical moments are pleasant enough and Taylor and Wakely are likable performers. Spending time with them makes for an entertaining hour.
Speaking of Monogram, the Warner Archive just released Monogram Matinee Volume I, a region-free blu-ray triple feature. These features star Jimmie Davis in Mississippi Rhythm, Johnny ‘Mack’ Brown in Western Renegades, and Whip Wilson, the pride of Granite City, Illinois, in Crashing Thru. The disc holds no unsung classics, just unpretentious, enjoyable genre films which have never looked better. Highly recommended, e-pards.
The ‘Volume I’ in the title seemingly teases at least one more volume; with support from communities like ours, perhaps the always interesting Warner Archive will release more than two volumes!
*Gene Triplett; ‘Hollywood’s Old Codger’; The Oklahoman; April 24, 1982
Alas, Charlie King leaves the scene
9 Responses
Dub Taylor is a cannonball of comedy as the horse thief in “Major Dundee” (1945, dark-horse candidate for my all-time Top 25, all genres) ! ! ! !
Whether introducing himself to the Major as the best horse thief there is, or singing “My Darling Clementine” with the civilian soldiers while the Confederates sing “Dixie” and the Union soldiers counter with “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”–that man has got the gift of humor. He adds to any production he’s in.
I can’t say I’m amped up to see “Oklahoma Blues” (1948), but I’d watch it to see Dub in action.
It also helps that Virginia Belmont is very pretty. I don’t think I’d heard of her before reading this article. Thanks, Bud and RR, for the review.
Dub has wonderful scene, a rant really, about the state of America in ‘Thunderbolt and Lightfoot’ with Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges a film truly not to be missed.
Your description of “Oklahoma Blues” (1948) as a B-movie reminds me of Edgar Ulmer’s great, GRISLY horror-noir, “Detour” (1945, 5 stars) ! ! ! !
Tom Neal plays the piano player who makes one ridiculous choice after another, while Ann Savage gives a snarling, SAVAGE performance as Vera ! ! ! !
It doesn’t sound like “Detour” has anything in common with “Oklahoma Blues.” Even the love song in “Detour” (“I Can’t Believe You’re in Love with Me”) is used in a way that turns the love theme upside down.
It’s your description of the B-movie quality of “Oklahoma Blues” that makes me think of “Detour.”
Dub Taylor is the father of Buck Taylor, of Gunsmoke fame, who was Turkey Creek Jack Johnson in Tombstone. He’s 87-years-old and was a semi-regular on Yellowstone. So we have a Taylor-family western tradition stretching from 1939 to 2025.
I knew that Buck also acted but was unaware that he was still active. Great stuff, Boppa, thanks!
Yes, Buck is excellent in ‘Gettysburg’ also from ’93 as John Buford (Sam Elliott) subordinate William Gamble. He was also memorable in ‘Rough Riders’. ‘Never did nuthin to be hanged for so help me God, so help me God”.
I am surprised to see that I. Stanford Jolley, such a prolific westerner, is not so much mentioned in this state of the art blog…!
With his thin villain’s typical mustache he makes me think of James Griffith and Zachary Scott.
Beside of Oklahoma Blues, he appears only once in this blog in Fighting Bill Carson (1945, director Sam Newfield) in which he plays the notorious Clay Allison (about whom Jeff has written quite an extensive post too).
Jeff said:
“This Allison was played by I Stanford Jolley (as Stan Jolley). As the IMDb bio of him says, “Perennial film western heavy I. Stanford Jolley could be spotted anywhere and everywhere in dusty ‘B’ fare from 1935 on. Often mustachioed, this freelancing, wideset-eyed, black-hatted villain, who showed up in Hollywood following vaudeville and Broadway experience, could be counted on to give the sagebrush hero a devil of a time before the film’s end.
He wears a suit and seems at first a goody, perfectly charming and all, but, 12 minutes into this version, he is revealed to be the chief crook. We already knew that though because we saw him coming into town on the stage in the first reel and he had a thin mustache and was wearing a frock coat, so clearly was a wrong ‘un.”
Not very far from his Oklahoma Blues role isnt’it !?
According to Wikipedia, Jolley appeared in over 400 films and television productions in his career. (I have kept his listed westerns only…)
His film appearances included Fighting Bill Carson***, Arizona Roundup, Land of the Lawless, Wild Horse Stampede, Fury at Gunsight Pass***, The Whispering Skull, Death Rides the Plains, Calamity Jane and Sam Bass***, The Kid Rides Again, Bad Men of Thunder Gap, Gangsters of the Frontier and Black Arrow. Oklahoma Blues needs to be added though…!
*** films catalogued in Jeff’s blog (still a lot to do…!)
His television appearances (just name it…!) included Gunsmoke, The Restless Gun (“The Gold Star”), Bonanza, F Troop, Rawhide, 26 Men, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The Big Valley, Fury, Tales of Wells Fargo, Death Valley Days, The Virginian, Trackdown, The Rifleman, Maverick and Wagon Train. He appeared in S2 E15 of Wanted Dead or Alive as Charlie Mann in “Chain Gang” which aired December 10, 1959. His final credit was from the western television series The Quest. It would have been easier and shorter to list the shows in which he did not play…
Thanks for highlighting I. Stanford Jolley, JM!
Length and word count precluded mention of another excellent name (and familiar face) in the cast: Zon Martin, who played chief henchman Matt Drago.
His many, many IMDB credits have many, many mentions of ‘henchman’. I just watched ‘Colt .45’ with Randolph Scott and yes, Zon played a henchman of over-the-top villain Zachary Scott. Uncredited, of course.
Chris Evans–
Michael Cimino is an EXCELLENT DIRECTOR ! ! ! “Heaven’s Gate” (1980, 5 STARS ! ! ! !) is my #6 Western, and lands at #16 on my all-time movie list, all genres. (The roller skating scene is THE BEST community celebration in any movie I’ve ever seen ! ! ! !)
However, “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” (1974, 2 stars out of 5) didn’t do much for me. I didn’t know who Dub Taylor was when I watched it, and because it’s Michael Cimino, I’ll definitely give it another chance.
“Sunchaser” (1996, 5 STARS), Cimino’s last film, is a fun journey ! ! ! Like “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,” it’s a trip across the West, and I think Cimino does it better in “Sunchaser.”
All of Cimino’s films are excellently shot. Growing up in New York City, he always had a love for the wide open terrain of the American West.
Thanks for bringing up “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot”–I’ll certainly give it another go.