This week’s mystery movie was the 1948 King Bros. movie “The Dude Goes West,” with Eddie Albert, Gale Storm, James Gleason, Gilbert Roland, Binnie Barnes and Barton MacLane.
Original screenplay by Mary Loos and Richard Sale. Music score composed and conducted by Dimitri Tiomkin.
Arthur Gardner, assistant to producers, photography by Karl Struss, production manager Herman E. Webber, set decoration by Sidney Moore, edited by Richard Heermance, dialogue direction by Jo Graham.
Special effects by Ray Mercer, sound engineer Tom Lambert, assistant director Frank S. Heath, technical advisor, Herman King.
Produced by Maurice King and Frank King. Directed by Kurt Neumann.
“The Dude Goes West” is available on DVD from Warner Archive.
I chose “The Dude Goes West” on the basis of the review in Showmen’s Trade Review (May 1, 1948), despite the presence of Gale Storm. Didn’t we just do her? Yes, we did. It’s an amusing little comedy that pokes gentle fun at westerns.
The King Brothers score again with a hilarious satire on westerns that contains so much entertainment and fun that not only will the entire family enjoy it, but they’ll also insist that their friends see it too. Don’t let this offering pass you by.
Get behind this and sell it to the hilt, for with plenty of advance exploitation it should turn out to be one of the sleepers of the season.
… This is delightful entertainment from start to finish and the exhibitor who fails to take advantage of “The Dude Goes West” may well find himself considerably out of pocket. Crammed with humorous situations and presented expertly by the King Bros., it is a picture that will provide 87 minutes of rollicking amusement for the entire family. In classification, it is a satire on westerns, but one that is completely different due to the masterful handling of the comedy situations and the etching of the characters.
…. Much credit goes to Richard Sale and Mary Loos for their hilarious script, from which Kurt Neumann in his direction lost no opportunity for laughs. With this offering the King. Bros. take another step forward in their proven ability as picture-makers, this being especially true since this is their first wide-open-spaces offering. Correct selling and exploitation should turn this film into one of the sleepers of the season, so get behind it.
In contrast, Modern Screen panned the movie and the New York Times did not review it.
Modern Screen (September 1947) said:
This is one of the more anemic Westerns. The plot should be in the Smithsonian Institution (it’s that aged) and the acting is strictly vanilla stuff, except for Jimmy Gleason, who does right by the part of Sam, a bewhiskered old prospector who can really put over a cowboy song, and good-looking Gilbert Roland as Pecos, one of the countless badmen. Sophisticated Binnie Barnes is miscast as head of the gang that want the map and Eddie Albert is like a fish out of water in a straight role.
Produced by the King Bros., Frank and Maurice, who really should know better, “The Dude Goes West” is only for the most insatiable Western fans.
For Monday, we have a mystery lad.
Update: This is not Billy Gray, but Noel Parenti, thanks to detective work by Mary Mallory!
For Tuesday, we have a mystery borough.
In the Golden Age of film, Brooklyn was always good for a laugh. Always.
Also for Tuesday, we have this mystery book dealer. He approves of such goings-on.
Update: This is Francis Pierlot.
And finally, we have this mystery woman. She does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Catherine Doucet.
Note: Monday’s mystery lad is not identified in the cast list, IMDB, or the AFI catalog, even though he gets a fair amount of screen time and several lines of dialogue. A child actor of the day is the heavy favorite as our mystery lad, so on Saturday, I’ll post a known photo of him from another movie released at the same time so we can compare them. Curiously enough, he gets screen credit in that film. Players in our mystery movie with fewer lines and less screen time are credited, while he isn’t. Quite odd. I do not approve of such goings-on.
In the meantime, these folks have voted for this child actor as our mystery lad: Robert Hansen, Michael Ryerson, Jenny M., Janet Hoffman and Jenny Lerew.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mystery guest doing something illicit on the sleeping car of a train. He will soon be asleep himself – permanently – as one of the passengers does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Dewey Robinson.
We also have these three mystery guests.
Update: This is Chris Willow Bird, Chief Yowlachie and Tony Urchel.
And finally, we have this mysterious gent.
Update: This is Harry Hayden.
Brain Trust roll call: B.J. Merholz (Tuesday’s mystery book dealer).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mystery gentleman with a significant “Aha” quotient.
Update: This is James Gleason.
We also have this “Aha” gentleman.
Update: This is Barton MacLane.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests, including a nice bit of detective work to find the true identity of our mystery lad), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Michael Ryerson (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery robber), and Bruce Reznick (Wednesday’s mysterious sleeping car robber).
For Friday, we have these two Mystery Movie alumni….
Update: This is Binnie Barnes and Gilbert Roland.
…and here’s another Mystery Movie alum….
Update: This is Gale Storm, who pouts through most of the movie.
…finally, our mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Eddie Albert.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Michael Ryerson (Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (Thursday’s mystery bad guy), Dan Nather (Wednesday’s mystery sleeping car robber), Thom and Megan (mystery movie and Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Blackwing Jenny (Thursday’s mysterious comical sidekick), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Is that Billy Gray? I don’t know the movie though.
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Looks a bit like Billy Gray.
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Billy Gray
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Looks like Billy Grey.
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Billy Grey?
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Billy Gray?
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Billy Gray?
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Francis Pierlot?
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Park Row, 1952?
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An interesting guess, but our mystery movie has taken Horace Greeley’s advice, leaving our mystery borough in the dust.
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The mystery borough must be Flatbush, but although the bookselling gent is so familiar, I can’t think…the older lady looks like Florence Bates, but I’m only 40% on her; since I can’t think of anyone else, I’ll reluctantly and probably erroneously guess Bates.
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Our mystery book dealer should be familiar — he has more than 100 credits on IMDB.
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THE DUDE GOES WEST. Francis Pierlot as the bookdealer and Catherine Doucet Tuesday. Dewey Robsinson, Chief Yowlachie, Chris Willow bird, and Iron Eyes Cody, and Harry Hayden today.
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For Wednesday we have Dewey Robinson and Harry Hayden. The movie is “The Dude Goes West.”
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The Dude Goes West (1948)
Tuesday: Francis Pierlot; Catherine Doucet
Wednesday: Dewey Robinson; Chris Willow Bird, Chief Yowlachie, Tony Urchel; Harry Hayden
Monday’s lad looks like Billy Gray.
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Well, Dewey Robinson and Chief Yowlachie puts us in The Dude Goes West (1948) a Gail Storm and Eddie Albert vehicle. I’m wondering if this isn’t a sly nod to Albert’s recent birthday (April 22) and Earth Day which is rumored to be purposely on his birthday. In any event, a good guy and worth being remembered.
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‘The Dude Goes West’, Francis Pierlot, Catherine Doucet, Dewey Robinson?
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Billy Gray for the mystery lad?
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That looks like Dewey Robinson robbing a dude on a train going west.
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Edgar Buchanan today?
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Good guess! Uncle Joe may be moving kinda slow… but not in our mystery movie.
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Monday’s lad looks Rooney around the edges. Nice product placement for Schlitz on Tuesday
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Dewey Robinson’s eyebrows for Wednesday?
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Hmmm…
Unless Tuesday’s alarmed woman is Jessie Ralph, Elizabeth Patterson or May Robson (and I don’t think any of them are correct) as per usual, I’m only going to guess that as of today, Howard will guess the movie title and the cast.
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James Gleason and Barton MacLane.
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James Gleason; Barton MacLane.
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Aha! JImmy Gleason and Barton McLane!
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Jimmie Gleason and Barton MacLane. Dang it.
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B movie stalwart and Torchy fiance Barton MacLane today
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This week’s movie is The Dude Goes West. The actress from Tuesday is Catherine Doucet. The first two gents on Wednesday are Dewey Robinson and Chief Towlachie, Today’s actors are James Gleason and Barton Maclane.
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Gosh, the only one I recognize is Dewey Robinson from Wednesday. I gotta start watching more old movies . . .
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Jimmy Gleason!! And I’ll guess the kid must be a Watson, if Mary is on the case. 😉 I want to add–my, how I cringed at my comment above-I’d meant to write “must be Brooklyn”, not “must be Flatbush”…yeesh!
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Thursday’s “aha” gentlemen are James Gleason and Barton MacLane in The Dude Goes West (1948)
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The Dude Goes West 1948
Tuesday – Catherine Doucet (I think) / the mystery borough is Brooklyn
Not sure of the book seller, but that’s a nice hook up between the long shot and the close up.
Weds – Chief Yowlachie and Chris Willow Bird. not sure of the other guy
Dewey Robinson is the robber
Thurs – James Gleason and Barton MacLane
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Binnie Barnes enjoying a cheroot and the company Gilbert Roland, Gale Storm and Eddie Albert.
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Binnie Barnes, Gilbert Roland; Gale Storm; Eddie Albert.
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I couldnt think of his name… Bart… Bart… Ah… Barton Maclane… And Gale Storm… Again… Binnie Barnes… The Dude Goes West.
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Biinnie Barmes. Gilbert Roland, Gale Storm, and Eddie Albert.
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Per the Eddie Albert papers description at the Herrick Library, it looks like Albert also produced the picture. He produced three which didn’t do well and that was the end of his producing career.
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Interesting! I wonder why he didn’t take a producer credit.
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