Blood 'n' Thunder's Western Movie Roundup: Summer 2012

A sister publication to BLOOD 'N' THUNDER, this spin-off covers motion-picture Westerns from the dawn of the silent-film era up to the present day, with a special concentration on "B" Westerns of the Thirties and Forties. The first issue, being a trial balloon, reprints material previously published in BLOOD 'N' THUNDER. Leading off is a comparison of two Tom Mix silents, THE UNTAMED and JUST TONY, to the Max Brand pulp novels from which they were adapted. A behind-the-scenes look at the production of THE LONE RANGER, a 1938 Republic serial, features extensive quotes from co-director William Witney. Our lengthy piece on the first Hopalong Cassidy film offers a detailed chronology of the events that produced the inaugural entry in this long-running series. Likewise, a similar article explains at great length how Republic Pictures took Ohio farm boy Leonard Slye and transformed him into Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys. The bulk of the issue is devoted to a comprehensive history of legendary Western author Zane Grey's involvement with Hollywood -- a relationship that spawned over a hundred motion pictures. These articles have been extensively researched, and they present much heretofore unreported information. BLOOD 'N' THUNDER'S WESTERN MOVIE ROUNDUP is illustrated with well over 100 reproductions of vintage photos, posters and lobby cards. Many of the stills are candid, never-before-published shots taken during production of the films discussed.