Excellent acting, in every part, carries a cleverly created story -- with a tee-niny bit of history as its basis.
Tom Keene was one of the most likable movie heroes, and it puzzles me constantly why he is not a household name today, except among hard-core western fans.
Here his character, John Storm, is supported by his younger brother, beautifully played by Jimmy Butler, and by Virginia City's newspaper editor Mark Twain, very interestingly played by James Bush.
This is an early portrayal of Twain, and the earliest I know of. The Twain persona became part and parcel of Americana in several versions of a one-man show, "Mark Twain Tonight," with Hal Holbrook probably the most famous portrayer.
Opposing Storm is the brains heavy, Hammond, whose first name is apparently never given, and the brawn heavy, Bates, fascinatingly played by Ray, or Rafael, Bennett.
Helping mark this film as a great one in its class is continual interplay among the minor characters, especially when they tease Bates about his upcoming battle with Storm.
There is some absolutely marvelous back-and-forth among the hangers-on and Bates and his fellow henchmen.
Apparently this is a little-known movie, since for now there are no other reviews, but it is available in a mediocre print at YouTube, which is where I watched it late 15 July 2015.
I want to see every Tom Keene movie available, and hope you will seek out those opportunities, too. He is watchable, likable, talented, and his movies are well done, with generally high production values.
So far, every Keene movie I've seen has had a good script and talented cast and crew. I highly recommend them all, including "Battle of Greed."
Tom Keene was one of the most likable movie heroes, and it puzzles me constantly why he is not a household name today, except among hard-core western fans.
Here his character, John Storm, is supported by his younger brother, beautifully played by Jimmy Butler, and by Virginia City's newspaper editor Mark Twain, very interestingly played by James Bush.
This is an early portrayal of Twain, and the earliest I know of. The Twain persona became part and parcel of Americana in several versions of a one-man show, "Mark Twain Tonight," with Hal Holbrook probably the most famous portrayer.
Opposing Storm is the brains heavy, Hammond, whose first name is apparently never given, and the brawn heavy, Bates, fascinatingly played by Ray, or Rafael, Bennett.
Helping mark this film as a great one in its class is continual interplay among the minor characters, especially when they tease Bates about his upcoming battle with Storm.
There is some absolutely marvelous back-and-forth among the hangers-on and Bates and his fellow henchmen.
Apparently this is a little-known movie, since for now there are no other reviews, but it is available in a mediocre print at YouTube, which is where I watched it late 15 July 2015.
I want to see every Tom Keene movie available, and hope you will seek out those opportunities, too. He is watchable, likable, talented, and his movies are well done, with generally high production values.
So far, every Keene movie I've seen has had a good script and talented cast and crew. I highly recommend them all, including "Battle of Greed."