The Cowboy Star (1936)
Director:
David Selman
Writers:
Frank Melford (story), Cornelius Reese (story)Stars:
Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith, Si Jenks
Columbia Pictures' newest cowboy hero, Charles Starrett, played just that in this fanciful Western which teamed him for the first time with blonde leading lady Iris Meredith. They would go on to make 19 additional Westerns together, one of the longest runs in B-Western history. Starrett played Spencer Yorke, a cowboy turned movie star who declines to sign a new contract with Hollywood producer Jack Kingswell (Landers Stevens). "Retiring" instead to Arizona under the assumed name of George Weston, Yorke arrives in the ghost town of Taylorsville just in time to save real estate proprietress Mary Baker (Meredith) and her kid brother Jimmy (Wally Albright) from a runaway team. Kidnapped by three outlaws on the lam, Jimmy is rescued by Yorke who arrives armed with a machine gun. After killing the villains in a hail of bullets, Yorke reveals his identity to an excited Jimmy and, now a real-life hero, is awarded a new and much more advantageous contract by producer Kingswell. One of the most talented actresses to grace B-Westerns, Iris Meredith appeared opposite William "Wild Bill" Elliott in four oaters and one Western serial (Overland With Kit Carson, 1939) in addition to her 20 with Starrett
