RANDOLPH SCOTT: The Paramount Years, 1932-1938

Even knowing Randolph Scott was one of the highlights of my career...There has never been such a complete gentleman in the long history of the motion picture business ... Randy was also the most unselfish star I have ever met.  -- Budd Boetticher in the foreword of Last of the Cowboy Heroes by Robert Nott

THE VIRGINIAN (Paramount, 1929), one of the first sound Westerns, was a significant one for several reasons: 1) it starred young Gary Cooper who was developing into one of the best actors in the business; 2) it featured an able supporting cast headed by the consummate actor Walter Huston (his film debut) and Richard Arlen; 3) the story was based on a famous novel by Owen Wister; and 4) it was directed by Victor Fleming, with assistance from Henry Hathaway. In 1939, Fleming would direct GONE WITH THE WIND (MGM) and Hathaway later became one of the more famous directors of Western films.

But one of the more significant aspects of the film is not readily apparent. A young native Virginian, attempting to break into movies, was hired by the producer to serve as voice coach for Cooper.  He also appeared in the film as an unbilled extra.  It was Randolph Scott's first Western role.  He and Hathaway would ride the same trail many times in the next few years.

He was born George Randolph Scott in 1898 (or 1903; dates vary) in Orange County, Virginia, but grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. His father was a textile executive and his mother was a member of a wealthy North Carolina family. Both parents were direct descendants of Virginia settlers.

He studied the textile business at Georgia Institute of Technology (later Georgia Tech) but sustained an injury while playing football. He then transferred to the University of North Carolina where he graduated with a degree in textiles and manufacturing.

The textile business held little or no interest for Scott and as he approached age thirty, he headed west to California, armed with a letter of introduction from his father to a slight acquaintance who was dabbling in the movie business, a fellow by the name of Howard Hughes. With Hughes' aid Scott landed several bit parts as an extra, all uncredited, but was finally cast as the male lead in WOMEN MEN MARRY (1931).

He then signed a seven-year contract with Paramount.  At first the studio didn't quite know how to utilize the actor after signing him.  After all, it had Gary Cooper for Westerns, Cary Grant for romantic leads, and Buster Crabbe for "B" features.

Reportedly, author Will James wanted Scott to star in his autobiography, which was to be filmed by Paramount.  Unfortunately for Scott, since the story would have provided him with an ideal vehicle, the deal fell through.

Finally, Paramount gave him a starring role, the first of many, many starring roles in Western films.  It was HERITAGE OF THE DESERT (1932), with a script adapted from the Zane Grey novel. Henry Hathaway made his directorial debut on the film. 



From 1932 to 1935, Scott starred in ten Paramount Westerns based on Grey's novels .  The first six were directed by Hathaway, the first of several accomplished directors to associate themselves with Scott during his career.

These Paramount films were not A-Westerns, nor medium-budget Westerns (what could be labelled A minus or B plus Westerns), but B-Westerns that looked more expensive than they were.  The illusion was created by the studio's practice of intercutting footage, panoramic vistas, and some non-action long shots from its Jack Holt silent series that had been filmed at much greater expense. Consequently, Scott and the other actors wore costumes and rode horses that matched the stock footage and, whenever possible, actors from the silent series were cast in the same roles in the Scott films.

Other studios often used stock footage as well. For example, Warner Brothers spliced silent footage from their Ken Maynard films into their John Wayne and Dick Foran series that were produced during the '30's.  But no studio ever utilized stock footage to the degree that Paramount did in the Scott films.

HERITAGE OF THE DESERT, despite its melodramatic plot (after all, it was a Zane Grey story), proved to critics that Scott was a natural actor who could deliver the goods in the Western genre, and that his future was a bright one.  The supporting cast included Sally Blane (sister of Loretta Young) as the heroine, David Landau as the chief villain, as well as Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and J. Farrell MacDonald.  

WILD HORSE MESA (1932) is one of the better entries in the series.  Scott again filled the lead role that belonged to Jack Holt in the studio's silent version.



1932

1925

Fred Kohler was cast as the villain, a dastardly individual who trapped wild horses by using barbed wire, a role that had belonged to Noah Beery in the silent version.  Sally Blane was again the leading lady.  Hathaway as usual utilized silent footage for the action sequences and emphasized characterization and character relationships in the new footage.

MAN OF THE FOREST (1933) was a superior entry, if for no other reason than its stellar cast that included Harry Carey, Buster Crabbe, Verna Hillie, Big Boy Williams, and, as the villain, Noah Beery.

If one were forced to choose the best of the series, it might be TO THE LAST MAN (1933).

Directed by Hathaway, the film was adapted from one of Grey's better novels. The story was based on the historic Tonto Basin, Arizona range war of 1887, a conflict involving cattlemen and sheepmen. Appearing in an uncredited role was little Miss Shirley Temple, making her film debut at age four.

While starring in the Zane Grey series, Scott was also appearing in non-Westerns, but not in any that served to advance his career.  He even found himself cast in two Astaire-Rogers musicals.

His most prestigous role during this period was in King Vidor's SO RED THE ROSE (Paramount, 1935).  Although Scott received some favorable critical notices, the film, with a plot similar to the later GONE WITH THE WIND, did not.  It not only failed artistically, but also financially, leading one studio executive to dub it SO RED THE INK!

By 1935, Scott had completed the Zane Grey series with ROCKY MOUNTAIN MYSTERY.  The following year he received his initial starring role in an A-Western, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, while on loan-out to United Artists.  Directed by George B. Seitz, it is one of the best of many screen versions of the James Fenimore Cooper novel -- which is hardly worth boasting about since most of them have not been good.  That is to be expected, I suppose, since Cooper was not a very good writer. 

Scott is the white hunter Hawkeye and Robert Barrat is his faithful Indian companion, Chingachgook.  Also in the cast is Binnie Barnes, Heather Angel, and Bruce Cabot.

In 1938, after appearing in several more Paramount features, Scott completed his contract with the studio by starring in James Hogan's THE TEXANS, his second starring role in an A-Western.  The remake of NORTH OF '36, based on Emerson Hough's novel about post-Civil War Texas, was not a successful effort.  An epic about the opening of the Chisholm Trail, the origins of the Ku Klux Klan, and the transcontinental railroad should be anything but dull -- but this one was.

Despite an excellent cast headed by Joan Bennett and Scott, with support from May Robson, Walter Brennan, Robert Cummings, and Raymond Hatton, the film clumsily failed as a result of having its continuity disjointed by an even greater reliance on stock footage from the Jack Holt silent version than had been true in the Zane Grey series.

Scott's career, however, was about to receive a big boost.  He reached an important decision when he signed a non-exclusive contract with Darryl Zanuck and 20th Century Fox.  As a result, he would be cast in several deluxe Westerns during the late '30's and early '40's.

TO BE CONTINUED ----- 

B-WESTERNS: RKO-Radio Pictures

RKO-Radio Pictures was created in 1928 with the merger of the KAO (Keith-Albee-Orpheum) theater chain and Joseph P. Kennedy's production company, Film Booking Offices (FBO).  The merger had been brought about by RCA which wished to get involved in the film business by providing sound for films.  RKO stood for Radio-Keith-Orpheum and Radio was added to the title as an acknowledgement of RCA's position as a major stockholder.

During the silent era, FBO had been responsible for several outstanding B-Western series starring Fred Thomson, Tom Tyler, and Bob Steele.  After leaving Fox, the most popular Western star of all, Tom Mix, joined FBO for his final series of silent Westerns.

Fred Thomson and Silver King

Fred Thomson was a great all-round athlete and an ordained Presbyterian minister who became a superstar cowboy at FBO during the '20's.  In 1928, he stepped on a nail in his stables while tending his horses and he contracted tetanus.  His illness was wrongly diagnosed and he died on Christmas day that year.  He was 38-years-old.

Tom Tyler

Bob Steele

Tom Mix, the "King of the Silent Cowboys," and Tony

After the creation of RKO, Tom Tyler and Bob Steele hit the independent trail at Poverty Row and Tom Mix signed with Universal to star in his first and only sound series.  After a pause in the action to allow the dust to settle, RKO embarked on a number of superior B-Western series.  The studio never produced as many Western series as B-Western factories such as Republic or Monogram, for example, or as many as the two second tier major studios, Columbia and Universal.  However, the RKO series that were produced were consistently better than any produced by any other studio.

Their first B-Western cowboy star was born George Duryea.  That moniker wasn't going to cut it and consequently he became Tom Keene.  Keene's tenure at RKO began in 1931 and ended in 1933 when the studio decided to discontinue its B-Western series.   Like Tyler and Steele before him, he hit the independent trail before eventually settling in at Monogram.

Tom Keene, RKO's first cowboy star

For two years after the Keene series ended, RKO produced no B-Western series.  Then in 1936, the studio re-entered the field with a series starring George O'Brien.

How good was this series?  When Don Miller wrote Hollywood Corral, his seminal study of the B-Western, he titled one chapter "How to Make Good Westerns: Fox, RKO and O'Brien."

During the silent era, O'Brien had been a popular leading man in prestigious  films produced by Fox, a few directed by John Ford.  In 1930, with the advent of sound he began starring in a quality B-Western series for the same studio.  When that series was terminated in 1935, he moved over to RKO and began another topnotch series. Because of the influential popularity of the Autry Westerns over at Republic, RKO felt obliged to add music and provide O'Brien with a comic sidekick.  Therefore, in some of the entries, Ray Whitley provided the music and the sidekick was often Chill Wills, who portrayed a character known as "Whopper."

George O'Brien

O'Brien's tenure at RKO ended in 1940.  A member of the naval reserve, he was activated when the U.S. entered WWII.  Looking around for a new cowboy the RKO executives found one on their lot.  He was Tim Holt, the son of former silent film star, Jack Holt.  As a teenager, he had begun acting in films in 1937.  He even had a small role as a cavalry officer in John Ford's STAGECOACH (1939).  By that time, he had attracted RKO's attention and he had been cast in a number of that studio's films, including a couple of Westerns.

His series was inaugurated in 1940.  He would eventually star in more B-Westerns at RKO than any other actor and in the process he would become the cowboy most identified with that studio.

(L-R): Ray Whitley, Tim Holt, Lee " Lasses" White

Holt possessed many of the necessary attributes needed by a cowboy star.  He was boyishly handsome, was an excellent horseman (in fact, a champion polo player), and a good athlete who could more than hold his own when it came to the action.  The problem was, however, that only 21-years-old when the series began, he looked even younger, more like a teenager than an adult.

That said, the series was supported by all the good production values that the studio provided for its B-Westerns and it proved to be popular with the juvenile audiences who were the primary fans of the genre. Don Miller even titled one of the other chapters in his book on B-Westerns, "...Or Anyway, Better Westerns Than Most: Keene, Holt & other guys at RKO."

As mentioned, the producers of the O'Brien series had added music and a comedy sidekick to some of the features.  The trend was continued with the Holts.  Ray Whitley would continue to provide the music, while the role of Whopper was given to Emmett Lynn, who always was more irritating than funny.  The role was later given to Lee "Lasses" White, which was only marginally an improvement.  Finally, Cliff Edwards, a much better actor than Lynn or White, was cast as a character known as Ike.  It was a marked improvement.

Holt's first series ended in 1943 when he entered the Air Force and flew missions as a bombardier in the Pacific theater.  The decorated veteran would be off the screen for four years.

With both O'Brien and Holt in the military serving their country, RKO produced no B-Westerns in 1944.  However, wishing to begin another series, the search was on for another cowboy.  Once again, their man was found right in their own backyard.

Robert Mitchum began his career as a heavy in the Hopalong Cassidy films, before eventually working his way up to good guy roles.  RKO took notice and cast him in several non-Westerns.  In 1945, the studio starred him in two Westerns, both based on Zane Grey stories.  In the first, NEVADA, he was given not one, but two sidekicks.  Neither was a singer and both were assets.

Hoppy and Bad Man Mitchum

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams was always a welcome presence in a Western and maybe he wasn't able to provide brains but he was able to provide brawn as well as comedy.  Richard Martin portrayed the character of Chito Jose Gonzalez Bustamente Rafferty, the character that he would be closely identified with for the rest of his acting career.  Martin, without Williams, would fill the same role with the same characterization in WEST OF THE PECOS.  As it turned out, it would be Mitchum's final B-Western.

Good Man Mitchum

  

The same year that the two Westerns were released, RKO gave Mitchum an important role in William Wellman's WWII drama, THE STORY OF GI JOE, and a star was born.  There would be Westerns, but no more B-Westerns in the actor's future.

Enter James Warren.  He was no O'Brien, or Holt, or Mitchum, but he was as good as Tom Keene.  However, the studio seemed to be marking time by starring Warren in only three films, also based on Zane Grey stories, released over the course of three years.  Richard Martin was there for the first, but was replaced by John Laurenz in the Chito role in the other two.  It was a step back.

James Warren and friend

Perhaps what RKO was waiting on was the return of its young hero.  But the first role for Tim Holt after the war was an important supporting role as Virgil Earp in John Ford's MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (Fox, 1946).  Two years later, he would receive his best notices for his role as one of three gold seekers in Mexico in John Huston's THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (WB).  In between these two classic films, however, he had already begun a new series of B-Westerns at RKO.

Still only in his twenties, the war years had matured Holt and he looked more like what a sagebrush hero should look like.  Holt had the good fortune of inheriting Richard Martin (as Chito) as his sidekick.  Both were good actors who enjoyed an easy rapport on the screen with the happy result being one of the best hero-sidekick pairings that the B-Western genre ever produced.

The music was absent from these postwar films.  Furthermore, Holt's range wear tended toward plain boots and denim without any fringe or frill.  The stories contained enough action to satisfy the juvenile faithful while at the same time containing enough plot that even adults could enjoy them.  In addition, the black-and-white photography, often in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California, was excellent.

 

Holt did adopt one affectation at the beginning of the series.  He wore two guns, but the left hand gun was turned butt forward.  Eventually, thank goodness, the gimmick was discarded.

The young males in the audience were probably thankful that Holt did not engage in much mushy romance.  That part of the plot was usually left to Chito, who was a cowboy Casanova.  That seemed to be more acceptable to the young male crowd, who would just as soon have had no romance in their Westerns.

Tim, Chito, Friend (Myrna Dell)

Oddly enough, while the Holt character usually had a different name in each film, Martin was always Chito Rafferty.  It was only toward the end of the series that Holt's character became Tim Holt.  This is also one of the few series in which the sidekick was taller than the hero.

RKO's B-Western series, like those of other studios, could not overcome TV's competition in the early '50's.  Hoppy, Gene, and Roy had already ridden onto the small screen when, in 1952, Tim and Chito rode into the sunset for the last time.  And so ended what was one of the best B-Western series ever filmed and what many believe was the best of all the post-war series.

I need to add a final note.  In UNDER THE TONTO RIM (1947), a gent by the name of Richard Powers portrayed the leader of an outlaw gang.  Powers had been born George Duryea, but later changed his name to Tom Keene.  After his starring days ended, he changed it again and was often cast in supporting roles in RKO films.  In the final shoot-out, Tim was forced to shoot and kill the outlaw.  I wonder if anyone appreciated the irony that RKO's last cowboy hero had just killed the studio's first cowboy hero?

THE END

 

BOB STEELE -- Part 2: Ridin' Down Poverty Row, 1930-40

You can read Part 1 here.

 

In this scene from THE OKLAHOMA CYCLONE (Tiffany, 1930), Bob Steele serenades Rita Rey with three songs, with hardly a break in between.  Rita then returns the favor with a song of her own.

Western movies experienced much difficulty in making the transition from the silent era to talkies.  Bob Steele, however, experienced little trouble in making the transition.  

First, he was young, handsome, and possessed an acceptable, though somewhat thin, speaking voice; second, he was a good rider, stuntman, and an excellent brawler; and third, he was an adequate actor -- and he would get better -- much better.

Unfortunately, the young cowboy was unable to make the transition with a major studio, but had to do so by starring in independent productions, whose cost-cutting measures were plain for everyone to see on the screen. 

Most Western stars, however, had to make the transition to talkies with independents, for only Universal, among the major studios, continued two Western series with Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson uninterruptedly into the sound era.  Eventually, however, even that studio terminated its Westerns and Maynard and Gibson joined the other cowboys making films for independents on Poverty Row.

In 1930, Steele entered into an association with independent producer Trem Car for a series distributed by Tiffany.  The eight picture series was filmed in 1930-31 and included the little cowpoke's all-talking debut, NEAR THE RAINBOW'S END.  The director was J.P. McGowan, who was frequently at the helm of Steele Westerns and had directed several of his silent features.  The next six in the series were directed by J.P. McCarthy.  Wallace Fox directed the final entry.  He had directed many of Steele's silent Westerns.  

Two of the screen's most prominent future Western comedy sidekicks, namely George (later 'Gabby') Hayes and Al (later 'Fuzzy') St. John appeared in a number of the Tiffanys.  

Si Jenks also appeared in several of the films.  He was an active performer in Westerns and non-Westerns, but never co-starred in a continuing series and is not as familiar a name as Hayes and St. John.  However, there is some evidence that both actors in developing their screen characterizations were influenced to some degree by the acting and comedic style of Jenks.

 

George "Gabby" Hayes

Si Jenks

Al "Fuzzy" St. John

It was in the Tiffanys that Steele made his debut, unfortunately, as a singing cowboy -- four full years before Gene Autry, usually credited as the first singing cowboy, made his motion picture debut in the Ken Maynard serial, IN OLD SANTA FE (Mascot).  

As most Western film buffs know, Maynard, Steele, and John Wayne, in that order, predated Autry as singing cowboys.  Wayne's voice, however, was dubbed and frankly ol' Ken's and Bob's should have been.  

Steele's inability to vocalize was demonstrably proved in the second entry of the Tiffany series.  In THE OKLAHOMA CYCLONE (1930), he warbled not one -- not two -- but three songs in rapid succession followed immediately by, without even a pause for a little action, a tune by the heroine.  J.P. McCarthy, who was not only responsible for directing the film, but also provided the story, should have known better.  

The film was made in 1930, however, so one must remember that the sound equipment of the day was still quite crude and had to remain stationary which discouraged action and led to many scenes of people standing around talking or, in this case, singing.

However, there was action in the opening scenes in which we see a lone rider fleeing from a sheriff's posse.  In making his escape, he takes a chance and rides his horse down a precipitous hill that the posse chooses not to try.  But the sheriff has a plan, he yells, I kid you not, "Go around!  Head him off at the pass!"

Of course, the rider making his escape is played by Steele.  In a nifty little scene, with his horse in a gallop, he removes the bit and bridle, loosens the cinch on the saddle, and with the horse still running he dismounts and hits the ground running while holding the saddle and bridle, allowing him to quickly gain a hiding place in the barn.  

It appears that the stunt was performed by Steele, though it may have been a double.  It isn't very realistic, but is still fun to watch.  Unfortunately, after such a rousing start everything soon comes to a screeching halt with over ten minutes of musical, if it can be called that, interlude.

On the other hand, the little guy did whip big old Slim Whitaker in one fight and Charlie King in another.  I don't know if it was the first time that he beat up Charlie, but I do know that it wasn't the last.  They fought many, many times over the years and as far as I know, Charlie lost every time.

Another interesting sidelight to this modest little film is the appearance of the Mexican actor Emilio Fernandez in a brief scene.  He portrays a Mexican bandito who is backed down by Charlie King and his henchmen.  It was his second film role and his first in an American production.  From that humble beginning, he went on to become Mexico's most famous actor, director, and screenwriter.  He is best known to American film audiences for his role as General Mapache in THE WILD BUNCH (WB, 1969).

General Mapache

In 1932, Steele and producer Carr terminated their affiliation with Tiffany, which was in dire financial straits and soon faded from the scene, and began to distribute their product through World Wide.  

The six World Wide vehicles were a great improvement over the Tiffanys.  The sound had improved, so had the acting, and there was a lot more action and a lot less singing.  

Another explanation for the improvement is that Steele's father, Robert North Bradbury, directed five of them, and also provided three of the stories and screenplays.  George Hayes appeared in three and Earl Dwire, a familiar face in future Steele Westerns, had roles in two. 

The third entry, RIDERS OF THE DESERT (1932), directed by Bradbury, is notable for the presence of both Hayes and Al St. John in supporting roles.  However, in this one Hayes is Hashknife Brooks, the leader of an outlaw gang.  In addition, it is Hayes that Steele whips up on at the end of the film.  Poor Gabby, he didn't have any more luck than Charlie King.

Earl Dwire, always with the long face

The association with World Wide, which lasted but one year, might have lasted longer were it not for the company's declaration of bankruptcy that brought production to an abrupt halt.  

The problems of Tiffany and World Wide were indicative of what was occurring on Poverty Row.  There were just too many companies, operating on shoestring budgets, churning out too many Westerns.  The winnowing process eventually took its toll and conditions did become more stable as the major studios re-entered the Western sweepstakes.  In addition, two new studios, Monogram and Republic, came onto the scene to specialize in better quality B-Westerns.

After World Wide disintegrated, Trem Carr formed a partnership with W. Ray Johnston at Monogram, bringing Steele with him.  Actually, Steele's stint at Monogram represented a homecoming of sorts for him since, as earlier mentioned, the new Monogram was the old Syndicate where he had starred in his last silent films.

The eight Monogram Steeles represented his best series since his silent days at FBO.  To the benefit of the series, father Bradbury and son continued their off-and-on association that had resumed with the World Wide features.  Bradbury directed five of the eight Monograms

father and son

It was in this series that George Hayes, appearing in seven of the eight films, began to develop and refine the "Windy" and "Gabby" type characterizations that later made him immensely popular in the Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers series, respectively.  

In the Steele films, Hayes alternated between villain and crusty codger roles, which he continued in the Monogram films of Steele's eventual replacement at the studio, John Wayne.  In the ensuing years, Bradbury would direct many of his son's films, but he also continued to work frequently at Monogram as Wayne's principal director.

In the midst of his Monogram series, Steele paused to make his sole appearance in a serial when he starred in Mascot's MYSTERY SQUADRON (1933).  Supporting Steele in the serial were three other cowboys, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Jack Perrin, and Wally Wales.

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and Bob "Little Boy" Steele

When John Wayne, Steele's former high school classmate, rode onto the scene at Monogram, Steele signed with yet another independent producer. 

The association with A.W. Hackel was a beneficial and profitable relationship for both.  In 1934-38, they were responsible for thirty-two films -- the first sixteen produced and distributed by Hackel's Supreme Pictures -- and the last sixteen produced by Supreme, but released through and distributed by Republic Pictures, which had been created in 1935.  Concurrent with the Steele series, Hackel produced a good one with Johnny Mack Brown (his initial series) that was also first released through Supreme and then Republic.

 

Most of Steele's films during the Republic period were directed by his father, who also directed several of the Mack Browns, while at the same time being busily engaged in directing and supplying stories and screenplays for the Wayne vehicles at Monogram.

In 1935, Steele on vacation from the Supreme series was cast in a featured supporting role in POWDERSMOKE RANGE (RKO). which was billed, because of its truly all-star cast, as "the Barnum and Bailey of Westerns." The film, directed by Wallace Fox, was the first in which all three of William Colt MacDonald's Three Mesquiteers were brought to the screen.  It starred veterans Harry Carey as Tucson Smith and Hoot Gibson as Stony Brooke, with Big Boy Wiliams rounding out the trio as Lullaby Joslin.

Tom Tyler, in his best performance to that point in his career and one of his best ever, was featured in the role of a reformed gunman by the name of Sundown Saunders, while Steele portrayed yet another "kid" -- this time the Guadalupe Kid.  Ironically, later Republic would team Tyler and Steele in its Three Mesquiteers series as Stony Brooke and Tucson Smith, respectively. 

The Steele films of 1936-38 were technically not Republic productions, but did benefit from somewhat larger budgets and thus were superior to the previous sixteen released through Supreme.  They were also more popular as a result of Republic's more aggressive distribution process.  

The record indicates that Steele ranked number seven the first two years of the Motion Picture Herald's poll of top ten cowboy stars in '37 and '38 while starring in the Republic films.  It is no coincidence that his only other two years in the top ten were in later years when he was co-starring in Republic's Three Mesquiteers series.

In 1939-40, after reaching the peak of his popularity in the sound era during the two previous years, Steele's career hit the skids and he descended to the lowest depths of his film career.  

It was at this point that he was forced to go to work for an outfit that made Tiffany and World Wide look like MGM in comparison.  It was Metropolitan Pictures, which was headed by Bernard B. Ray and Harry S. Webb.  Webb and Ray, in association with John R. Freuler, had earlier created a company by the name of Big 4.  After it failed, Webb and Ray established Reliable Pictures.  Reliable's principal star was Tom Tyler; it almost destroyed his career.

Out of the ashes of Reliable, Webb and Ray created Metropolitan in 1939 -- and it lasted one year -- and its sole asset was Bob Steele.  

Don Miller wrote in Hollywood Corral,  "When even the most unassuming Western series was showing signs of improving, the Metropolitan Steeles were a regression to the past, and conceivably could have harmed the future of the most indestructible cowpoke."

Why was Steele forced into the ignominious position of working for Metropolitan during the closing years of the decade -- especially since they were peak years for B-Western production and a time when the A-Western came of age?  One explanation would be the singing cowboy phenomena initiated by Gene Autry and in full swing by the late '30's.  And Steele had already proved conclusively that he was no candidate in the singing sweepstakes.

Studios and independent producers, on the lookout for another Autry, began to cut loose non-singing cowboys such as Tom Tyler and Bob Steele.  As a result, they found themselves reduced to working for outfits headed by the likes of Webb and Ray.  It is to the credit of both Tyler and Steele that they were able to survive the experience.