Bulldog Courage (1935)

Director: Sam Newfield

Cast: Tim McCoy, Joan Woodbury, Paul Fix

Synopsis: The son of a miner who was conned out of his mine by a crooked banker returns to his home town to avenge his father.

Tim McCoy takes on dual roles in Bulldog Courage, one of a number of forgettable pictures he made for the ultra-cheap Puritan Pictures.   The fact that McCoy appeared in nine releases in 1935 alone indicates the kind of quality you can expect from this one.  He plays Slim Braddock, a miner who takes to a life of crime after he’s cheated out of his mine by a crooked banker called Williams (Karl Hackett).   But Braddock only robs stagecoaches hauling Williams’ valuables.   Eventually, the financiers’ cronies catch up to Braddock, with inevitable results – but, years later, Braddocks’ son returns to avenge his father’s mistreatment.   McCoy makes a rather bland leading man, and is given little to work with from a pedestrian script from Joe O’Donnell, who churned out almost a hundred similar potboilers over 18 years.   The only moments of interest arise with the all-too-brief appearance of Paul Fix (Bridge of Sighs, Dr. Cyclops) in the part of an explosives expert, otherwise it’s pretty dull fare.

(Reviewed 19th May 2016)