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The Worst Film Ever

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I like Bob Steele westerns. Although a very small man, Steele excelled at using his fists--and created some of the best and most realistic fight scenes in any of the B-westerns. He also had a nice personality that made his films, even the very cheaply made ones, likable. However, "The Oklahoma Cyclone" has managed to do something I didn't think was possible--it made me HATE one of Steele's films!Why is this such a terrible old film? Because when it came out in 1930, it was obvious that the folks making it had little experience with sound films! Too often, instead of the characters DOING anything, they talk and talk and talk. They also stand woodenly stiff as they deliver their lines in a very unnatural manner. Worse is a pretty Mexican lady whose dialog needed captioning because you cannot understand her! The sum total effect is a film that is stupifyingly boring. In fact, NOTHING about this film is interesting other than it provides you a chance to see Al 'Fuzzy' St. John make his transition from a screen comedian to a cowboy sidekick--something for which he's most remembered today. Overall, a god-awful film with nothing to recommend it. However, don't assume all of Steele's films are like this--they could only get better!!

It's a good thing there were some other reviews here for this film, as I probably wouldn't have known what the story was about. To me, the dialog was virtually inaudible for most of the picture, although I did manage a clear line every now and then, like the one in my summary line above. Fortunately, besides Bob Steele, I managed to recognize B Western stalwarts like Al (before he was Fuzzy) St. John and perennial villain Charles King, looking almost slim in an early villain role.One could argue that this film offered a couple of firsts given it's 1930 vintage. In the opening chase scene, a sheriff's posse decides against following Steele's character down a steep, rugged hill, and the sheriff declares to his men - "We'll head him off at the pass". This is also the oldest Western in which I've seen the cowboy hero sing. At least it looked like Steele was doing his own songs. Bob, who's real name was Bradbury, had a brother Bill who picked up some spare change as a college student dubbing other cowboy crooners since he had a pretty fair voice of his own. Others will dispute it, but it was probably Bill who dubbed John Wayne's singing voice in 1933's "Riders of Destiny".Other than the handful of tunes, the only other thing this one has going for it is pretty Rita Rey as a romantic interest for the Oklahoma Cyclone, or Jim Smith as it were. Rita even gets to sing a song of her own, but it looked pretty comical when Steele handed his guitar to her, as she had a back-up band waiting in the wings.

Watching The Oklahoma Cyclone, it becomes apparent that the producers knew little about making a sound picture and just dove in head first. While their intentions are quite admirable, the finished product is not.The film's nearly all talk, with several songs and musical interludes, but hardly any action. Most of the actors, apparently unused to the sound medium, are very stilted, speaking very slow and very clear, particularly Charles King. Meanwhile, the Spanish accented actors are barely intelligible.I do wonder though, how well this played to audiences in 1930, not used to talking pictures.On the plus side, star Bob Steele appears to be singing his own songs and leading lady Rita Rey is very beautiful, even if I cannot understand a word she says!This is the first full-length western featuring iconic sidekick Al "Fuzzy" St. John. Even at this early date he manages to steal an early scene, even without the benefit of dialog, as he stands to the side and spits long streams of tobacco juice past the other actors as they speak!One frame has St. John almost entirely off-screen, but closest to the camera, launching a stream of spit that arcs across the picture like a half rainbow, landing right in the bottom-center of the screen, distracting the audience from the other actors!Eight years later, Steele and St. John would be back together, often with King as the heavy, in Producers Releasing Corporation's series of Billy the kid films.

Outrunning a posse is cowpoke Jim Smith(Bob Steele), also known as the Oklahoma Cyclone. He takes refuge in an outlaw hideout run by the Black Diablo(Charles King), who is suspected of holding Smith's father hostage. Pretending to be an outlaw himself, the Oklahoma Cyclone romances and sings to a charming Mexican girl(Rita Rey). Good thing he shoots better than he sings. When Black Diablo decides to make a raid across the border, Smith goes along thinking that is where his father is being held captive. A grainy black and white dusty rootin' tootin' cowboy flick fun to watch. Also in the cast: Al St. John and Cliff Lyons.