Between Men: A 1935 Western That Moves Fast and Thinks Later

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for the kind of grainy, low-budget Westerns that used to fill up Saturday afternoon TV blocks, then Between Men is a perfectly fine way to kill an hour. It’s got horses, it’s got folks in cowboy hats yelling at each other, and the plot is thin enough to see through but sturdy enough to keep moving.

If you need high-stakes drama or performances that won't feel stiff, maybe look elsewhere. You aren't getting Shakespeare here, just a lot of men riding horses toward the horizon.

The Setup

The movie kicks off with a shooting that feels like it happens in about three seconds. Johnny gets shot, his dad panics, kills the guy, and bolts. It’s a bit aggressive, honestly. The pacing doesn't give you much time to process why the dad is so quick on the trigger, but hey, it’s 1935—we’ve got a movie to get to.

Fast forward a few years and Johnny is all grown up, living the good life with Sir George. Suddenly there’s a missing granddaughter, and the movie turns into a search party. It’s all very convenient. You can almost feel the writers, Bradbury and Royal, just ticking boxes on a checklist.

Observations from the trail

• Johnny Mack Brown has this way of squinting at the camera that makes me think he’s trying to remember his lines.
• The landscape looks exactly like the same patch of desert used in The Head Guy. I’m pretty sure I saw the same rock formation twice.
• There’s a moment where a character enters a room and just stands there for a beat too long. It’s awkward. I loved it.

There's a complete lack of tension when the two leads finally share the screen, despite the whole 'long-lost father' angle. It’s funny how they just talk about the girl and the horses like they aren't actually related. The movie clearly doesn't care about the emotional payoff, so why should I?

It’s not as chaotic as The Song and the Sergeant, but it’s definitely got that same feeling of being churned out on a tight schedule. The audio mix is a bit scratchy, and sometimes the dialogue sounds like it was recorded inside a tin bucket. But that’s the charm, right?

I caught myself looking at the background extras more than the main plot. One guy in the back of the saloon scene is clearly just holding a glass and staring at the wall for the entire duration of the conversation. It’s the little things that keep these old flicks interesting.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even a great Western. But it’s got a pulse, and sometimes that’s enough. 🤠