Ride 'Em Cowboy (1936): A Dusty Race to Nowhere

Is this thing worth your time?

Honestly, only if you’ve got a massive soft spot for 1930s B-westerns or just really need to kill an hour while doing laundry. If you’re the type of person who needs a coherent plot or, I don't know, good acting, you’ll probably want to skip this one entirely. It’s a very specific kind of dusty, black-and-white comfort food.

The whole thing moves at a frantic, almost confusing pace. Jess Burns is basically just a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the movie doesn't bother with much heavy lifting to get him into that race car. He’s just there, and then he’s a driver. It’s charming in a 'we only had three days to shoot this' kind of way.

Oddly Specific Moments

• The way Jess looks at the steering wheel like it’s an alien artifact for the first time.
• The baggage car scene feels like it was filmed in someone’s actual attic.
• The race itself is basically just cars driving in circles while people yell at them.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Some Scout, where things happen just because the script says so. There’s no point in questioning why the sheriff is chasing him or why Chuck thinks a guy who can’t drive is his ticket to fame. It just is.

There is a scene where a rival driver does this incredibly over-the-top sneer that made me laugh out loud. I’m pretty sure the actor was just trying to remember his lines, but it came off as pure villainy. It’s great. The movie doesn't pretend to be high art, and that’s why I don't mind the awkwardness.

It’s not as polished as Tarnished Lady, but it has this weird, persistent heartbeat. You can tell they were trying to make something fun, even if the budget was clearly held together with tape and string. I’ve seen worse, and I’ve certainly seen more boring things.

If you enjoy this, you might also find the weird charm of His Matrimonial Moans slightly up your alley, though they are very different animals. Just don’t go in expecting to learn anything about the human condition. It’s a movie about a guy in a car. That’s it. 🤠