Tangled Fortunes: A dusty, scrappy little Western that won't change your life

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for 1930s poverty-row westerns where the shadows are deeper than the plot. If you want high-concept drama or crisp dialogue, look elsewhere. You will probably hate this if you get annoyed by stiff acting or scenes that seem to happen just because the budget ran out.

The whole thing kicks off with a murder that feels surprisingly rushed, even for a movie of this vintage. The bad guys are the kind of cartoonish villains who wear their hats low just to make sure you know they are the problem. They spend the bulk of the runtime leaning on the miner’s son, played by Buzz Barton, who looks like he is trying very hard not to laugh in some of the more intense shots.

There is this one moment where the gang is arguing over a map, and the camera lingers on a piece of paper for so long I started checking my own watch. It is not exactly a high-stakes standoff. It feels more like a rehearsal that someone accidentally hit 'record' on. The pacing is a total mess, but in a way that feels oddly honest for a movie that clearly didn't have much to work with.

I couldn't help but compare the flat, desert-y vibes here to something like Mountain Justice. Both movies have that distinct 'let's get this shot done before lunch' energy. You can practically see the sweat on the actors' brows, and half the time, it’s not because they are terrified of the outlaws—it’s just hot outside.

The villains are remarkably persistent. They keep asking about the mine location like it is a lost set of car keys. You’d think after the tenth time of getting no answer, they’d try a different approach, but no. They just yell louder. It gets kind of repetitive, but there is a strange comfort in how predictable it all is. You know exactly what is coming next.

Also, notice the way the horses seem more interested in the craft service table off-camera than in the action. It is a tiny detail, but it’s the stuff that makes these old B-movies feel human. It is not polished. It is barely held together by duct tape and cowboy hats. But hey, it is a movie.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Dancing Fool, even if the genres are miles apart. They both share that sense of 'we need a plot, fast.' Sometimes that works, and sometimes you just get a lot of guys shouting in the dirt. 🤠

If you are looking for deep character development, you are in the wrong place. But if you just want to sit back and watch some guys in dusty vests ride around a valley for an hour, it is fine. Just don't expect it to haunt your dreams. It is just a movie, after all.