The Montana Kid (1931): A Simple, Satisfying Old West Revenge

Alright, so if you’re into the real old-school cowboy flicks, the ones from way back when sound was still a bit new, then yeah, The Montana Kid might be worth a look. It’s for folks who appreciate the simple grit of early Westerns, where the good guys are clearly good and the bad guys are just… bad. If you need complex characters or deep moral dilemmas, you'll probably find this a bit too plain. Don't go in expecting anything groundbreaking.

Bill Cody, our lead, plays a cowboy who just wants to live his life. Then his friend gets swindled out of his ranch and murdered. Just like that. It's a quick, brutal setup. Next thing you know, our hero’s got this kid, his friend's son, to look after. It’s a classic move, instantly ups the stakes for him. You really feel for the kid, Andy Shuford, even if he doesn't have a ton of lines. He's just *there*.

The whole revenge plot kicks into gear pretty fast. There’s not much dilly-dallying. Cody’s character, the 'Montana Kid,' is a man of few words, but you know what he’s thinking. He’s gonna get those guys. No doubt about it. The bad guys, led by the always-gruff Paul Panzer, are exactly what you'd expect. Scowling, greedy, and not very smart, which is perfect for a movie like this. They’re just targets, really.

One thing that always gets me with these older films is the pacing. Things can feel incredibly rushed in one moment, then strangely drawn out in another. There's a scene where Cody's chasing a couple of henchmen, and the horses just seem to *gallop* forever across the same bit of scrubland. Then, a whole murder happens in like, thirty seconds flat. It's a wild ride.

The gunfights are pretty basic. You get the sense they're firing blanks, obviously, but the way they stage them, it's all about the quick draw and the falling bad guy. No fancy choreography, just direct action. It's charming in its own way. You can almost hear the director yelling, "Just shoot 'em!"

I remember this one shot. It lingered on a wanted poster, really emphasized the bounty on Cody's head. Like, 'this guy is wanted!' We get it. But it just hung there for a good long while. Kinda funny, actually. The sound effects sometimes feel… *added on* rather than fully integrated. The hoofbeats are often a bit too loud, a little too clean.

Dorothy Vernon plays the love interest, and she's there mostly to be rescued or to offer a kind word. Her role isn't huge, but she brings a certain warmth to the stark landscape. Her character just quietly supports the hero, a common trope for the time.

The movie doesn’t try to be anything more than what it is: a straightforward Western. It knows its lane. It gets from Point A (friend murdered) to Point B (justice served) without a lot of detours. There's a sense of earnestness that makes it hard to dislike. It's not trying to trick you. It delivers exactly what it promises, even if that promise is pretty simple.

The ending is… well, it’s what you’d expect from a film like this. The good guy wins, the bad guys lose. The kid is safe. Everything ties up neatly with a bow made of frontier justice. It feels satisfying in a very old-fashioned way. No lingering questions, no ambiguity. Just a good, clean finish. 🤠

Didja notice?

• The horses are really working hard in this one. A lot of galloping.
• One of the bad guys has a particularly scraggly mustache. You can't miss it.
• The sets are pretty minimal. Lots of wide-open spaces and a few very basic cabins.
• When Cody first finds the kid, the kid's hat is just a little too big for him. It's a small detail, but makes him seem more vulnerable.
• Someone in the background of a saloon scene kept looking directly at the camera. Happens in these old ones sometimes.
• The music swells up really dramatically during the final chase. It’s very on-the-nose.