Here we get to see a 1930 Mascot sound serial. Mascot made better ones before and after this one. It's the story of the mysterious 'Ramon,' (played by Walter Miller) suspected of being 'The Cactus Kid,' who helps and protects the heroine, Dolores Valdez (June Marlowe) from having her gold mine being taken over by the evil Amos Harkey (Lee Shumway).
Oh, by the way, the real star of the film is Rin-Tin-Tin, who gets top billing and was the most popular film star of 1926. The story goes that a string quartet would play while he ate so that he'd enjoy a stress free meal. This was his next to last serial. He died in 1932. He does better 'acting' in 'The Lightning Warrior' (1931) where he sympathetically gets to play off a very young Frankie Darro. Here, he is mostly all action, jumping, running at high speed, pulling at ropes and digging. He is clearly the focus of many of the chapters, with the humans in the background.
The story is too back and forth, and little really happens. We do get to see lots of mysterious hands, shadows, and eyes popping out at various times to add the scent of mystery that they gave to so many silent and early sound films and serials. Only a couple of the cliff hangers are exciting, such as when Rinty rescues Ramon from a cliff bound runaway wagon. The gold mine is in the Bronson Caves, which we see briefly in two chapters.
Although Lee Shumway appeared in bit parts in 431 movies, he is little remembered. Walter Miller, veteran of 251 films, mostly as a guard, a henchman or a gangster, can be seen in one of the major roles in Mascot's much better 'The Last of the Mohicans' (1932), noteworthy for the fact that many of the chapters end with up to four different leads in separate cliff hanger endings.
Finally, what really keeps us watching each chapter is to see June Marlowe (with her natural hair color) who played Miss June Crabtree in six 'Our Gang' Little Rascal shorts. Here we never get any tight close ups, but even in the poor TV print (mine was from Mill Creek Video), we can glimpse some of the characteristic visual and vocal expressions she displayed with Chubby, Jackie Cooper and Stymie and the rest of her 'class.' As I've said, 'The Lightining Warrior'(1931) is a better Rin-Tin-Tin serial, as are any of the others written by Wyndham Gittens, who wrote so many Mascot, Republic, and Universal good ones.
For Rinty and Miss Crabtree, 'The Lone Defender,' unfortunately, merits only a 3.
Oh, by the way, the real star of the film is Rin-Tin-Tin, who gets top billing and was the most popular film star of 1926. The story goes that a string quartet would play while he ate so that he'd enjoy a stress free meal. This was his next to last serial. He died in 1932. He does better 'acting' in 'The Lightning Warrior' (1931) where he sympathetically gets to play off a very young Frankie Darro. Here, he is mostly all action, jumping, running at high speed, pulling at ropes and digging. He is clearly the focus of many of the chapters, with the humans in the background.
The story is too back and forth, and little really happens. We do get to see lots of mysterious hands, shadows, and eyes popping out at various times to add the scent of mystery that they gave to so many silent and early sound films and serials. Only a couple of the cliff hangers are exciting, such as when Rinty rescues Ramon from a cliff bound runaway wagon. The gold mine is in the Bronson Caves, which we see briefly in two chapters.
Although Lee Shumway appeared in bit parts in 431 movies, he is little remembered. Walter Miller, veteran of 251 films, mostly as a guard, a henchman or a gangster, can be seen in one of the major roles in Mascot's much better 'The Last of the Mohicans' (1932), noteworthy for the fact that many of the chapters end with up to four different leads in separate cliff hanger endings.
Finally, what really keeps us watching each chapter is to see June Marlowe (with her natural hair color) who played Miss June Crabtree in six 'Our Gang' Little Rascal shorts. Here we never get any tight close ups, but even in the poor TV print (mine was from Mill Creek Video), we can glimpse some of the characteristic visual and vocal expressions she displayed with Chubby, Jackie Cooper and Stymie and the rest of her 'class.' As I've said, 'The Lightining Warrior'(1931) is a better Rin-Tin-Tin serial, as are any of the others written by Wyndham Gittens, who wrote so many Mascot, Republic, and Universal good ones.
For Rinty and Miss Crabtree, 'The Lone Defender,' unfortunately, merits only a 3.
