The Cowboy Star (1936) DVD-R

Starring Charles Starrett, Iris Meredith, Si Jenks, Marc Lawrence, Edward Peil Sr.
Directed by David Selman

Print: black/white
Runtime: 56 min.
Genre: western
Print Quality: B

Columbia Pictures' newest cowboy hero, Charles Starrett, played just that in this fanciful
Western which teamed him for the first time with blonde leading lady Iris Meredith. They
would go on to make 19 additional Westerns together, one of the longest runs in B-Western
history. Starrett played Spencer Yorke, a cowboy turned movie star who declines to sign a
new contract with Hollywood producer Jack Kingswell (Landers Stevens). "Retiring"
instead to Arizona under the assumed name of George Weston, Yorke arrives in the ghost
town of Taylorsville just in time to save real estate proprietress Mary Baker (Meredith) and
her kid brother Jimmy (Wally Albright) from a runaway team. Kidnapped by three outlaws on
the lam, Jimmy is rescued by Yorke who arrives armed with a machine gun. After killing the
villains in a hail of bullets, Yorke reveals his identity to an excited Jimmy and, now a real-life
hero, is awarded a new and much more advantageous contract by producer Kingswell. One
of the most talented actresses to grace B-Westerns, Iris Meredith appeared opposite
William "Wild Bill" Elliott in four oaters and one Western serial (Overland With Kit Carson,
1939) in addition to her 20 with Starrett.