boblipton When there's a prison break, the escaping cons carry Warren Hull away with them. They are recaptured, but he is not, and they blame the death of a guard on him. Hull makes his way to Tempe. Arizona where, along with screen dog Grey Shadow (in his film debut), he goes to work for John Wilson and his daughter, Isabel Jewel. Yet bad luck pursues him. The marshal recognizes him and he is about to turn himself in, when the cons, who have escaped again, turn up in Tempe and rob the bank, killing a man. Hull is assumed to be part of their gang, and flees, making his way into the desert to track them down and prove his innocence.It's an okay little picture, mostly interesting for location shooting in the Arizona desert. It's surprising to realize through the poor prints and ludicrous credits of Jack Greenhaigh -- REEFER MADNESS and ROBOT MONSTER were two of the best remembered of the almost 200 features that he shot -- that there were tremendous reserves of technical ability in Hollywood. Although he worked in the Bs for his entire career, Greenhaigh was a respected craftsman and for many years held the record for being the youngest member of the American Society of Cinematographers.As for the director of this movie, Sam Newfield, a lot of people thought of him as a hack. Well, maybe. However, he turned out over 200 movies in 30 years behind the megaphone, and made money and careers for a lot of people. In a field of commercial art, that's worth at least as much as someone who turns out beautiful movies that the critics love and no one pays to see. This one was bright, quick, decently acted, and kept me watching, unlike many a well-regarded work of art.

Leofwine_draca MARKED MEN is a B-movie thriller with an unknown cast and brief running time. The setting is the desert, where an escaped convict hides out while being pursued by the authorities. The story develops when another, more murderous convict turns up at the scene with his old gang, and there's unfinished business between the two men. All of this material is ordinary and predictable, but where MARKED MEN works is in the presentation of a loyal and heroic German Shepherd called Wolf who saves the day time and again. He's one of the most adorable screen dogs I've seen in a while.

MartinHafer Although I have often said that the films of tiny PRC Studio stink, this is an exception. While "Marked Men" is not a great film, it does not stink and there are some likable qualities in this low-budget B-movie. So I will amend it to 'they stink...most of the time'."Marked Men" starts just after a prison break. One guy, Bill Carver (Warren Hull) has made the break along with the rest of the men but he is different--he WAS actually innocent and his 'friend' who orchestrated the break had set him up to take the rap. Soon the police arrive and kill or capture five of the escapees--and Carver manages to evade them.Carver wanders many states away and chooses to head to the Arizona desert (?!). Eventually he makes it to Tempe, Arizona and sets down roots in the community. Soon, he and his dog 'Wolf' manage to become beloved citizens--but Carver is always wary that his past might come back to haunt him. How Carver manages to prove his innocence (along with the help of his trusty Wolf) is pretty entertaining and the final portion of the film is great.This is an odd film because it seemed a lot like an old Rin Tin Tin film from the silent era melded with a more modern crime drama. An odd combination, certainly, but it does manage to entertain. This is not high art, but for a super-low budget B it manages to work well and has a more than satisfying ending. I give it an 8 because although low budgeted, it managed to make the absolute most of the few dollars spent on it.

Portable_universe This movie is in the public domain. A friend of mine downloaded it as "Desert Escape" and gave it, along with a batch of other public domain movies, to me as a gift. Whenever the weather is poor and I'm home I pull one out. I've been pleasantly surprised to find some interesting movies and big stars. This movie doesn't have any big stars -- at least not any I recognize -- but it has an interesting setting: Tempe, Arizona, and the surrounding desert, in modern times (1940 -- although the movie appears to have been made a little before that-- it has a late 30's feel). So many old movies are set in New York (to take advantage of sets already built?) that my interest is always piqued by an unusual setting. The story revolves around Bill Carver, who was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit -- or did he? What makes this movie worth watching is his interaction with Wolf the dog, the old-fashioned sentiments expressed by the main characters, and a scene at a picnic that appeared to use local residents as extras. Will you be riveted by the story? Maybe not. It's a fairly standard crime drama brought home, but I thought it was above average in execution and the dog (a Rin-Tin-Tin-ish shepherd) adds greatly to the story.