Robert N. Bradbury
Encyclopedia
Robert N. Bradbury was an American film director and screenwriter who directed 125 movies between 1918 and 1941. He is most famous for directing early western
films starring John Wayne
in the 1930s, including Riders of Destiny
(1933; an early singing cowboy movie), The Lucky Texan
(1934), West of the Divide
(1934), Blue Steel
(1934), The Man From Utah
(1934), The Star Packer
(1934), The Trail Beyond
(1934; co-starring Noah Beery, Sr.
and Noah Beery, Jr.
), The Lawless Frontier
(1934), Texas Terror (1935), Rainbow Valley (1935), The Dawn Rider
(1935), Westward Ho (1935), and Lawless Range
(1935). These were inexpensively shot "Poverty Row
" movies; many were also written by Bradbury and almost all of them featured character actor George "Gabby" Hayes. Bradbury also shot numerous similar films during this period starring his son Bob Steele
or Johnny Mack Brown
. Bradbury occasionally billed himself as "Robert North Bradbury," "R.N. Bradbury," or "Robert Bradbury."
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
films starring John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
in the 1930s, including Riders of Destiny
Riders of Destiny
Riders of Destiny is a 1933 Western musical film starring 26-year-old John Wayne as Singin' Sandy Saunders, the screen's first singing cowboy...
(1933; an early singing cowboy movie), The Lucky Texan
The Lucky Texan
The Lucky Texan is a 1934 Lonestar Films B-movie western film featuring John Wayne, five years before his breakthrough appearance in Stagecoach, Barbara Sheldon, Gabby Hayes, and legendary stuntman/actor Yakima Canutt. It was directed by Robert N...
(1934), West of the Divide
West of the Divide
West of the Divide is a 1934 Western film starring John Wayne.-Cast:* John Wayne - Ted Hayden, posing as Gat Ganns* Virginia Brown Faire - Fay Winters* George 'Gabby' Hayes - 'Dusty' Rhodes* Lloyd Whitlock - Mr. Gentry...
(1934), Blue Steel
Blue Steel (1934 film)
Blue Steel is a 1934 Western film in which John Wayne plays a U.S. Marshal who is trying to capture the Polka Dot Bandit, who has taken off with $4,000.The film is also sometimes referred to as An Innocent Man in the USA.-Plot:...
(1934), The Man From Utah
The Man from Utah
The Man from Utah is a 1934 Western movie starring John Wayne, Polly Ann Young , Lafe McKee, Edward Peil Sr., and stuntman/actor Yakima Canutt. The film was written by Lindsley Parsons and directed by Robert N. Bradbury.-Cast:...
(1934), The Star Packer
The Star Packer
The Star Packer is a 1934 western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, George "Gabby" Hayes, Yakima Canutt, and Verna Hillie.-Plot:...
(1934), The Trail Beyond
The Trail Beyond
The Trail Beyond is a 1934 movie in the western genre starring John Wayne, Noah Beery, Sr., and Noah Beery, Jr..This film presents an extremely rare opportunity to see Wallace Beery's brother and nephew appear together in a movie...
(1934; co-starring Noah Beery, Sr.
Noah Beery, Sr.
Noah Nicholas Beery was an American actor, who appeared in films from 1913 to 1945.-Early life:His parents originally came from Switzerland. Beery was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He and his brothers William C. Beery and Wallace Beery became Hollywood actors...
and Noah Beery, Jr.
Noah Beery, Jr.
Noah Lindsey Beery , known professionally as Noah Beery, Jr. or just Noah Beery, was an American actor specializing in warm, friendly character parts similar to the ones played by his uncle Wallace Beery, although Noah Beery, Jr., unlike his uncle, seldom broke away from playing supporting...
), The Lawless Frontier
The Lawless Frontier
The Lawless Frontier is a 1934 American western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne, Shelia Terry, George 'Gabby' Hayes, and Earl Dwine.-Plot:...
(1934), Texas Terror (1935), Rainbow Valley (1935), The Dawn Rider
The Dawn Rider
The Dawn Rider is a 1935 film starring John Wayne.John Mason chases after his father's killer, an outlaw who remains illusive until he is tricked into revealing himself with a decoy gold shipment. To complicate matters, the killer is the brother of Alice, the woman with whom Mason has fallen in love...
(1935), Westward Ho (1935), and Lawless Range
Lawless Range
Lawless Range is a 1935 Western produced by Monogram Pictures, released by Republic Pictures, directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring John Wayne.-Cast:* John Wayne - John Middleton, aka John Allen* Sheila Bromley - Ann Mason* Frank McGlynn Jr...
(1935). These were inexpensively shot "Poverty Row
Poverty Row
Poverty Row is a slang term used in Hollywood from the late silent period through the mid-fifties to refer to a variety of small and mostly short-lived B movie studios...
" movies; many were also written by Bradbury and almost all of them featured character actor George "Gabby" Hayes. Bradbury also shot numerous similar films during this period starring his son Bob Steele
Bob Steele (actor)
Bob Steele was an American actor. He was born Robert Adrian Bradbury in Portland, Oregon, into a vaudeville family. After years of touring, the family settled down in Hollywood in the late 1910s, where his father, Robert N...
or Johnny Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor originally billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career.-Early life:...
. Bradbury occasionally billed himself as "Robert North Bradbury," "R.N. Bradbury," or "Robert Bradbury."