Wildcat Trooper (1936): A Gun-Smoking Kick in the Nostalgia

Ok, so “Wildcat Trooper.” Not exactly fresh outta the oven (we’re talking 1936, för tusan!), but there’s something proper charming about these old action flicks. I accidentally caught this one at three in the morning on some grainy film channel back in ‘98, you know, after getting lost in Malmö’s night traffic. I was still buzzing from a dodgy korv med bröd (don’t ask), so the adventure started before the opening credits even rolled.

The star here is Kermit Maynard – yeah, I know, not the one with the frog – who feels like he’s always two seconds from breaking into a brawl or throwing out a cheesy joke. Sometimes both. Then there’s the director, Elmer Clifton, who’s basically a bit like a Swedish pappa: gets right to the point, no faffing around.

So, what’s the craic? Mounties, fur smugglers, lots of snow (felt almost like a Swedish winter in Jämtland but less miserable), and those old-timey fight scenes where you can practically hear the actors wheezing between punches. Kermit rides, swings, and shoots so much you’re half-expecting him to end up skiing straight through the set.

I’ll admit, some of the dialogue is more wooden than my uncle’s old summer stuga, but that’s kinda the charm, right? Makes you wish you could sit down with these guys over a cup of riktigt kaffe and just ask them what on earth they were thinking.

What actually surprised me, though: it’s a bit more brutal than I remembered. Maybe I’m getting soft, eller så har moderna filmer fått mig att glömma hur pang på rödbetan gamlingarna kunde vara. Still, it’s silly fun. If you’re into seeing classic faces, snow, and action from a time before Hollywood started caring too much about being polished…ge den en chans. Just bring your sense of humor and don’t expect Bergman.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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