User Reviews

As "B" westerns go, this one has it all. Plenty of blazing action, gunplay, fights, chases, stampedes etc. The Republic stuntmen earned their pay on this one.

Unscrupulous banker Luther Jennings (Leroy Mason) is trying to force "Duchess" Ryder (Alice Fleming) into selling her freight line cheaply to him. To accomplish this he has his gang led by Benteen (Bud Geary), Dave (Kenne Duncan) and a very young Bob Wilke rob the Ryder stages carrying Jennings own bank shipments. Insurance agent Walter Bishop (Hal Taliaferro) is in cahoots with Jennings raising the Duchess' insurance rates as the result of the robberies.

Red Ryder (Wild Bill Elliot) and Little Beaver (Bobby Blake) are trying to help foil the robberies. Red has been raising horses for sale to the Army. In an effort to further discredit Red, Jennings has Benteen and the boys stampede the horses and have the blame placed upon Red. Captain Glover (Steve Barclay) is sent by General Wingate (Stanley Andrews) to arrange for the sale of the horses.

Jennings manages to convince Glover that Red perpetrated the stampede in order to hide his possible bank fraud in the stage robberies. Red is arrested but convinces General Wingate to give him a chance at proving his innocence. Little Beaver finds the gang's secret hide out where the best of Red's horses are hidden. Dave agrees to testify against Jennings and Bishop.

Red confronts Jennings and Bishop with his evidence and......................................

Republic was always a step ahead of most of the other studios in producing "B" westerns. They had the best stunt men in the business and the best action directors as well. In this film we are given a brawl, a stagecoach chasing down a fleeing wagon, an over the cliff crash, horse transfers as well as a well staged gunfight at the film's climax.

Elliott was generally better than his material and was a better than average actor who had a long career in westerns. Tom London is along this time as Denver, Red's sidekick and serial queen, the beautiful Linda Sterling plays Carol Franklin whose role is never fully explained, but she was lovely to look at after all Leroy Mason next to Roy Barcroft, was my favorite villain. Hal Talliaferro could play bad guys, side kicks or sheriffs with equal skill..

One of the better "B" westerns that I have seen.

One thing about these old "B" Westerns - the title often had nothing to do with the actual story. Case in point, "Vigilantes of Dodge City" was not a story about vigilantes as one commonly envisions when hearing the term.

This film is one of a number of Red Ryder Westerns, the series of films that starred either Allan "Rocky" Lane or Wild Bill Elliott as the title character. The supporting cast generally included Alice Fleming as the Duchess, Red Ryder's aunt who raised him, and trusted young Indian friend Little Beaver. Beaver was portrayed by present day accused wife killer Robert "Baretta" Blake, then credited as Bobby Blake, and sporting a remarkable resemblance to the grown actor.

Bill Elliott does the honors as Red Ryder here, and besides helping out with the Dutchess' Ryder Freight Lines, he raises horses for the Army. Crooked banker Luther Jennings (LeRoy Mason) and cohort Bishop (Wally Wales/Hal Talafiero) scheme to set up Red with not only robbing the Ryder Freight Lines, but also of defrauding the government by rustling his own horses. Little Beaver plays a key role in this story, when he discovers a hidden cave that serves as headquarters for Jennings and his henchmen.

As a fan of these old Westerns, I find it interesting how different cowboy stars handled their six-shooters. Bill Elliott, in the heat of a good showdown, seems to "throw" his gun in the direction of his target as he fires, as if adding emphasis to his action.

If you enjoy this film, try some more Elliott Red Ryders, well over a dozen in all, including Sun Valley Cyclone and Sheriff of Redwood Valley. For a different yet similar take on the Ryder character, try Rocky Lane's Rustlers of Devil's Canyon or Marshal of Cripple Creek. All are from the mid 1940's, with the Elliott films preceding the Lane versions. For fans of the early Republic Serials, one of the better ones is The Adventures of Red Ryder from 1940, starring Don "Red" Barry as the title character. Have fun!