Copyright 27 August 1938 by Columbia Pictures Corp of California. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 8 September 1938. No Australian theatrical release. 6 reels. 55 minutes.
NOTES: Starrett's 21st of his 142 westerns.
COMMENT: Although it is not a member of the series of course (they didn't start until some years later and here Charles Starrett sports the unusual Christian name of "Grant" instead of the customary "Jeff"), here is gathered together as fine a gallery of the players who were later to figure in the Durango Kid series as one could wish. Even George Chesebro is present - in a one line bit as a rancher in the crowd, - but our main interest is in that delightful trio of villains, Al Bridge, Richard Fiske and Dick Curtis.
Eddie Cobb has a small part as a rancher - on the right side of the law unfortunately. Hank Bell has a fairly large part as the provider of the comic relief. Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers sing some pleasant songs. Edward LeSaint plays the heroine's father and the heroine is the lovely Iris Meredith. The film itself is a bit short on action and long on talk (even excepting a lively court sequence with a cranky judge), but there is a climactic shoot-out and Charles Starrett wears an enormous white sombrero and rides a striking palomino.
The direction and other credits are routine. The script is the usual chestnut - in fact it combines two chestnuts - the one about the do-gooder stranger being the son of the local bad man and the one about the town villain fencing off the pass so that the ranchers are forced to sell their beef to him. There's a bit of location photography and a nice bit of stunt-work at the start when our hero's double leaps on board a runaway coach. Alas. the dialogue comes across as being equally stilted as the plot.
NOTES: Starrett's 21st of his 142 westerns.
COMMENT: Although it is not a member of the series of course (they didn't start until some years later and here Charles Starrett sports the unusual Christian name of "Grant" instead of the customary "Jeff"), here is gathered together as fine a gallery of the players who were later to figure in the Durango Kid series as one could wish. Even George Chesebro is present - in a one line bit as a rancher in the crowd, - but our main interest is in that delightful trio of villains, Al Bridge, Richard Fiske and Dick Curtis.
Eddie Cobb has a small part as a rancher - on the right side of the law unfortunately. Hank Bell has a fairly large part as the provider of the comic relief. Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers sing some pleasant songs. Edward LeSaint plays the heroine's father and the heroine is the lovely Iris Meredith. The film itself is a bit short on action and long on talk (even excepting a lively court sequence with a cranky judge), but there is a climactic shoot-out and Charles Starrett wears an enormous white sombrero and rides a striking palomino.
The direction and other credits are routine. The script is the usual chestnut - in fact it combines two chestnuts - the one about the do-gooder stranger being the son of the local bad man and the one about the town villain fencing off the pass so that the ranchers are forced to sell their beef to him. There's a bit of location photography and a nice bit of stunt-work at the start when our hero's double leaps on board a runaway coach. Alas. the dialogue comes across as being equally stilted as the plot.
