Springtime in Texas
Cast & Crew
Oliver Drake
Jimmy Wakely
Dennis Moore
Lee "lasses" White
Marie Harmon
Rex Lease
Film Details
Synopsis
Ranchers Jimmy Wakely, Denny Moore and Lasses White ride into the town of Pecos, determined to collect money owed to them by cattle buyer Sam Monroe, without getting into trouble. Their pledge is soon challenged, however, when town boss Pete Grant and his thugs, Blackie Smith and Red Higgins, accost elderly mayoral candidate Dan Larkin in Grant's saloon. Jimmy defends Dan, who is running against the corrupt incumbent, Lem Grainger, and a brawl erupts, during which Grant surreptiously shoots and kills Dan. Although Marshal Seth Rawlins, another Grant appointee, notices that Grant's gun is warm, he and Grainger accept the saloon owner's explanation that it fired accidentally. Later, after collecting their money at Sam's ranch, Jimmy, Denny and Lasses are ambushed by three of Grant's men, but outsmart them and steal their horses. In town, the three ranchers then read an article in the Pecos Press , which insinuates that they are guilty of Dan's murder. Jimmy, Denny and Lasses storm over to the newspaper's office and are startled to discover that the editor responsible for the article is attractive Kitty Stevens. Without revealing their identity, Jimmy and Denny begin a friendly rivalry for Kitty's attentions and buy subscriptions to the paper. Along with Lasses, they then find a room at a boardinghouse owned by amorous widow Prunella Bumpstead. Later that evening, Kitty apologizes to Jimmy and Denny about the article, explaining that the sheriff had given her the story. Kitty also reveals that Grant had forced Grainger and Rawlins into office, but that Pecos' honest citizens, including her uncle Jed, the owner of the Pecos Press , are now meeting to discuss ways to oust them. As Jimmy and Denny head for the meeting, they see Grant's men sneaking out of the express office and fire on them. During the ensuing gunfight, Rawlins and Grainger, who planned the payroll robbery with Grant, rush to the scene, pretending to be grateful for the ranchers' interference. At the meeting, the townspeople convince Jed to run in Dan's stead and recruit Jimmy and Denny to be his campaign managers. Determined to keep Grainger in office, Grant sends Red to blow up the Press , so that Jed will not be able to get out his campaign message before the election. Jimmy and Denny, however, race to Grainger's newspaper, The Bulletin , and coerce the mayor into printing an article denouncing Grant and implicating himself in Grant's crimes. While Kitty and Lasses are delivering the papers, Grant orders Rawlins to arrest Jimmy and Denny for the express robbery, after he has planted some of the stolen money in their room. To free his friends, Lasses dresses in women's clothes and creates enough of a distraction to take the marshal and Red by surprise. Sure that the only way to clear themselves is to force a confession out of Blackie, the escaped Jimmy and Denny take off after him, while Lasses stalls the election. After a fierce fistfight, Jimmy informs Blackie that Red is trying to frame him for Dan's murder, and convinces him to return to town. Blackie, Jimmy and Denny arrive in Pecos just in time for Blackie to implicate Grant and the others before the voting starts, and although Grant starts a gunfight, he and his gang are finally arrested. Later, after Prunella reluctantly parts with Lasses, Kitty and the newly elected Jed bid a grateful farewell to Jimmy and Denny.
Director
Oliver Drake
Cast
Jimmy Wakely
Dennis Moore
Lee "lasses" White
Marie Harmon
Rex Lease
Pearl Early
Horace Murphy
Stan Jolley
Hal Taliaferro
Budd Buster
Roy Butler
The Callahan Brothers
Johnny Bond
Frankie Marvin
Lloyd Ingraham
Crew
William Austin
Johnny Bond
Trem Carr
Oliver Drake
Vincent Farrar
Glen Glenn
E. R. Hickson
Frances Kavanaugh
Lindsley Parsons
Bobby Ray
Dick Reinhart
Frank Sanucci
William Sickner
William Strohbach
Jimmy Wakely
Film Details
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to the Screen Achievements Bulletin, director Oliver Drake also wrote an adaptation of the film's story. Daily Variety announced in February 1945 that Philip N. Krasne was to produce the picture. Modern sources add Robert Barron, Ted French, Bob Duncan, Chick Hannon, Pat Patterson, Rusty McDonald and Spud Goodall to the cast. According to modern sources, Raymond Hatton appeared in stock footage used in the film.
