Down Rio Grande Way
Cast & Crew
William Berke
Charles Starrett
Russell Hayden
Britt Wood
Rose Anne Stevens
Norman Willis
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In the 1840's after winning Texas' independence from Mexico, General Sam Houston directs his energy toward gaining entrance into the Union. Believing that Texas should be denied statehood because of its pro-slavery sympathies, a group of politicians led by Judge Randolph Henderson and Van Norden scheme to sabotage Houston's efforts. After Van Norden proposes creating a state of lawlessness in order to convince Congress that Texas is incapable of self-government, he enlists Bayou Texas newspaper publisher Colonel Elihu Baldridge to put his plan into action. While publicly posing as a staunch advocate of joining the Union, Baldridge is secretly allied with tax agent Mack Vandall to levy heavy assessments against ranchers in the area and thus create unrest and dissension. Rancher "Lucky" Haines and his cousin Britt Haines, the town barber, openly oppose the tax agent. Meanwhile, Houston has sent Texas Ranger Steve Martin to Bayou to quell the disturbances. Steve poses as a rancher, revealing his true identity only to Baldridge. During a meeting that Lucky has called, Steve persuades the ranchers that violence will damage Texas' chances of joining the Union, and they agree to withhold action until the arrival of a commission from Washington that is to report to Congress on conditions in the border country. To convince the committee that lawlessness prevails, Vandall's men stampede Lucky's cattle, causing the rancher and his hands to pursue the malefactors to the town of Lobo, where one of Vandall's henchmen is killed before the eyes of the commission. The case of Texas seems lost until Steve discovers that Vandall knows he is a Ranger. Aware that only Baldridge has been apprised of his true identity, Steve becomes suspicious of the colonel. Steve then joins forces with Lucky, who tricks Baldridge into leading him to Vandall's hideout. The judge accompanies them and Steve and Britt follow. At the hideout, a shootout ensues in which the judge and Vandall are killed. After Baldridge is captured and admits to his treachery, all ends happily as the Stars and Stripes is raised on a flagpole in Bayou.
Director
William Berke
Cast
Charles Starrett
Russell Hayden
Britt Wood
Rose Anne Stevens
Norman Willis
Davison Clark
Edmund Cobb
Budd Buster
Joseph Eggenton
Paul Newlan
Betty Roadman
Jim Corey
Forrest Taylor
Lee Prather
Steve Clark
Eddie Laughton
Bessie Wade
Ed Peil Sr.
Bob Carson
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was After the Alamo. The picture opens with the following written prologue: "In 1836, Texas declared its independence and became a sovereign republic, only to face the most dangerous years of its brilliant and adventuresome history. Under the ambitious leadership of Sam Houston, the Lone Star Republic demanded its right to join the Union. But in Washington there were men sworn to the conviction that Texas must never be admitted as another southern slavery state..." Despite Texas' constitutional advocacy of slavery, the U. S. Congress accepted it as a state on December 29, 1845. Sam Houston (1793-1863) was an American general and political leader and the president of the Republic of Texas from 1836-1838 and 1841-1844. The 1939 Republic film Man of Conquest (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.2704) also dealt with the life of Sam Houston. Modern sources add William Desmond, Tom Smith, Art Mix, Kermit Maynard and Frank McCarroll to the cast.
