Smoke Tree Range
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Lesley Selander
Buck Jones
Muriel Evans
John Elliott
Dickie Jones
Donald Kirke
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Nan Page meets cowboy Lee Cary out on the range after her horse throws her and she lands on a cactus. Lee removes Nan's cactus spines and gives her shelter from a storm, and during this time, they get to know one another. The next morning Nan leaves without saying goodbye after she discovers that Lee is part of the Smoke Tree Ranch, whose owner, Jim Cary, is trying to throw her off the ranch she inherited from her uncle, who died mysteriously. Jim is Lee's grandfather, a notorious man who considers himself king of the cattle country and, therefore, considers Nan's ranch part of his dominion. Lee disagrees with his grandfather's attitude and prevents Jim's foreman, Gil Hawkins, from roughhousing Nan and her little brother Teddy off her ranch. Still believing Lee is part of the conspiracy, however, Nan offers him only a perfunctory thank you for his trouble. Rather than being angry with his grandson, Jim admires his spirit, which he believes is much like his was when he was younger. Unknown to him, Gil is working with Wirt Stoner, a man-about-town who is head of a gang of rustlers who have been stealing from Jim's ranch and other neighboring ranches. Wirt wants to force Jim and Nan off their ranches so he can control their water rights, as those ranches are rumored to have natural springs. After talking with Ma Kelly, wise old owner of the local inn, Lee becomes determined to break up the rustling gang, and is most suspicious of Wirt. Wirt has plans of his own, however, and in the guise of friendship, offers a room to Nan in his hotel while she stays in town. At the same time, he has imported two killers from the South to murder Lee and Jim. Lee is warned about the hired guns by Juanita, a barmaid, and he saves both himself and her from being killed. Nan and Teddy then are kidnapped and taken to Wirt's hideout, but they manage to escape while their captors are asleep. Lee acts as a foil for Nan and Teddy so they can escape safely, and holds off the gang in a shootout. Meanwhile, Nan returns to her ranch, where she discovers that Jim has brought her the remainder of her uncle's cattle in a gesture of friendship. She alerts him to Lee's plight, and he and some ranchhands ride to Lee's rescue. A rustler tells Lee that Wirt is El Capitan, leader of the rustlers, and Lee and Jim confront Wirt, who is killed by Jim and Lee when he attempts to escape. Knowing now that Nan's uncle was killed by Wirt, Lee rides off to find Nan and get to know her better.
Director
Lesley Selander
Cast
Buck Jones
Muriel Evans
John Elliott
Dickie Jones
Donald Kirke
Ted Adams
Ben Hall
Mabel Colcord
Earl Hodgins
Bob Kortman
Edmund Cobb
Eddie Phillips
Bob Mckenzie
Slim Whitaker
Silver Jr.
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to contemporary publicity records, a sandstorm scene was filmed in the Mojave Desert during an actual sandstorm, and other scenes were filmed at Vasquez Rocks, in the Angeles National Forest. This is horse Silver, Jr.'s first film.
