Galloping Thunder
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Ray Nazarro
Charles Starrett
Adelle Roberts
Merle Travis
Smiley Burnette
Richard Bailey
Film Details
Synopsis
In 1880, Steve Reynolds, a field agent for the Arizona Stockmen's Syndicate, is sent to Splitrock, Arizona, to investigate a series of horse rustlings. Unknown to the rustlers, Steve is the famed Durango Kid, the masked enemy of all outlaws. When word of Steve's mission reaches Grat Hanlon, president of the Splitrock Exchange Bank and secret leader of the outlaw gang, he orders some of his men to ambush the field agent. The henchmen, however, make a mistake and instead ambush Smiley Burnette, a singing bronco buster and a pal of Steve's, who is on his way to Splitrock in the hope of capturing the outlaw gang and getting the reward offered for their capture. Dressed in his Durango Kid disguise, Steve rescues Smiley and then rides away. Believing that Splitrock will soon be burying members of the outlaw gang now that The Durango Kid is after them, Smiley decides to begin an undertaking business there. Soon after arriving in Splitrock, Steve meets Jud Temple, the daughter of the late owner of the Flying T Ranch. Jud resents Steve's suggestion that Hanlon, her fiancé, is the man behind the rustlings. To turn the town against The Durango Kid, Hanlon orders one of his men to disguise himself as the masked man and hold up his bank. Immediately following the fake bank robbery, Hanlon tells Jud and others that The Durango Kid fled with the money. Though the fake Durango Kid escapes, Steve eventually captures another Hanlon henchman, Regan, and recovers the stolen money. Back in Splitrock, as Hanlon spreads word that The Durango Kid robbed his bank, Steve asks Jud to arrange another horse delivery to the Cavalry. Steve then tells Smiley that he plans to find out the truth about Hanlon by pretending to be a rustler and joining his gang. A short time later, Steve, using the name Buck McCloud, attends a meeting in which Hanlon offers his depositors a reward for rejecting the syndicate and giving him the their business. During the meeting, Steve slips out and throws a note through the window warning the ranchers that Hanlon is planning to steal their money. Despite their renewed trust in The Durango Kid, the ranchers agree to let Hanlon lead the next horse delivery to the Cavalry. Realizing that Hanlon is planning to stampede the horses at Oro Canyon, Steve tries, but fails, to persuade Jud to instead send her horses through Wagon Wheel Pass. Steve manages to prevent the stampede, however, by changing into his Durango Kid disguise and instructing Jud to ride ahead of the horses and head off the rustlers. When Jud and the ranchers encounter Hanlon's gang, a gun battle ensues, and Steve captures Hanlon. With the outlaws defeated, Steve changes out of his Durango Kid disguise and returns to work as the syndicate field agent.
Director
Ray Nazarro
Cast
Charles Starrett
Adelle Roberts
Merle Travis
Smiley Burnette
Richard Bailey
Kermit Maynard
Edmund Cobb
Ray Bennett
Curt Barrett
John Merton
Nolan Leary
Bud Buster
Gordon Harrison
Forrest Taylor
Crew
Tex Atchinson
Smiley Burnette
Charles Clague
Colbert Clark
Carter Dehaven Jr.
Richard Fantl
Jack Fier
James M. Goss
Jack Haynes
George Kelley
Juanita Lopez
Ed. Earl Repp
Merle Travis
Edwin L. Wetzel
Film Details
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Bronco Busters. For additional information on "The Durango Kid" series, please consult the Series Index and see the entry below for The Return of the Durango Kid.
