Rocky Mountain Rangers


58m 1940

Brief Synopsis

This entry in Republic's "Three Mesquiteers" series has a misnomer for a title since the action takes place in Texas and pre-statehood Oklahoma, and the Rocky Mountains are in neither state, but Republic, which easily produced the best of the B-westerns, quite often used a title that had nothing to do with the locale of the film. Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston), Rusty Joslin (Raymond Hatton) and Rico (Duncan Renaldo) are Texas Rangers unable to enter the territory known as the Panhandle as it is not part of the state, and lawlessness runs rampant there, under the guerilla leader, King Barton (LeRoy Mason.) They discover a young boy, Danny Burke (Sammy McKim), wounded and left to die by the Barton gang. They nurse him back to health, but he is killed in another raid by the Barton outfit. Stony takes possession of the boy's gun and vows vengeance. Since the strip of land hiding the outlaws is under Federal authority, the Mesquiteers enter the territory with a plan to lure the outlaws across the Texas border. Stony, posing as his look-alike outlaw double known as The Laredo Kid, stages a jail break to free King Barton's younger brother Jim (Dennis Moore) from a Texas jail and insinuates himself into the gang. Barton has been forcing a Panhandle gunsmith named Manners (John St. Polis) to provide weapons for him, and Manners' daughter, Doris (Rosella Towne), is antagonistic toward Stony, whom she believes to be The Laredo Kid. Stony soon convinces her of his true identity. The plot to lure the Barton gang into Texas is progressing nicely until the real Laredo Kid shows up and exposes Stony.

Film Details

Genre
Western
Release Date
May 24, 1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Republic Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Republic Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by William Colt MacDonald.

Technical Specs

Duration
58m
Sound
Mono, Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6 reels

Synopsis

Lawlessness reigns when the territory known as the Panhandle remains unannexed to the Union, thus making it a haven for outlaws. Stony Brooke, Rusty Joslin and Rico, the Three Mesquiteers, are incensed when they find young Danny Burke, wounded and left to die by King Barton, the leader of the outlaws. They nurse Danny back to health, only to see him murdered in a Barton raid. Vowing revenge, the Mesquiteers discover that they are forbidden by law to enter the Panhandle because it is not part of Texas. As a result, they try to resign from the Rangers, but when their resignation is rejected, their only alternative is to lure Barton across the Texas border. To accomplish this, Stony poses as the outlaw known as the Laredo Kid, whom he resembles. After winning the gang's confidence by breaking Barton's kid brother Jim out of jail, Stony and Rico are welcomed into the group. Stony's plot is progressing when the real Kid shows up and exposes him. Things look bleak until Barton fatally wounds the Kid in a double cross, and in revenge, the Kid shoots Jim and helps Stony escape. Stony, Rico and Rusty then ride to prevent Barton from robbing the stage that is carrying a shipment of gold to fund a militia on the Panhandle. As a result of the Mesquiteers' bravery, the militia is established and law and order is restored to the Panhandle, which is then annexed to Oklahoma.

Film Details

Genre
Western
Release Date
May 24, 1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Republic Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Republic Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by William Colt MacDonald.

Technical Specs

Duration
58m
Sound
Mono, Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
6 reels

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Modern sources add Hank Bell and Budd Buster to the cast. For additional information, consult the Series Index and for The Three Mesquiteers.