Rollin' Plains
Cast & Crew
Al Herman
Tex Ritter
White Horse
Horace Murphy
Snub Pollard
Harriet Bennet
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Ranger Tex Lawrence and his pals Ananias and Pee Wee are heading toward the town of Powder Flats when a passing rider tells them that there has been a shooting there early that morning. When they arrive in town, they find it virtually deserted and discover a sign that says "Cattlemen Beware" signed by the Sheepmen's association. While Tex goes looking through town, Pee Wee and Ananias squeamishly search through a darkened hotel, where they meet Gospel John Moody. At the same time, Tex meets Ruth Moody, Gospel's niece, who tells him that it is she who sent for him. Tex and Ruth then go to the hotel, where they meet Gospel, who explains to Tex that he owns land with ample water that he has been sharing with the sheepmen and the cattlemen for years. When sheepman Trigger Gargan moved to town, however, he started the war because he wanted to force Moody off the land and keep the water for himself. Gospel goes to mediate a dispute between Trigger and cattleman Hank Tomlin. Although he abhors guns, Gospel agrees to carry one in his belt at Ananias' insistence. When he confronts Trigger, Trigger sees the guns and forces his cohort, Cain Moody, Gospel's half-brother, to shoot Hank and place the blame on Gospel. When Sheriff Tomlin, who was Hank's half-brother, arrives, he has to arrest Gospel for the murder, even though he doesn't think that Gospel is guilty. With witnesses and evidence pointing to his guilt, Gospel is soon convicted and sentenced to hang. Soon cattleman Dan Barrow comes to Ruth and offers to buy the ranch and pay for Gospel's burial. Tex is suspicious of Dan's motives and advises Ruth not to sell. He then tells Barrow that he will ride to a town some distance away and await a hoped for pardon from the governor for Gospel. During the ride back, Tex is ambushed and the pardon and his guns are stolen. He arrives before Gospel's sentence is to be carried out, but the Sheriff is only able to grant him a twenty-four hour stay of execution before the real pardon must be seen. While the sheriff tries to quell Trigger and a lynch mob, Tex helps Gospel to escape and takes his guns and ranger's badge from one of his assailants, whom he finds in a saloon. While Tex and Gospel are still in hiding, Barrow again tries to buy the ranch. Ruth refuses, but Pee Wee reveals the exact location of Tex's hideout, certain that Barrow is a friend. Ananias warns Tex, but Tex is too late to prevent Gospel from being seriously wounded. Tex then lets the word out that Gospel has died, even though he recovers from his wound. Some time later, Ruth summons Cain to the ranch. When he and his cohort Lope come in to the house, they find it dark and forboding. Their nervousness increases as Tex asks Ruth to play Gospel's favorite hymn, "Rock of Ages," on the organ and the apparent ghost of Gospel appears. Panic-stricken, Cain then confesses to killing Hank on Triggers' orders. He also reveals that Barrow is secretly a sheepman and is planning to ambush the cattlemen at Powder Flats. Tex and his friends arrive in time to stop the slaughter of the cattlemen and Tex chases Barrow up a mountain, where he falls to his death after slipping on a rock, finally ending the war in Powder Flats.
Director
Al Herman
Cast
Tex Ritter
White Horse
Horace Murphy
Snub Pollard
Harriet Bennet
Hobart Bosworth
Edward Cassidy
Karl Hackett
Charles King
Ernest Adams
Lynton Brent
Horace Carpenter
Beverly Hill Billies
Hank Worden
Augie Gomez
Oscar Gahan
Crew
Fred Bain
Francis Corbey
Edward Finney
Frank Harford
Thomas Hastings
Ciela Jaccard
Jacques Jaccard
Edmund Kelso
Al Lane
Lindsley Parsons
Teddy Powell
Bobby Ray
Cliff Ruberg
Walter Samuels
Frank Sanucci
Augustus Montague Toplady
Leonard Whitcup
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The opening title card reads, "Grand National Films, Inc. present Tex Ritter and his horse 'White Flash,'" however, in the cast of characters, White Flash is mentioned last. According to a September 22, 1937 Hollywood Reporter news item, production on the picture was due to be postponed from that date to November 10, 1937 due to conflicts with Tex Ritter's personal appearance schedule. It has not been determined what caused the additional delay until May 1938. Modern sources add Robert Walker (1888-1954), Clyde McClary, Bud Pope, Carl Matthews, Buck Bucko and Roy Bucko to the cast.
