San Antone Ambush
Cast & Crew
Philip Ford
Monte Hale
Bette Daniels
Paul Hurst
Roy Barcroft
James Cardwell
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
While scouting for a U.S. Cavalry wagon train, Lt. Ross Kincaid receives a directive from his superior, Major J. B. Farnsworth, which is delivered by a man named Roberts. Unknown to Ross, the new directive, which instructs him to abandon the train and ride to San Antonio, is a phony, the work of Roberts' boss, Wade Shattuck, the crooked commissioner of West Texas. After Ross takes off, a gang of masked bandits ambushes the train, killing all of the soldiers before stealing a $100,000 payroll. Later, in San Antonio, Roberts and a cohort attack Ross and, as he lies unconscious, pour whiskey over him. Ross is discovered by Farnsworth, who accuses him of leading the train into the ambush. Ross is arrested, but with the help of his old friend, Sgt. Happy Daniels, he soon breaks out of jail. On the trail, Ross and Happy hear gunshots and witness a stagecoach robbery. To avoid capture, Ross and Happy do not interfere in the robbery, but later sneak up on the thieves and steal their guns and loot. Having heard one of the outlaws, Clint Wheeler, mention the payroll holdup, Ross and Happy then head for Mustang Wells, the town in which Clint's gang is based. Clint, meanwhile, returns to his ranch, where he lives with his sister Sally. Although Sally expresses concern over Clint's illegal activities, he insists that the holdups are the only way that he and other ranchers in the area can raise enough money to pay Shattuck's exorbitant taxes. Soon after arriving in Mustang Wells, Happy spots gunslinger Al Thomas and learns that he is working for Clint. At the same time, Ross discovers that Shattuck tried to foreclose on Clint for unpaid taxes, but the rancher came up with the money at the last minute, as did other ranchers in the same predicament. After Ross and Happy decide to ingratiate themselves with Clint's gang, Clint is shot at in the street by Roberts and two cohorts, who have been ordered by Shattuck to kill the bothersome "Robin Hood" thief. Without revealing themselves to Roberts, Ross and Happy fire on Roberts' men, ending their attack. Shattuck, having witnessed their gunplay, agrees to give Happy and Ross jobs guarding the stagecoach line. The commissioner then directs Roberts to go to El Paso and round up enough men to finish off Clint and his gang. The next day, as Happy and Ross are driving the stagecoach, Clint's gang attempts to rob them. When Ross informs them that the payroll is being sent on another stage, the outlaws ride off empty-handed. Later, however, Ross hands over the cash, which he had hidden in the stage's window shade, to Shattuck. Clint and Al see Ross with the money, and after Al accuses Ross of being a Yankee sympathizer, the two men fight. Clint and Al then confront Ross and Happy in their hotel room, and Clint orders them to his ranch. As they are leaving town, Roberts, whose real name is Clay Burroughs, recognizes Ross. Shattuck declares martial law and commands Roberts to capture Ross, whom he intends to put through a rigged trial, and kill Clint. At Clint's ranch, meanwhile, Clint convinces Ross that he did not rob the Cavalry payroll and denies knowing Roberts. Posing as an Army dispatcher, Roberts then arrives with his newly recruited thugs, and a gunfight ensues. During the mêlée, Sally finds Ross's identity paper, and Clint confronts him about the payroll robbery. Like Clint, Ross denies any involvement and identifies Roberts as the man who set him up. Ross then follows Roberts to Mustang Wells and, after seeing him in Shattuck's office, races back to the Wheeler ranch. Sally rounds up dozens of ranchers to challenge Roberts and Shattuck, and although Roberts is able to construct a makeshift barrier at the edge of town, the ranchers overwhelm the gang. Ross wounds Roberts outside Shattuck's office, and the commissioner then accidentally shoots and kills his accomplice. After Ross apprehends Shattuck as he is trying to escape town, he appoints Sally secretary to the new commissioner.
Director
Philip Ford
Cast
Monte Hale
Bette Daniels
Paul Hurst
Roy Barcroft
James Cardwell
Trevor Bardette
Lane Bradford
Francis Ford
Tommy Coats
Tom London
Edmund Cobb
George H. Lloyd
Russ Whiteman
Bob Wilke
Ted Adams
Carl Sepulveda
Crew
Lynn Burke
Frank T. Dyke
Dan Greenway
Norman S. Hall
Frank Hotaling
C. B. Lawrence
Howard Lydecker
Theodore Lydecker
John Macburnie
Mickey Marigold
Bob Mark
Enzo Martinelli
Tony Martinelli
John Mccarthy Jr.
Herb Mendelson
Marie Messinger
James Redd
Babe Stafford
Melville Tucker
Stanley Wilson
Stanley Wilson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The film's opening credits conclude with the following written foreword: "In the period of reconstruction which followed the Civil War, evil forces spread across Texas before its return to statehood. This is the story of a Texan and a Union Cavalry Officer who rode shoulder to shoulder to defeat those evil forces."
