Texas Manhunt
Cast & Crew
Peter Stewart
Lee Powell
Art Davis
Bill "cowboy Rambler" Boyd
Julie Duncan
Frank Hagney
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In Texas, Nazi spy Otto Reuther plans to halt the Allied food supply by sabotaging the cattle intended for market. To aid him, Reuther has recruited various upstanding American citizens, such as Paul Clay, Freeman, Mike, Evans, and Walter Jensen, a buyer for the Cattlemen's Association, to his cause. The saboteurs wage war by rustling herds, blowing up cattle trains, exploding dams and setting forest fires. Hoping to end the destruction, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sends special investigator Lee Clark to Pebble Creek and Rawhide, the only areas that have not yet been investigated. In Pebble Creek, radio commentators Art Davis and Bill Boyd are informed by local restaurateur Carol Price that a mysterious foreigner, Reuther, is staying with Clay. Art and Bill publicly question the identity of Clay's guest, and the fact that Jensen, who had declared bankruptcy, has suddenly come into money. Jensen and Clay decide to get rid of Art and Bill, but the cowboy broadcasters are saved from ambush by Lee, who listened to their broadcast in Carol's café. As one of the attackers was wounded during the gunfight, Lee, Art and Bill decide to check out all the doctors in the area. When Carol sees Dr. Mackenzie forcibly taken from his home, she follows the kidnappers to their hideout, and later reports the location to Lee, Art and Bill. The doctor is killed as they ride up to the hideout, but the saboteurs leave one wounded man behind. Lee reveals to Art and Bill that he is a marshal, and they unwittingly let Clay in on the secret. When the wounded captive is murdered, however, Lee realizes that Clay must be involved. Jensen pretends to join up with Lee, and drops a note to mislead the marshal, who remains convinced that Clay is the ringleader. After capturing Clay, Lee tells the ranchers that they can now begin their cattle round-ups, and Jensen offers to host a celebration party. In time, all the cattle are loaded onto the largest cattle train in the West, and Jensen and his men seize the opportunity to make a major strike. After Jensen's men set dynamite along tracks over a gorge, Jensen and henchman Hank Smith take Carol hostage. Carol escapes and reports to Lee, but the Nazis have left a bomb in her wagon. When Lee attempts to capture Reuther, the Nazi escapes in the wagon and is killed in the ensuing explosion. After the cattle are delivered to market, Lee publicly arrests Jensen after proving that he is the final link in the sabotage ring. With the spies routed, Lee returns to Washington, D.C.
Director
Peter Stewart
Cast
Lee Powell
Art Davis
Bill "cowboy Rambler" Boyd
Julie Duncan
Frank Hagney
Karl Hackett
Dennis Moore
Frank Ellis
Arno Frey
Eddie Phillips
Crew
Bill Boyd
Melville De Lay
Jack Greenhalgh
Johnny Lange
William Lively
Johnny Martin
Sigmund Neufeld
Lew Porter
Paul Schmutz
Bert Sternbach
Holbrook N. Todd
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This was the first film in PRC's six-part "Frontier Marshal" series, which featured radio stars Bill Boyd, Art Davis and Lee Powell. Sig Neufeld (also known as Sam Newfield and Peter Stewart) produced and directed all six entries. Along the Sundown Trail was the final release in the series, which lasted only one year. The following songs by Johnny Lange and Lew Porter are listed in copyright records for this film: "It's the Prairie Callin' Me," "Please Don't Say Goodbye," "I'm Crying Tonight," "Texas Rose," "The Fiddler and His Bow" and "Ridin' the Trail to Home." Although Lange and Porter are credited onscreen for music, only the Boyd and Martin song, "When I Had My Pony on the Range" was heard in the viewed print. The Lange and Porter tunes May have provided background music during the film. For additional information on the "Frontier Marshal" series, consult the Series Index. A modern source includes Kenne Duncan and Forrest Taylor in the cast.
