The Riding Avenger

Retired lawman Hoot Gibson is called back to service by the governor's order. Stanley Blystone's gang of rustlers needs to be tracked down, so it's up to Hoot, pretending to be the Morning Glory Kid, to find and infiltrate the gang.

There are about seven of the original 58 minutes missing from the copy I watched, so that may account forthe missing characters and plot holes, particularly how June Gale keeps turning up as the love interest. On the other hand, it's directed by Harry Fraser, though it lacks the long, leisurely, reason-free takes that he used to stretch out his movies rather than, say, something interesting. Perhaps editor Paul Himm used his abilities; perhaps whoever recut the movie for television did the good work; or perhaps the things that would have filled in some gaps were cut. In any case, as shown, it's not very good.

The biggest thing going for this and any other Hoot Gibson western is that there is not singing. Gibson was not a singing cowboy and he was one of the most ordinary looking heroes in cowboy film history. This has a lot to do with why I like the likes of him and Tim McCoy--two stars who were NOT pretty-boy heroes of the 'ol west! However, no matter how much I enjoy a Gibson film, it was hard to like this one--mostly because it was so low budgeted and the writing was amazingly flat. Unlike the often lighthearted film he usually made, this one is deadly serious...and not in a good way.

The film begins with Hoot being appointed the Deputy Marshall--quite against his wishes. However, he agrees to go undercover and infiltrate a local gang. Can he capture the gang AND the girl by the time the film ends.

There are no surprises, no twists and nothing to distinguish this film. In fact, my score of 4 might just be a bit generous, as this is a film that non-Gibson fans should avoid. Instead, try to see his talkies such as "Local Bad Man" and "The Hard Hombre".

The Riding Avenger finds Hoot Gibson much against his will posing as the notorious Morning Glory Kid but Hoot's really a deputy marshal sent to bring in a gang of rustlers headed by Stanley Blystone.

These are some nasty varmints who among other things have killed June Gale's father as well as rustled his cattle. With that Snidely Whiplash gleam in his eye Blystone considers Gale a part of the spoils of crime.

Unfortunately Blystone doesn't have an understanding or tolerant wife, he's got for a wife Ruth Mix, daughter of Tom Mix. In the end Blystone finds out there's nothing like a woman scorned when she's aroused.

The Riding Avenger is a no frills and easy to take B western which the Saturday afternoon matinée kids I'm sure enjoyed.