Colorado Pioneers

Perennial western good guy Red Ryder (Bill Elliott) travels to Chicago and captures the thief Bull Reagan (Roy Barcroft) and his two young misguided youths. When Ryder returns home he finds his home has been partially burned out, and his cowhands abandoning his ranch. Ryder and his aunt, "The Duchess", played by Alice Fleming, attempt to reform the young lads, but they haven't seen the last of Bull Reagan. Reagan returns and attempts to lure his former young aids back to the wrong side of the law.

An ok entry in Republic Pictures' long-running "Red Ryder" B-Western series, this is a Reform School Western about a couple of wayward Chicago boys taken in by Ryder's indomitable aunt, "The Duchess" (Alice Fleming.) She and Ryder whip them in shape but Roy Barcroft's villainous character - a sort of Fagin- is there to spoil things. I don't normally like films with too many sprogs - children in them - but this is pleasant viewing with clear morals and a nice message. There's an lively and lengthy wagon chase near the end.

In the tradition of the B western there are no pioneers in Colorado Pioneers. In fact the action opens as Wild Bill Elliott as Red Ryder is discussing the price of beef in Chicago at the close of the recent Spanish American War and everything was pretty settled by then.

At that point two wayward youths Billy Cummings and Freddie Chapman help Roy Barcroft pull a robbery on the cattle buyer Red Ryder was negotiating with. But even in the big city of Chicago no one track bad guys like Red Ryder and Little Beaver. He rounds up Barcroft and gets the judge to sentence the kids to a summer on Alice Fleming's ranch to straighten out. In fact a whole home for wayward boys gets to go.

Where not only does Elliott have to deal with Barcroft who has escaped but a neighbor of Alice Fleming the Duchess who has some evil schemes afoot.

When all the hands quit on her ranch, Bobby Blake as Little Beaver trains the kids in cowboy ways. This might have been the genesis for the classic John Wayne film, The Cowboys.

This particular Red Ryder film might have been meant for Roy Rogers, it seems more his kind of vehicle. You can even see where some songs might have been put.

Still it's an all right Red Ryder film.

William "Wild Bill " Elliott appears here in an excellent Red Ryder film from 1945. Elliott was the best of the various men to portray the Red Ryder and this film is a prime example of why.

Elliott is very convincing here as he helps reform wayward youth and then has to confront trouble back at the ranch. Future singin'cowboy Monte Hale appears in this one, as does the always reliable George Chesboro .

I have always felt that Red Ryder was best when it was a Radio series. This film and this lead actor come very close to living up to that high standard. Not a bad film at all ............