The Daltons Ride Again

The notorious Dalton Boys have decided to go straight and move to Argentina. Just before they leave, they learn of a friend whose land is about to be seized by a greedy land company. Before they can help, the man is killed by a company assassin. The brothers do manage to rescue his widow and head for the hills. There, they decide to revert back to outlaw life. Meanwhile, a newspaper publisher's daughter falls for one of the brothers.

Lon Chaney Jr. Switches from his wolf man films for a change and stars as a Dalton in a b-western chronicling the fictional exploits of the Dalton where they are seen helping a late rancher's wife - it's formulaic, but an efficiently made film with some good chases and shootouts, a fluid and energetic plot and some romance. Liked the twist in regards to who the main culprit is - surprised me.

1945's "The Daltons Ride Again" was the last of five Westerns that Lon Chaney did during his starring days at Universal during the 1940s. Like all the others, a routine plot gets a decent workout from a fine cast (Thomas Gomez playing the same villain that he had in "Frontier Badmen"), apart from the sluggish performance of top billed Alan Curtis as Emmett Dalton (a former male model, never much of an actor), with second billed Chaney stealing his scenes as Grat Dalton, Kent Taylor giving all the orders as Bob Dalton, Noah Beery Jr. his usual amiable self as Ben Dalton. Completed in late Sept. '45, it had already been a lean year for Lon, who only had done Abbott and Costello's "Here Come the Co-Eds," and the final two entries in the Inner Sanctum series, "Strange Confession" and "Pillow of Death" (both completed by March), while just ahead lay "House of Dracula," his exit from the studio that employed him for 28 features, 2 shorts, and 2 serials in five years. Freelancing thereafter, Chaney did just four features in two years before his triumphant return to Universal, reprising his 'baby,' The Wolf Man, in 1948's "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." Three final titles for the studio were 1951's "Flame of Araby" (costume adventure with Maureen O'Hara), 1952's "The Black Castle" (Gothic horror with Boris Karloff), and 1958's "Money, Women and Guns" (an intriguing mystery-Western starring Jock Mahoney and Kim Hunter).

Another saga of the Dalton Brothers where the siblings are Alan Curtis, Noah Beery,Jr., Lon Chaney,Jr., and Kent Taylor. As we know one Dalton did survive the ambush in Coffeyville and it's Curtis as Emmett Dalton who tells the tale in flashback as he's about to be sentenced for his crimes.

The guys are unapologetic outlaws, but they hear of the murder of an old friend of their father's and discover quite a web of conspiracy involving some landgrabbing by a development corporation whose branch office is headed by Milburn Stone. The real boss however traveling incognito is Thomas Gomez who's a kind of frontier character that no one really takes seriously, but it's all an act.

Curtis also indulges in a little romance with Martha O'Driscoll though crusading newspaperman Jess Barker is a rival. O'Driscoll's father John Litel the editor of the paper is murdered which sets off the climax.

As you'll see the shootout in Coffeyville is almost an afterthought. You'll have to watch this good western to see what I mean.

"The Daltons Ride Again" is one of those slick little second feature westerns turned out by Universal in the 40s. With no major stars, the film is nonetheless populated with many familiar faces from the studio's contract player list.

The "B" plot has the Daltons (Alan Curtis, Kent Taylor, Lon Chaney Jr., Noah Beery Jr.) on their way to Argentina to escape their past. On their way they stop at the ranch of a friend of their father's Tex Walters (Stanley Andrews) to pay their respects. It is no secret to say at this point that the Daltons trip to Argentina will be somewhat delayed.

It seems that the Prairie Land Development Co. is trying to take over the local ranches in order to acquire the right of way for the railroad. The only rancher holding out is you guessed it, Tex Walters. After Walters is killed by bad guy Wilkins (Walter Sande), the boys decide to stay around and help his widow. At the same time Emmett Dalton (Curtis) falls in love with the daughter of the local newspaper editor (Martha O'Driscoll) and plans to turn himself in.

While all of this is going on, the land company headed by Graham (Milburn Stone) and Wilkins are raiding the local ranches and blaming the Daltons. Of course the Daltons prevail and defeat the villains.

Director Ray Taylor keeps this little oater moving along. It has the look and feel of a larger budget film (except for the plot). It has some comedic elements as well, such as the Daltons telling the widow how well they know the banking business when they aid her in getting a loan from the local bank.

Curtis and Taylor are adequate as Emmett and Bob Dalton but the under appreciated Chaney and Beery steal the picture as Grat and Ben Dalton respectively. Other familiar faces in the cast are Thomas Gomez as the town drunk (or is he?), Douglass Dumbrille as the sheriff (sheriff?) and John Litel as the newspaper editor. Keen eyed western fans will spot the likes of Paul Birch, Richard Alexander, George Chesebro and Bob Wilke in various bit parts.

A good little western.