Hoppy, California, and Lucky pass through the abandoned town of Coltsville and enter a church building for shelter before a storm sets in. A tinge of horror movie elements are added for a few laughs at California's expense. During the night the church organ starts playing music. The team finds Susan Crowell and her mother in a vigil to keep the church alive. When a team of men arrive to destroy the church for its salvageable lumber, Hoppy and his pals defend the church until its rightful ownership can be established. During this time the history of the church and town, a mysterious deacon, and Susan's mother unfold as the standoff between those inside and outside continues.
Very few scenes take place outside of the church. As with most westerns there is gun play and fighting. A unique feature of The Marauders is the focus on the tense situation. In a way it is a pleasant break from the routine B western formula. Success can be attributed to a fine cast of actors, strong characters, and a director who was up to the task of doing such a presentation. At least one review of this movie mentioned the fact that the limited scene changes made this production cheap.
The Marauders would be a poor choice as an example of a Hopalong Cassidy movie or the B western genre because it is almost entirely a long story about a standoff. It is, however, a successful experiment within the Hopalong Cassidy series.
