Renegades of the West

RKO doesn't get the high praise for its westerns that, for example, Paramount does, but its Tom Keene series deserves very high marks.

"Renegades" is an excellent film, with a superb cast, remarkably good dialogue, and even music directed by Max Steiner, later to win much fame for "Gone With The Wind" and "King Kong," among many others. (He didn't write much for this series, but placed the music well and appropriately.)

Tom Keene was a good actor who should have gone on to more fame and glory.

The script writers didn't just quickly throw together a bunch of clichés.

The directing was good -- in fact, it was by Casey Robinson, more famed as a scriptwriter of several classic movies, such as "Casablanca" and "Kings Row."

The entire cast was likable and talented. I hope all western fans get to see this one -- in fact, I hope all movie fans will see it.

Tom Keene wanders into town in a black hat in this one. He gets a job with Rockcliffe Fellowes claiming acquaintance of a jailbird, charms Betty Furness, changes his hat, adopts a baby and finally gets around to why he's in town in this amusing, eccentric B Western.

Casey Robinson was finishing up a couple of years of directing Bs before he headed back to his writer's desk, and he fills this one-hour second feature with eccentric character actors. Mr. Keene plays the reluctant hero amusingly. Miss Furness appears in her screen debut; her part had been cut out of another picture, and she would continue as an adornment at RKO with few lines; here, stuttering Doctor Roscoe Ates has to speak her lines for her!