Riders of the West

Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, and Raymond Hatton are called in to solve a series of sometimes deadly cattle rustling incidents, all involving ranchers indebted to the local bank.

An okay entry in Monogram Pictures' Rough Riders series, this is a little more plot-heavy than the average poverty row western programmer. Once again, action and gun-play take a backseat to undercover sleuthing, with the Riders' well-used tactic of disguising themselves as separate strangers in order to work different angles of the case. McCoy manages to outshine his co-stars yet again.

Always fun to watch is Charles King, playing a heavy for the umpteenth time in a B-western.

"Riders of the West" was another in Monogram's "Rough Rider" series starring Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton. It's not their best feature but the chemistry between the three stars makes it enjoyable nonetheless. It boasts a good cast of supporting players, some of which in my opinion, were miscast.

The story is that old "B" western standby of the bad guys rustling the local ranchers cattle in order to force them to mortgage their ranches with the villainous banker.

First we have the crooked banker, Miller (Walter McGrail), the crooked saloon owner, Duke Mason (Harry Woods - minus his signature mustache), the crooked rancher, John Holt (Robert Frazer), the crooked sheriff (Lee Phelps) and the "henchies", Hogan (Charles King), Slim (Tom London), Red (Bud Osborne) and Kermit Maynard as "one of the boys".

There's the son of the villainous rancher, Steve Holt (Dennis Moore) romancing Hope Turner (Christine McIntyre) daughter of the feisty old Ma Turner (Sarah Padden) who sends for the Rough Riders. Milburn Morante is also along as Joe, the storekeeper.

Jones doesn't go under cover in this one but McCoy poses as the Cattlemen's Association Investigator and Hatton as a snake oil salesmen. Before long the "boys" identify the trouble makers and bring them to justice.

This film, like others in the series contains little in the way of action. There's the usual shooting the gun out of the villain's hand sequences but no fisticuffs. The casting of Walter McGrail was a mistake. I mean they had Harry Woods in the cast. He was one of the baddest of bad guys ever to ride out of Gower Gulch. He has little to do in this one except play second banana to McGrail.

The producers also had Charlie King in the cast but he too has little to do, as does the veteran Tom London, and Bud Osborne doesn't even get to drive a stagecoach. Some veteran observers might remember Christine McIntyre as foil for the Three Stooges.

In spite of its faults, it's still a thrill for me to watch these three veteran stars (all went back to the silents) perform together.

Before Rough Riders arrive on the scene there's a killing that wasn't supposed to happen. However, Buck gets a letter at Red Bluff from Ma Turner (Sarah Padden), "I smell somethin stronger than rosin but I don't know what". Tim is on the scene and Ray is coming on strong. The rustling operation is bankrolled by Miller (Walter McGrail) who teams up with Hollywood's 'all time meanest villain' Harry Woods, Robert Frazer and the sheriff (Lee Phelps). Charles King,Tom London, Bud Osborne and Kermit Maynard prove that they're the best henchmen in the business. Christine McIntyre, Dennis Moore and Milburn Morante as Joe the storekeeper round out a wonderful cast.

Sarah Padden a tough old frontierswoman and rancher calls on an old friend Buck Jones a US Marshal to investigate rustling in her area. When you call on one Rough Rider you get three as Marshals Tim McCoy and Raymond Hatton come to help also.

The situation is a bad one as a lot of the ranchers are mortgaged to the hilt to the town banker Walter McGrail. So you know he has to be the one behind the rustling with a couple of other partners. Bankers were popular villains in those years.

One thing about McGrail that kind of tickled me. When the jig is up and the Rough Riders are closing in, McGrail's instinct as a banker kind of tickled my funny bone.

You'll have to watch Riders Of The West to find out.