Stage to Mesa City

In this popular film in Lash Larue's series of low-budget 1940's westerns, the black-clad whip-slinger takes on murder and corruption in a small western town. The dated storyline is interesting, though the outcome of the mystery is somewhat predictable.

Larue was never an accomplished actor, yet he does have an on screen persona in these films that makes the film entertaining for B-western fans. His deadpan delivery and feisty demeanor make him even more believable as he pursues the murderin' rascal in question. As always, Fuzzy St.John gives a humorous performance as the clown in prospector's clothing who aides Lash in "tracking" the dirty villain responsible for murder and mayhem.

Elementary, my dear Lash !

Stage To Mesa City has US Marshals Lash LaRue and Al St.John on a mission to investigate some stagecoach wars and why someone is so determined to put Steve Clark's line out of business. The guys arrive just in time to greet a shot a and dying Clark out on the prairie and to rescue his kids at the hands of the outlaws who have a mysterious and unknown leader.

The kids are Jennifer Holt and Brad Slaven and they have no idea who wants their line and the mail contract that could go with it. The outlaws also seem to know every move they make. So it's a bit of detective work for both Lash and Fuzzy.

The leader is a clever dude and in a position to know all. I think you can figure out who it is just watching the film.

The usual hard riding and gunplay with Lash LaRue using the bullwhip to disarm one villain.

PRC had no money to spend and spend they didn't. A lot of stock footage that any B western fan will recognize instantly.

The Lash's fans will be pleased.

I am giving this movie a 10 rating only because Lash was my first crush when we got our first television in the early 1950s. I also watched Encore Westerns yesterday, the tribute to Lash showing six of his Marshal Cheyenne Davis movies filmed in 1947. At the end of the six hours, I was going bonkers. The music drove me crazy during the chase scenes, the same music in all six movies, thank goodness for the mute button. And Fuzzy St. John's antics wore thin. I just wanted to see Lash give some lovely damsels a few smooches, but no such luck.

However, what a cheap movie company this was! In almost all of the films I watched yesterday, there were the same exact scenes over and over, in each of the movies. In two of the movies, there was the same exact stagecoach chase with the same damsel in distress! Oh well, so what! I got to see my Lash in all his glory. My heart is still beating wildly. What a guy!

I hope PRC gave the horses extra hay because they earned it, all that hard riding around greater LA. Reviewer 398 is right. Some of that riding time should have been devoted to developing the plot, which is a promising one—who is the brains behind the gang and how is it he shows up at just the right time to foil LaRue's action. But dialogue costs money and PRC was not known for its lavish budgets, to say the least. Actually, it's a pretty good LaRue with a solid cast, lots of action, and a fairly good story. Even Fuzzy's often lame hijinks are at a minimum.

A central point to notice. When Lash disarms a gun-toter with his whip, it's done in two shots—of him first cocking and letting go, and second of the whip end snapping loose the gun. We never get the entire sequence in a single master shot. Separating the sequence into two shots does cut down on the number of retakes should LaRue miss his target in a master shot. But it also means we don't get to see how good he really is with a whip. Nonetheless, he wields the leather strap like he knows what he's doing, which was more than enough to satisfy us Front Row kids back in 1947.

And Janice (reviewer), I hate to say so, but the reason you don't see your heart-throb LaRue "smooch a damsel" is because of Front Row kids like me. If there were any girls at those matinees, I don't remember them, and if we 10-year boys had seen Lash in a love scene— well, ugh!—as we guys all knew, cowboys only kissed their horses, which for us was the way the world should be. Anyhow, the world changes and thankfully so do little boys, but I admit to still enjoying a gumdrop or two while watching the guy with the whip hard ride across the screen. As he does in Stage to Mesa City.