Texas to Bataan

The Range Busters were a series of films similar to the Three Mesquiteers films. And, like this other series, the makeup of the three characters changed quite a bit. In this case, the usual star of the films, Ray Corrigan, is gone and is replaced by the young stuntman, David Sharpe (who, frankly, looked like a high school kid). In addition, you have Max Terhune with Elmer (huh?!) and Dusty King. As for King, he sings a lot--something which I never particularly loved in these B-westerns. On top of that, his songs all are about horses. The first is REALLY weird (and a bit disturbing) as he sings on and on about his love for his horse! But what is even weirder is the plot. This one has to do with the Axis infiltration of the west--yes, the Axis!! Japanese and German spies abound and it's up to the trio to fight them with good 'ol Americanism! In addition to fighting the evil Axis out west, the Range busters inexplicably end up in the Philippines!! And, the Philippines soon were to fall to the Japanese meaning that apparently the Range Busters just weren't enough to thwart the entire Japanese Imperial Navy and Army.

Now pretty much all of the Range Buster films were silly and had little to do with the old west. In fact, many (like this one) were set in the present day, many were not. Add on top of that there's the goof-ball Terhune who walks about with a ventriloquist dummy, King singing and spies, it's all a completely bizarre and silly hodgepodge. In fact, it's about the silliest western I've ever seen--apart from "The Terror of Tiny Town". Amazingly dumb and bad, this film is STILL worth watching for its kitsch value. It's so ridiculous and so perplexing to watch that it somehow is entertaining.

In the 17th of the 24 'Ranger Busters' movies, John 'Dusty' King, David Sharpe (replacing 'Crash' Corrigan), Max Terhune, and Max's ventriloquist dummy, Elmer, foil some Japanese an German spies who are trying to arm 'every enemy national in the United States' by smuggling Japanese rifles through Texas. Soon enough, they are conveying some horses they've sold to the Army to Manilla, where they run into exactly the same people.

Not to mention this movie was released five months after the Philippines fell, so they had to have a brief epilogue to cover a situation that was unanticipated when this was first greenlit for production. Roy Luby does a decent job of editing in the can for speed, although the interactions with Terhune's dummy are awkward for everyone. The Range Busters movies were obviously intended for a very young audience, and were probably shot incredibly cheaply. Nonetheless, cinematographer Robert E. Cline gets some nice shots in of the extended riding scene shot at Corriganville. King sings three songs, one of his own composition. It's not quite dire, but if you've seen any of these, I have the feeling you won't need to see this one.