Cowboy from Lonesome River

Steve Randall (Charles Starrett) heads a group of Mesa Valley ranchers fighting Matt Conroy (Ian Keith), who owns the water company and charges exorbitant rates that the ranchers can not afford. Senator Proctor (Kenneth MacDonald) and his secretary, Mona Grant (Vi Athens), come from the capitol to inform Randall that a bill is pending to convert Conway's company to a municipal project. Conway imports the Senator's black-sheep look-alike brother, Sheppard Proctor (also Kenneth MacDonald), kills the senator and arranges with Mona, who is in league with him, to have Sheppard pose as his brother. The impostor then proceeds to fight against the bill at the capitol.

A typical modern-west-mixed-with-the-old-west formula that Columbia was using mostly in the 1943-44 series with Starrett, with Dub Taylor along in his usual "good gracious sakes alive" mode, and Jimmy Wakely and his Saddle Pals backing up singer Ozie Waters. In just a few months, Wakely would be starring in his own western series at Monogram, and Starrett would soon begin his Durango Kid series that would last until 1952.

Starrett's 64th of his 132 starring westerns contains some very pleasant singing and a great deal of action (not especially well staged). This and the fact that there's no real heroine to complicate the plot, made the movie a natural for the Saturday matinée slot. Actually Cowboy from Lonesome River turns out to be a so-called "modern" western with both rural and urban backgrounds. Although the year is 1944 and the villain rides around in a flashy car, the cowboys still pack pistols.

Benjamin Kline photographed no less than 330 films and TV shows. He directed 7 movies, all but 6 between 1943 and 1945. Alas, his work here is stolidly routine, though it must be stated he is more successful with his western scenes than the later episodes in Capitol City — even allowing for his feeble handling of the action spots.