Marshal of Cedar Rock

Marshal Rocky Lane and prison warden John Hamilton cook up a plan to allow young Bill Henry to break jail to see if he'll locate the others in the bank robbery he was convicted for. It's a daring plan and if it doesn't work their careers will be circling the bowl.

But trailing Henry convinces Lane that the escapee just might not be guilty at all. In fact banker Roy Barcroft just might be involved in some wholesale swindling and won't stop at anything to make a quick buck including murder.

Marshal Of Cedar Rock was a good product from Republic Pictures and their dwindling supply of movie cowboys and a lessening demand for these B films which the audience could get on the small screen.

Another reviewer was right it did look like the cast of Superman went on hiatus to do this movie. Besides John Hamilton, Robert Shayne plays a phony railroad agent and Lois Lane number one Phyllis Coates plays Eddy Waller's niece and the girl that Bill Henry was courting and who Roy Barcroft was trying to move in on.

Barcroft plays a very crafty villain, but something unforeseen does him in. You have to watch Marshal Of Cedar Rock to know what that is.

After a slow start, the flick gets better as it goes along. The plot itself is pretty complex for an oater, but is well thought out despite a number of twists and turns. The storyline has a greedy mastermind scheming to bilk an association of farmers out of their money and land by selling the land to an incoming railroad. But because of the complex scheme and its opponents (Lane) it's not always easy tell who's a goodie or who's a baddie, which adds to interest.

There's plenty of hard riding and fast shooting, while the acting is better than most oaters. Grizzled old Eddie Waller has an unusual role, along with strapping hero Rocky Lane. My only gripe, minor though it is, are the poorly done process shots alongside the buckboard supposedly traveling the countryside. Nonetheless, for a 50 thousand dollar budget and a 5-day shooting schedule (IMDB), I'd say the producers and we matinee cowboys got more than our money's worth. So give the flick a try..

Marshall Rocky Lane allows Bill Anderson to escape from prison hoping that he can lead Lane to the outlaw gang that Anderson was mixed up with went sent to prison, but Lane discovers that Anderson was framed for the bank robbery by the banker Henry Mason who now plans to force all of the cattlemen and ranchers to sell him their spreads (through his real estate syndicate) so that the railroad will pay him top dollar for the land rather than the owners. Mason substitutes one of his men for the railroad agent Harper (after his men have disposed of the real Harper), but Mason discovers that Anderson knew the real Harper and he tries to get him killed, as well as Lane who Mason suspects knows too much about his operations. The Rocky Lane entry is as good as many of the series despite the lack of action until the 45 minute mark, but director Keller and write DeMond make up for that with a good deal of suspense and anticipation throughout (with great pacing of the film) helped by the solid cast, even though Waller had a much smaller part than in many other Lane films. Rating, based on B westerns, 7

Watchable western from beginning to end, plenty of action, and a really tight plot. Mr Lane is as his stoic best as the marshal who tracks a jailbird in order to learn about who his accomplices are. Roy Barcroft is at his villainous best.

Roy Barcroft (in top form as a land swindler) is one of a trio of first rate stars of the western genre who are featured in this movie.. He, Alan Lane and Phyllis Coates were among the best western performers of the era

Scenes are professionally set up, well-directed and photographed. In other words, this may be a modestly budgeted western but it is not shoddy in any way.

You won't find a sidekick, only an old crotchety uncle. He isn't goofy and he doesn't sing, yodel or dip snuff- he is just "crotchety". The story is formulaic but the script is lean and all the violence is within context. This film is worth your viewing time if you like westerns.