Alias Billy the Kid

Though the plot is a bit incredulous and you can't really believe that white hat hero Sunset Carson can pull off an undercover assignment, Alias Billy The Kid does pack a bit of action in its short running time of 54 minutes.

Carson is a Texas Ranger assigned to bring some law west of the Pecos River and that means bringing in the Marshall gang. The leader has been killed, but the gang is operating now under the direction of Peggy Stewart the former leader's daughter.

Of course the real villain is old standby Roy Barcroft a cattle buyer, in cahoots with two banker brothers, Tom Chatterton and Stanley Price. Naturally Stewart is thrilled to have the famous Billy the Kid riding with her crowd, who wouldn't in the outlaw trade. Little does she know that it's Carson with a very famous alias.

Sunset Carson was one of Herbert J. Yates's stable of cowboy heroes for Republic Pictures. If this one is typical of his, they're not as good as Roy Rogers or Gene Autry who was quitting Republic around this time and Sunset didn't sing. He certainly looked and talked the part though.

Texas Ranger Sunset Carson is given the mission of tracking down the notorious Marshall gang. Uncovering their hideout, he discovers the gang is led by Ann Marshall (Peggy Stewart) and is comprised of three of her ranch-hands, Dakota, PeeWee and Buckskin. He soon learns that they are the innocent victims of a ring of swindlers and cattle rustlers led by the ruthless Matt Conroy (Roy Barcroft)

Sunset Carson rides again as a Texas Ranger, but he's undercover for the most part. He's out to capture Peggy Stewart and her gang, but realises the bad guy is Roy Barcroft and his gang of cronies. Fast-paced fun is what you get with plenty of chases and twisty plot. Peggy Stewart is great in her role as always and Roy Barcroft does the heavy role with ease. If you want a fun, rip-roaring clean western, look no further!

One has to remember when viewing a film like this, that it was created mainly for the pre-teen Saturday matinee set of whom I was one when this picture came out. Yes, viewing it now as an adult, the story is somewhat lame and the acting leaves much to be desired, but in those days as long as it featured one of our heroes, had some good action with at least one gunfight, a posse chase and a happy ending, that was enough to satisfy us. We hadn't matured to the point where we critiqued what we were watching. What we were looking for was some good wholesome fun. I wouldn't trade growing up in that era for anything.

It is obvious that producer Bennett Cohen is taken by his own storyline that is employed for this poorly-made film, since he utilizes it several times, notably in the 1932 RKO production COME ON, DANGER! that features Tom Keene as a Texas Ranger who feigns being a horse thief in order to ensnare the female leader (Julie Haydon) of an outlaw gang. The Keene work benefits from ably performed musical numbers, but here a viewer is stuck with only monotoned monolith Sunset Carson at the film's center. Carson is cast as Ranger Sunset Carson (easy for him to remember) who is determined to singlehandedly bring law and order to the region "West of the Pecos", and also to bring to justice the unknown murderer of a predecessor Ranger. He begins his crusade by tracking a jail escapee whereupon he comes into contact with a young woman, played by Peggy Stewart, who heads a band of renegades, and he eventually confronts the leader of the Forces of Evil, performed by Roy Barcroft. Screenwriter George Yates, nephew of Republic Studios head Herbert J., related to this reviewer his uncle's summation of Carson following a viewing by the senior Yates of one of his contract player's films, and while it is not printable in this forum, it remains a heartfelt reflection of despair over the failure of the 6' 6" cowboy to manage even the most basic dialogue. The handsome Carson ostensibly communicates some form of vulnerability to his primarily female fans who are willing to disregard his acting inability; additionally, it must be stated that he is an excellent horseman and, when in the saddle riding full tilt, he appears to be most capable, although perhaps not as entertaining as when he declaims his lines. One of these latter from this film is of interest: when asked what his name might be, Carson coyly rejoinders "Just call me Alias the Kid", and this is the nearest reference to the movie's title within a slapdash script, as unrelated to the action as are a majority of the names of Carson featured pictures. In reality, the entire effort is of inferior quality, including its poorly crafted and foolish scenario and, while considering a budgetary requirement for single takes, there are generally styleless performances turned in by many veteran players, as even Barcroft is dropping entire syllables, while the entire work is unfettered from any sort of pressure that might be applied by logic, or competent direction.