Stagecoach to Denver

Almost anyone who grew up during and after the World War II years will recognize this shoot 'em up as similar to hundreds of quickie Westerns filmed during the period. I bought the film for $5 or less just to see what they were really like and, boy, it is exactly as I remember. I have seen chases and gun fights in and around the same rocks and trails in this film as in countless other Saturday matinées. If you do remember what it was like to sit through two of these plus shorts, cartoons and previews, you can refresh your memory and step back to a time when the movies were innocent and the good guys really did beat the bad guys . . . every time, all in less than one hour.

This is the first of the 7 Allan Lane Red Ryders. Lane replaced Wild Bill Elliott as Red Ryder after Elliott did 16 and his are generally considered superior. Robert (Baretta) Blake played Little Beaver in all 23 Ryder films although his role in this one is minor. The plot is the basic land grab by the town's big businessman.The only innovation is the use of a female (who smokes!) as one of the villains.There is a little boy with a broken back who unrealistically gets carried around like a football (even by the doctor) and the action is minimal including a couple of gunfights and one brawl. Red Ryder was one of the best of the "B" western series of the 40's,.This entry however was weak.

Plot-heavy oater that still manages its share of action. Red and Little Beaver are drawn into an elaborate land stealing scheme headed up by town biggie Bill Lambert (Barcroft) who always seems one set ahead. That's not hard since he's got the sheriff, the land commissioner, a gang, and lovely May Barnes (Stewart) helping out. Looks like Red and the forces of good are in big trouble.

There's a good share of hard riding, fast shooting, and one flying fist brawl. Even that old standby location area, the San Fernando Valley, has a few scenic shots to help the eye. At the same time, Lane makes a first-rate sagebrush hero, while the hulking Barcroft shines as a city slicker instead of his usual gangland thug. Add eye-candy Stewart who shows her acting chops, and the 50-some minutes passes pleasurably. But most of all, catch that very unconventional ending that I sure didn't see coming. Kudoes to Republic for adding something different.

A "7" on the Matinée Scale

With their crooked land scheme in trouble, villains sabotage a stagecoach, killing the local land commissioner and seriously wounding a young boy, before switching the boy's aunt and the commissioner's replacement with impostors, leading to the inevitable range war.

An alright, though trite entry in Republic Pictures' Red Ryder series, based on the popular comic strip, this stars Ron Lane as Ryder and Robert Blake as his pint-sized Indian sidekick Little Beaver. A fair amount of gun-play and a compact running time almost make up for the bland heroes and villains and so-so production values, which aren't quite as good as other, mostly earlier Republic B-westerns.

Peggy Stewart stands out as the attractive pretend aunt, who's re-awakened maternal instincts lead to a crisis of conscious.

Allan Lane is Red Ryder and Robert Blake is Little Beaver in this outing which revolves around a double-crossing stagecoach owner in Elkhorn, Colorado and Dickie, an injured orphan who needs a risky back operation.

The script is above average and the ending although predictable has an unusual twist. There are some good chase scenes and gun battles plus several subplots which help make this a cut above average.

Red is a stagecoach driver for the Duchess, owner of the line south of Elkhorn. However, for unexplained reasons, Red does not regularly work. Instead, he he is consumed with exposing a fake land commissioner and his cohorts including the sheriff of Elkhorn.

If you like Red Ryder you will like this film. If you have not watched Red Ryder, this is a good choice to first watch.