Wrangler's Roost

The notorious Black Bart, gentleman outlaw who plied his trade in California of the 1870s looks like he's taken up robbery again this time in Apache Butte, Arizona Territory. The Range Busters, Ray Corrigan, Dusty King, and Max Terhune are called to apprehend the robber.

No one ever knows what happened to the real Black Bart whose real name was Charles Bolles. He disappeared after his parole in 1888 and was never seen or heard from again. So for once a B western had some basis in fact.

As it turns out the real Black Bart is in the area and taking up an entirely different vocation. But he's as concerned as the Range Busters are in apprehending this impostor.

This was a good entry in the Range Busters series, maybe one of their best.

B-westerns often played very fast and loose with historical figures in the old west...so much so that the films bearing these folks' names bear no resemblance to the actual facts....none. Folks like Jesse James, Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill and others were the subjects of many films...often those of Roy Rogers or Gene Autry. However, "Wrangler's Roost" is a most unusual B-western because its portrayal of a famous old west bandit is reasonably accurate and present a 'what if' look at history.

When I first found this film, I had no idea that Black Bart was a real western bandit. But after reading the review by bkoganbing, I did some reading on Bart. He apparently was a 'gentleman bandit' who was known for being extremely polite and effective. He was eventually caught and sent to prison. After his release, he soon disappeared and was never reportedly seen again. This story is a possible explanation for what happened of this notorious outlaw.

When the story begins, the Range Busters (Ray Corrigan, Dusty King, Max Terhune and his dummy Elmer) are dispatched to a town to look for Bart. It seems he jumped parole long ago and a new string of robberies appear to be his work. To infiltrate the local scumbags, Corrigan poses as a professional gambler and the other play law-abiding folks....like they were in all the films.

This is a very good Range Buster film...probably their best. I like the way the plot actually respects history and make for an interesting tale as well. Well worth seeing.