The Kid Ranger

"The Kid Ranger" is simple, raw, stark, and a bit grim, and although this combination of attributes would be limiting for many movie goers, fans of Bob Steele or 1930's westerns will find this a quite watchable venture.

Surprisingly, there is so much story, and the rest of the cast are so busy in telling the story, that Steele's screen time may be the lowest ever in a Bob Steele starring role. And that is fine, because the screen is alive and in good and fascinating stead with plenty of screen time for William Farnum and Earl Dwire.

Farnum shows off his characteristic exaggerated eye play, presumably a holdover acting approach from his silent movie days that he never shed, to good advantage; he always shows a lot of charisma. And then we have Earl Dwire in one of his most lecherous, treacherous, and sadistic bad guy portrayals of his career. One ends up really detesting Dwire after this one!

All in all, a pretty good story with a flowing script, a series of fascinating and gritty characterizations, and an appropriately unadorned atmosphere (thanks to a paltry budget) make for a tasty western movie experience.

Sheriff William Farnum tracks down and kills a robber. It's his friend, who wanted the money to take his three-year-old daughter some place decent. Farnum hangs up his pistols, adopts the daughter and moves on. Eighteen years later, his confederate, Earl Dwire, tracks him down. and tells him that unless he helps him rob a payroll, he'll tell the daughter, now grown into Joan Barclay, the whole truth. He reluctantly agrees. Little do they know that Joan's intended, Bob Steele, will be riding guard on the money.

This movie doesn't show up with Bob's acrobatic feats until late in the proceedings -- although it's a doozy when it comes up -- but there is plenty of riding and fighting and also William Farnum as virtual co-star for the B Western fans. Farnum had entered features in 1914 and was a well-regarded talent. Although his star had dimmed considerably with advancing age and the coming of sound to pictures, he continued to work regularly, half in important roles in B westerns, like his brother Dustin Farnum, and half in smaller and cameo roles in programmers. It's a good story, with some decent twists and should please fans of the genre.