Tex Ritter was working for Monogram from 1938 through 1941, and I wonder what he could have done if he had been working for Republic. He was good on screen in the same way as Gene Autry. Tex had an appeal as a normal person who happened to be a cowboy dedicated to doing the right thing. By 1939 the B western formula had been refined and had its share of clichés. Westbound Stage avoids some of the gimmicks of other westerns of the 30's. There is a sidekick, but he does nothing to draw away from the story. Tex sings songs, but they seem to fit the movie's story. There are no gaps in the plot and no scenes that feel like "filler." The story starts with Tex Wallace (Ritter) as he rides to meet his cousin, Jim Wallace (Kenne Duncan), who has been promoted to the rank of Captain in the cavalry. Captain Wallace leads a wagon train of guns and supplies to the post. Some of his men decide to sneak away on their own to look for the outlaw leader, Red Greer (Reed Howes). While the men are gone, Wallace is killed by Greer's gang. The leader of the troops that were away during the Greer raid, Sgt. Lane (Nolan Willis), deserts the Army to go in search of Greer and his gang to atone for his fatal error. Of course Tex is determined to put an end to the gang and avenge his cousin's death, too.
Some cowboys wore the same outfits or holsters in their movies. In Westbound Stage Tex Ritter is wearing that beautiful leather jacket with the lacing up the middle. He also has on a pair of gloves in several scenes, so instead of twirling guns he slightly tosses them. During the second song he plays a beautiful Gibson Super Jumbo/J-200 guitar, which had debuted only a year or so before.
The only distraction I encountered while watching Westbound Stage was the way the stagecoach scenes were filmed. In order to show the characters' interaction while riding in the stagecoach, a prop stage was used with an open side. This is obvious when some characters are obviously exposed to direct sunlight, and others are shaded inside. The story does not suffer, but the scenes look unnatural.
Overall, Westbound Stage is a great example of what a B western was. The story was good, the actors were good, and the scenery was real.
