Canyon Raiders

Whip Wilson stars in another so-so entry in his short-lived B-western series. The Buck Jones lookalike comes to town to help his friend Jim Bannon who has been the victim of recent rustling activity.

Wilson was never a huge cowboy star, this film being one example of why that was the case. He was at best an average cowboy star, being overshadowed in this one by his co-stars --which include Jim Bannon, Fuzzy Knight and TV's Lois Lane, Phyllis Coates.

I personally prefer the low budget series that featured Lash Larue and Fuzzy St. John. This one was slow and predictable --- recommended for Whip Wilson fans only.

Sam Wellman (I. Stanford Jolley), Lou Banks (Riley Hill) and Jack Marlin (Marshall Reed) have stolen horses from ranchers and have them corralled in Baxter Canyon, hoping to sell them at inflated prices to the Army with forged bill of sales. Whip Wilson (Whip Wilson) arrives in town in time to separate homesteader Texas Milburn (Fuzzy Knight) and gambler Hemingway (Bill Kennedy) from a gunfight caused by the latter's manipulation of the cards. Alice Long (Phyllis Coates), acting sheriff for her ill father, intercedes and meets Whip, who tells her he is looking for his rancher friend Jim Bannon (Jim Bannon) who has lost his horse herd to the rustlers. Texas and his wife Ruth (Barbara Woodell) arrive at their new new located at the entrance to Baxter Canyon and are driven off by the rustlers. Texas reports his plight to Alice, who arranges a posse to hide in a wagon which she drives to the canyon. The rustlers kill all but Alice, who they take prisoner. Whip, posing as an outlaw, infiltrates the gang in the hope of rescuing Alice and putting an end to the rustlers.

Whip Wilson cracks his whip again in another western entry that has a serviceable storyline, routinely told and has competent acting, some good action, but the languid pace brings it down a notch. Just an adequate time filler. I. Stanford Jolly is as watchable as ever. He plays the bad guys. The female sheriff is an interesting addition.