Rough Riders of Durango

This action-packed Rocky Lane oater is a good one with one flaw, Nugget Clark (Eddy Waller) is missing. And though Cricket Adams (Walter Baldwin) has some humorous lines, his continual griping and cantankerousness becomes grating after awhile. In pre-Nugget Clark days, veteran character actor Tom London was a suitable Nugget Clark type for Rocky. Too bad he wasn't used this time.

The story by M. Coates Webster is not as cliché-ridden as many of the B western scripts of the day. Rocky, undercover as usual, seeks to find those who killed his friend and who are behind a rash of robberies in the vicinity (Durango is not mentioned). The sheriff, Bill Walters (Ross Ford), has his hands full since the ranchers stand to lose their land if the money to pay their bank mortgages doesn't make it through. Cricket Adams is against the sheriff but his niece, Janis (Aline Towne), is in love with the lawman. Rocky shows up to help the sheriff and in the process persuades Cricket to favor the budding romance between the sheriff and Janis Adams. The plot centers on $40,000 being hidden in a feed sack amidst numerous others in Cricket's barn with both the outlaws and Rocky trying to determine which sack contains the stolen money.

There is plenty of action and fancy stunt work to entertain the fans with a protracted fisticuffs near the end between Rocky and the boss outlaw, John Blake (Steve Darrell). Republic was adept at showing the cowboy stars at their best when riding in pursuit of the bad guys. Rocky astride his stallion, Black Jack, chasing the outlaws was always a high point of the Allan Rocky Lane features.

Rocky had a nervous habit of pulling at his gloves. Whether this was intended by the director is unknown. But it didn't subtract from his popular appeal at the box office. "Rough Riders of Durango" is one of Rocky's best outings.

Rocky Lane looked good on a horse. For that matter, he looked good in any setting.

Aline Towne was a good-looking and capable actress, and it's too bad we don't have more performances by her.

Walter Baldwin was simply great as the cantankerous uncle who dislikes the "pipsqueak" sheriff, ably played by Ross Ford, who is not very well known today but should be.

The script by M. Coates Webster is far above average, with excellent dialog in a good story.

Republic had its usual superlative action well directed by Fred C. Brannon and performed by the usual great stuntmen.

I saw this at YouTube in December of 2014 and again had the problem of too dark a picture. But that's my only complaint.

I highly recommend "Rough Riders of Durango" and am grateful to all the people responsible for its being available.