mickdwyer39

Solid Columbia 'B' western despite some plot inconsistentcies. It was the second in Allen's six entry 'Ranger' series after he played support to Tim McCoy in three of his series. The studio were soon to drop him in favour of Charles Starrett and Wild Bill Elliott. 5 year old Robert 'Buzz' Henry was a junior rodeo competitor who had his own short series of westerns before becoming a top stuntman doubling such actors as Glen Ford and Frank Sinatra and co-ordinating the stunts on Sam Peckinpah's 'The Wild Bunch' and 'The Cowboys'.

Coincidently one of the young actors on that film, 14 year old Norman Howell, also became a stuntman and was Kevin Costner's regular double during the 1990's.

The Virginian and Trampas are on the Canadian border for a cattle deal with Carnahan and while waiting for him spend the night at a tavern owned by Louis Boissevain. Jacques ,Jules ,Michel and Helevey soon arrive. They are Canadian Matis ,of mixed Indian and French blood and have come for Louis to lead them in an uprising against the Canadian government which has betrayed them. Lopuis has made a life for himself with Suzanne Mayo ,who has a shady past which is known to Trampas ,and is reluctant to leave. Sturdevant ,a representative of the U. S. fur trade ,which wants the Canadian forrests opened up,arrives with money for the uprising .Jacques fears the Shiloh hands are bounty hunters after the money on Louis' head and has Trampas locked up. The Virginian escapes.... Insightful .intelligent script is based on the real -life Louis Riel who escaped to the U. S. after an uprising against the Canadian government in which a Scotsman was killed ,an incident mentioned in the script .The Metis also featured in episode 4x22 Harvest of Strangers in which a group of the Canadians arrive in Medicine Bow on a secret mission.

Dick and the Rider are working for the Pony Express as the stage lines are taking over the work. Rider decides to go with progress and joins with stage owner Benton while Dick stays with Ryan who runs the pony service causing a rift between our heroes. However a horse trader , Logan,secretly covets the post office contract and attempts to sabotage both operations. Frantic chases ,bone -crunching fistfights ,mass shootouts ,out door locations and spectacular stunt work, especially from the series stars ,Jock Mahoney and Dick Jones,as well as regular stuntmen Al Wyatt,Boyd Stockman and Bob Woodward ,make this series the most 'western ' of western series. The regular use of character actors in different roles is also fun to see. Alan Hale Jr. Makes his fourth of five appearances as a henchman here ,Leonard Penn also had five roles ,William Fawcett appeared nine times over the run of the series , Stanley Andrews had seventeen roles and Kenne Duncan also appeared nine times.