Spook Town (1944)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Elmer Clifton

Writer:

Elmer Clifton (writer)

Release Date:

3 June 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Blazing Guns, Burning Leather! It's every man for himself in a shootin' showdown!

Plot:

Dty Gulch Trading Post owner Kurt Fabian (Robert Barron) advances money on mortgages to the local settlers to finance an irrigation program...

Plot Keywords:

Texas Rangers Series

Cast

Dave O'Brien	...	Texas Ranger Tex (as Dave 'Tex' O'Brien)
James Newill	...	Texas Ranger Jim (as Jim Newill)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Texas Ranger Panhandle
Mady Lawrence	...	Lucy Warren
Dick Curtis	...	Sam Benson
Harry Harvey	...	Drywash Thompson
Ed Cassidy	...	Ranger Captain Wyatt (as Edward Cassidy)
Charles King	...	Trigger (as Charles King, Jr.)
Robert Barron	...	Kurt Fabian
Richard Alexander	...	Henchman (as Dick Alexander)

Runtime:

59 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Alexander-Stern Productions

Movie Connections:

Follows Bad Men of Thunder Gap (1943)

Soundtrack:

Sleepy Hollow

Who's Got the Box?

Rangers Tex, Jim, and Panhandle are taking back a strongbox with money to be delivered to Kurt Fabian as payment from settlers paying back a loan Fabian made. Outlaw Trigger and two of his buddies are hired by a mysterious boss to get the strongbox from the Rangers, which they fail at first, but succeed at a second time. The settlers seeing that they will have to pay back Fabian his money at a higher interest rate, demand that the three Rangers turn in their badges and that Tex's father, Capt. Wyatt find the crooks and money or he will be forced from office. It later becomes obvious that Fabian is the mysterious boss (2/5th of the way into the film), but now Trigger is cutting himself into the deal, which does not include Fabian in the deal. The Rangers now have to get the money back, while preventing the three outlaws, as well as Benson, who is searching for the money to clear himself of conspiracy in the theft. Okay entry in the PRC Texas Rangers series, with back and forth interaction with Fabian, Benson, and Trigger's gang which at times seems to be going nowhere. The comedy relief with Wilkerson and Harvey gets tired quickly. Fabian's nervousness around guns was a good quirk for the villain, but it would have been better for the film to have the mystery villain angle played further. Thank goodness the film was saved by a well done action packed finish. Other than that, the film may be of interest only to B western fans. Rating, based on B westerns, 5.