The Texas Rangers (1936)

Two down-on-their-luck former outlaws volunteer to be Texas Rangers and find themselves assigned to bring in an old friend, now a notorious outlaw.

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

King Vidor (story), Elizabeth Hill (story),

Stars:

Fred MacMurray, Jack Oakie, Jean Parker

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Fred MacMurray	...	Jim Hawkins
Jack Oakie	...	Henry B. 'Wahoo' Jones
Jean Parker	...	Amanda Bailey
Lloyd Nolan	...	Sam 'Polka Dot' McGee
Edward Ellis	...	Major Bailey
Benny Bartlett	...	David (as Bennie Bartlett)
Frank Shannon	...	Capt. Stafford
Frank Cordell	...	Ranger Ditson
Richard Carle	...	Casper Johnson
Jed Prouty	...	District Attorney Dave Twitchell
Fred Kohler	...	Jess Higgins (as Fred Kohler Sr.)
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Judge Snow (as George Hayes)

Storyline

Jim Hawkins and Wahoo Jones are stagecoach robbers who head to Texas to find Sam McGee, their partner. Once there, low on funds, they join the Texas Rangers, come across Sam, and decide to run their game by sending Sam inside information. Meanwhile, though, in pacifying rebellious Indians, Jim and Wahoo start to take on the code of the Rangers, and the daughter of the Ranger's major sets her sights on Jim. Can there be honor among thieves, or are Jim, Wahoo, and Sam on a collision course? As a lawless frontier becomes a civilized land, which side will the boys chose?

---

Plot Keywords:

outlaw | texas ranger | indian | stagecoach | chewing tobacco | 

---

Genres:

Adventure | Western

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Milicias de paz

Filming Locations:

Diablo Canyon, near, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

---

Goofs

After enlisting in the Texas Rangers, Jim puts his hat on twice.

---

Quotes

Wahoo Jones: Looks like you got me, Sam, but I'll lay my cards on the table. I'll shoot straight.
Sam McGee: [shooting Wahoo under the table] So will I.

---

Connections

Remade as Streets of Laredo (1949)

---

Soundtracks

"I Can't Play My Banjo"
(uncredited)
Music by Phil Boutelje
Lyrics by Jack Scholl

User Reviews

An effort to broaden Fred MacMurray's appeal

I'm sure in casting The Texas Rangers Paramount had it in mind to broaden Fred MacMurray's appeal by putting him in a western. MacMurray had been a star at Paramount for two years and had appeared in mostly light comic parts as he did throughout his career. I mean Paramount could have cast Gary Cooper or Joel McCrea, both of whom were available at the studio. MacMurray did the film and gave a creditable performance, but as he remarked, "the horse and I were never as one." He never really did feel comfortable in westerns and ones he later appeared in were long after his Paramount studio days were over.

The Texas Rangers film is based on stories derived from Walter Presscott Webb's authoritative history of the legendary law enforcement outfit which was only published a few years back. Fred MacMurray, Jack Oakie and Lloyd Nolan play three outlaws who drift into Texas and become separated. MacMurray and Oakie join the Texas Rangers and Nolan continues his outlaw ways.

Lots of good action here folks. A really great Comanche Indian attack sequence is well staged by Director King Vidor. Lots of familiar western faces support the leads like Fred Kohler and Gabby Hayes. Edward Ellis as the commandant of the Texas Rangers comes off a lot like Lewis Stone and had MGM instead of Paramount had made this film, Lewis Stone definitely would have been cast in Ellis's role.

Despite MacMurray's misgivings about westerns, The Texas Rangers is a pretty good action western with great character development for the three leads.