Phantom Rancher (1940)

Director:

Harry L. Fraser

Writers:

William Lively (story)
William Lively (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 March 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

STIRRING ADVENTURE!

Plot:

Cowboy puts on a black mask and a black outfit to fight a gang of land-grabbing crooks.

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Ranch | Murder | Scheme | Cattle

Cast

Ken Maynard	...	Ken Mitchell
Dorothy Short	...	Ann Markham
Harry Harvey	...	Gopher
Ted Adams	...	Collins
Dave O'Brien	...	Henchman Luke
Tom London	...	Sheriff Parker
John Elliott	...	Dad Markham
Reed Howes	...	Lon, Burton Foreman
Steve Clark	...	Burton
Carl Mathews	...	Henchman Hank (as Karl Mathews)
James Sheridan	...	Henchman Joe (as Sherry Tansey)
Tarzan	...	Tarzan, Ken's Horse

Runtime:

61 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5806)

Filming Locations:

Brandeis Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Colony Pictures Inc.

Quotes:

Henchman Luke: What are you doin' around here?
Ken Mitchell: Tracin' a 32-20 rifle. I'd like to shake hands with the man who killed Markham. 32-20s do a nice neat job.
Henchman Luke: Oh, yeah? The Mitchells are awful smart.
Ken Mitchell: Think I don't know the crack of a 32-20 when I hear it?
Henchman Luke: I'll say you don't. I use a 30-30!
Ken Mitchell: [pulls out a 30-30 slug from his shirt pocket] Thanks for admittin' it.

A little pudgy to be doing some mystery ridin'

Ken Mitchell arrives to take over the ranch belonging to his recently deceased uncle, but when he arrives he finds himself hated by all the townspeople, since his uncle was trying to acquire all the ranches in the area, and then foreclosing all the mortgages that were being taken out. What Ken doesn't realize is that his uncle was working hand in hand with realtor Collins, who had a rancher, Markham, killed when he wouldn't sell his ranch to him, and now everyone in town (especially Markham's daughter Ann) believes Ken killed Markham. In order to right the wrongs his uncle did, Ken garbs himself as the Phantom Rancher, where he pays off all the ranchers who wouldn't accept Ken's charity as well as round up Collins and his gang. So-so western where nothing is really spectacular, but nothing boring. It could have used more action, but Maynard's persona helped carry it in dull spots. Rating, based on B-westerns, 5.