The Long, Long Trail (1942)
"Texas to Bataan" (original title)

In the 17th of the 24 films in Monogram's "Range Buster" series, Texas ranch owner Conroy returns from Washington with an order for horses to be shipped to the Philippines. The Range ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Emmett Tansey

Writers:

Arthur Hoerl (story), Arthur Hoerl (screen adaptation)

Stars:

John 'Dusty' King, David Sharpe, Max Terhune

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John 'Dusty' King	...	Dusty King
David Sharpe	...	Davy Sharpe
Max Terhune	...	Alibi Terhune (as Max 'Alibi' Terhune)
Elmer	...	Elmer Sneezeweed - Alibi's Dummy
Marjorie Manners	...	Dallas Conroy
Steve Clark	...	Tom Conroy
Budd Buster	...	Tad Kelton
E. Baucin	...	Cookie (as Escolastico Baucin)
Frank Ellis	...	Ken Richards
Kenne Duncan	...	Captain Anders (as Kenneth Duncan)
Guy Kingsford	...	Miller
Carl Mathews	...	Engel
Tex Palmer	...	Grub
Tom Steele	...	Lamai
Al Ferguson	...	Cafe henchman

Storyline

In the 17th of the 24 films in Monogram's "Range Buster" series, Texas ranch owner Conroy returns from Washington with an order for horses to be shipped to the Philippines. The Range Busters, Dusty, Davy and Alibi, are selected to take the horses there but, before leaving, they capture three spies who are trying to steal the horses and also learn that the ranch cook, Cookie, is a Japanese spy, but he manages to escape. In the Philippines, they go to a café for dinner and see Cookie and Miller, a German spy. Eavesdropping, they learn that Ken Richards, a neighboring Texas rancher, is the Axis contact back in the states. They capture Cookie and break up the spy ring in the Phillipines, and then return to Texas intent on settling matters with Richards. They do so and are honored by the U.S. Government just as the radio blares forth the December 7, 1941 announcement of the Pearl Harbor bombing. They head for the nearest enlistment station.

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Plot Keywords:

range busters series

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Taglines:

Blasting their way to fame and glory on dangerous bataan!!!

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Genres:

Western | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 October 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

O cow-boys sto Bataan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Range Busters

Technical Specs

Runtime:

56 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Me and My Pony"
Words and Music by John 'Dusty' King (as John King)
Sung by John 'Dusty' King (uncredited)

User Reviews

The Range Busters in peace and war

This entry from Monogram Pictures Range Buster series finds Dusty King, Davy Sharpe and Max Terhune replete with dummy sidekick Elmer and late of The Three Mesquiteers battling enemy aliens and spies from Texas To Bataan and back. You can hardly believe that the movie-going public even in those times took pictures like this seriously.

Marjorie Manners sends for the Range Busters to help at her father Steve Clark's ranch where all kinds of strange things are happening. Clark has a contract to deliver horses to the army in the Phillipines and the boys have to battle fifth columnists on the home front. Then after making delivery of the horses to Bataan they find evidence of the real spy leader who is back in Texas of course.

By the time this horse opera came out the Phillipines had already fallen and MacArthur was in Australia vowing that 'I shall return'. Not on horseback though. In reading about the Phillipine campaign before the fall of Corregidor and the return in 1944 I don't recall reading about any horses. Certainly if those poor animals from Texas actually made it to the Phillipines they probably were eaten by the starving troops on Bataan.

It staggers me watching some of the vintage World War II era films especially from the Poverty Row studios what claptrap they were peddling to the public. Texas To Bataan is some of the finest vintage claptrap I've ever seen from that era.