This below average Durango Kid western owes whatever success it may have had to the final attack on a stagecoach lifted entirely from John Ford's "Stagecoach" (1939).
The story is yet another version of the smuggling of guns to the Indians scenario. The story takes place for the most part, in an army fort (likely a set from another more prestigious Columbia film) where an impending Indian war is looming. A meeting between the fort's commander, Col. Dennison (Fred F. Sears) and Chief Running Wolf (Shooting Star) his son Running Wolf (Jay Silverheels) and Steve Holden (Charles Starrett) representing the Government Peace Commission is taking place. Suddenly the Chief is murdered and his pro war son Running Wolf assumes the role of Chief.
Running Wolf is jailed but the Durango Kid breaks him out. Army scout Cronin (Bob Wilke in a ridiculous Saturday morning cowboy show costume) is responsible for running guns to the Indians. Meanwhile Dennison's son Denny (Tommy Ivo) is kidnapped after the fort is raided by Cronin's "Indians" while the main army led by the Colonel is out on patrol. Durango rescues Denny who rides to warn his father that Cronin is behind all of the misdoings and that Cronin has incited the Indians to attack.
If the attack on the Peace Commission stage coach looks familiar, it should. The entire sequence was lifted from John Ford's "Stagecoach" including all of Yakima Canutt's legendary stunts and the Cavalry to the rescue shots. Starrett even changes his shirt (egad) to match long shots of John Wayne. It is the best part of the film. I wonder how Columbia was able to pull that one off as I always thought that "Stagecoach" was copyrighted. Oh well.
Also in the cast were of course, Smiley Burnette as a travelling repair man, Elton Britt as a yodeling Sergeant, Myron Healy in the thankless role of Lt. Reed, and a brief appearance by John "Lefty" Cason as a henchman.. Columbia, for some reason did not list the supporting players other than Sears, Ivo and Britt. The singing group is not even identified by IMDb.
The story is yet another version of the smuggling of guns to the Indians scenario. The story takes place for the most part, in an army fort (likely a set from another more prestigious Columbia film) where an impending Indian war is looming. A meeting between the fort's commander, Col. Dennison (Fred F. Sears) and Chief Running Wolf (Shooting Star) his son Running Wolf (Jay Silverheels) and Steve Holden (Charles Starrett) representing the Government Peace Commission is taking place. Suddenly the Chief is murdered and his pro war son Running Wolf assumes the role of Chief.
Running Wolf is jailed but the Durango Kid breaks him out. Army scout Cronin (Bob Wilke in a ridiculous Saturday morning cowboy show costume) is responsible for running guns to the Indians. Meanwhile Dennison's son Denny (Tommy Ivo) is kidnapped after the fort is raided by Cronin's "Indians" while the main army led by the Colonel is out on patrol. Durango rescues Denny who rides to warn his father that Cronin is behind all of the misdoings and that Cronin has incited the Indians to attack.
If the attack on the Peace Commission stage coach looks familiar, it should. The entire sequence was lifted from John Ford's "Stagecoach" including all of Yakima Canutt's legendary stunts and the Cavalry to the rescue shots. Starrett even changes his shirt (egad) to match long shots of John Wayne. It is the best part of the film. I wonder how Columbia was able to pull that one off as I always thought that "Stagecoach" was copyrighted. Oh well.
Also in the cast were of course, Smiley Burnette as a travelling repair man, Elton Britt as a yodeling Sergeant, Myron Healy in the thankless role of Lt. Reed, and a brief appearance by John "Lefty" Cason as a henchman.. Columbia, for some reason did not list the supporting players other than Sears, Ivo and Britt. The singing group is not even identified by IMDb.