Sing, Cowboy, Sing

I think bad editing ruined Sing Cowboy Sing a Tex Ritter western that he did for poverty row Grand National Pictures. I could have rated it a notch or two higher, but I doubt we'll ever see a director's cut.

Tex and companion Al St. John come to the aid of Louise Stanley, unfortunately too late to save her father and his men from being massacred by an outlaw gang in the pay of perennial western villain Karl Hackett trying to take over the freighting concession in the territory.

Hackett's got a sweet little racket going having intimidated Judge Robert McKenzie and Marshal Horace Murphy who would soon be a Tex Ritter sidekick in future films. McKenzie plays Judge Roy Dean who both is judge and runs the saloon. Sounds familiar, doesn't it. McKenzie is the one you'll remember from this film.

Ritter sings a few cowboy ballads including one in jail where he's being framed for a murder charge. What could have been an exciting climax was butchered by bad editing. In the final shootout with freighters and the outlaws, people keep falling off their horses without the sound of gunfire. Looked rather unreal.

Still Tex Ritter's fans will enjoy Sing Cowboy Sing.