Cast overview: | |||
Jim Davis | ... | Capt. Angus Clyde McKane | |
Arleen Whelan | ... | Julie Johnson | |
Faron Young | ... | Marshal Faron Young | |
Marty Robbins | ... | Cpl. Timothy Boyle | |
Lee Van Cleef | ... | Sgt. Damon Pardee | |
Louis Jean Heydt | ... | Judge Ward Young | |
Harry Lauter | ... | Lt. Scott Johnson | |
Douglas Fowley | ... | Sheriff | |
Lawrence Dobkin | ... | Don Miguel Sebastian (as Larry Dobkin) | |
Bill Coontz | ... | Turk | |
Don Diamond | ... | Pepe | |
Rick Vallin | ... | Burt (as Ric Vallon) | |
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Tom Hubbard | ... | Emmet |
Following the Mexican-American War, a small group of discharged U. S. Cavalrymen, led by Angus McKane (Jim Davis), stays on in California after the war and, through treachery, seizes a Spanish land grant, thereby gaining control of a vast area of what became the states of Arizona and California. Written by Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Jim Davis is star and protagonist of Raiders Of Old California, a western from the last days of Republic Pictures. Davis is an army captain who uses the Mexican War and the uniform to steal himself a Spanish land grant from the previous owner Lawrence Dobkin who after a murder attempt by Davis henchman Lee Van Cleef on his life, retires and becomes a friar.
It's been previously pointed out the disparity in times for a film set in the post Mexican War years, with Davis, Van Cleef etc. wearing Civil War era uniforms and carrying even later weaponry. Herbert J. Yates was not much for authenticity and research.
Faron Young and Marty Robbins from the Grand Ole Opry are a good guy and a bad guy in this film. It was getting a little too late for country and western stars to become western stars on the big screen. Their time to become another Gene Autry had passed.
Those who are thespians do a good job with their roles. But Raiders Of Old California is a subpar western.