"The Homesteaders" opens with homesteader Mace Corbin ("Wild Bill" Elliott) laboriously plowing his rock/stump laden farm. He receives a letter from the army informing him that the army will sell him four wagon loads of dynamite which he hopes to distribute to fellow homesteaders to help clear their lands.
Together with partner Clyde Moss (Robert Lowery)who has his own agenda, they go to pick up the explosives at the army fort. There Corbin learns that the dynamite is unstable and could explode at any time. To help transport the load overland to their home, the boys are given access to released army prisoners to form their travel crew.
The wagon train forges on with Corbin as the stern wagon master. Old timer Grimes (Emmett Lynn), totally miscast, becomes the "ramrod" if you will. Of course there are troublemakers in the crew. Mead (George Wallace) and Slim (Rick Vallin are the chief protagonists. Back in town, gold miner Kroger (James Seay) has designs on the dynamite and plans to steal it from Corbin & co. Following an Indian attack, Kroger launches his own raid and......................................................
Oddly enough, I guess due to budgetary restraints, there are no wagons blowing up in spite of their volatile cargo. At 62 minutes this film had the shortest running time of any of Elliot's Monogram/Allied Artists westerns.
Bill Elliott wasn't your regular Saturday afternoon cowboy. He never the fancy duds of his contemporaries nor did he have a sidekick. In fact he is seen smoking a pipe in a camp fire scene. There is a reason that he was the last of the "B" western cowboys.
Together with partner Clyde Moss (Robert Lowery)who has his own agenda, they go to pick up the explosives at the army fort. There Corbin learns that the dynamite is unstable and could explode at any time. To help transport the load overland to their home, the boys are given access to released army prisoners to form their travel crew.
The wagon train forges on with Corbin as the stern wagon master. Old timer Grimes (Emmett Lynn), totally miscast, becomes the "ramrod" if you will. Of course there are troublemakers in the crew. Mead (George Wallace) and Slim (Rick Vallin are the chief protagonists. Back in town, gold miner Kroger (James Seay) has designs on the dynamite and plans to steal it from Corbin & co. Following an Indian attack, Kroger launches his own raid and......................................................
Oddly enough, I guess due to budgetary restraints, there are no wagons blowing up in spite of their volatile cargo. At 62 minutes this film had the shortest running time of any of Elliot's Monogram/Allied Artists westerns.
Bill Elliott wasn't your regular Saturday afternoon cowboy. He never the fancy duds of his contemporaries nor did he have a sidekick. In fact he is seen smoking a pipe in a camp fire scene. There is a reason that he was the last of the "B" western cowboys.