This film finds Ken Baxter and his two pals, Pancho and Panhandle, finding Professor Wahl, injured and wandering on the range. They take him to Blue Mesa Trading Post, where two archaeologists, Dr. Floto and Baron Starkoff, foreign government representatives, are staying. Both want to secure control of a supply of helium gas found in an ancient Indian cave. Wahl, working for the Federal Government, is murder at the Blue Mesa. The land strip on which the cave is located is claimed by Letty and Jim Morgan, brother and sister owners of the Lazy Y Ranch. Tin Cup Ranch owner Joe Larkin hires Ken to take possession of a cabin on the Morgan land in order to gain title. Ken, an undercover G-Man, discovers a secret passageway from the cabin that leads to the cave and discovers the helium, and also that Larkin is working with Starkoff. Unknown to the Morgan's, a secret mine on their ranch contains helium. Larkin knows of the helium and is after the ranch so he can sell the helium to foreign agent Strakoff. Ken finds the mine and the helium and sets out to help the Morgans. All right, already. Over and over again, like a broken record, it is penned that this is a low budget flick, that Ken Maynard was at the tail end of his career, etc., etc.<br/><br/>I enjoyed this movie, thoroughly and, although I had seen very few Ken Maynard flicks, it made me want to see more. The guy was part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, was in the Army in WW1, played several instruments, sang, made records, was a rodeo performer - so - there was nothing phony about his ridin' and fightin'.<br/><br/>He may not look much like a western movie hero, but he acted like one. His last few years were disgustingly sad - same old story - liquor was the villain he could not fight.<br/><br/>There are beaucoup well-done fight scenes in this movie. At one point, he missed and fell back adding to the realism.<br/><br/>Adding to the enjoyment of this movie were some short scenes of funny stuff. I especially enjoyed his initial proposal to Fay McKenzie. I know nothing of her but would like to see her again and again - cute and perky.<br/><br/>This movie has not one but two sidekicks and they play really well as partners, and as Maynard's fascinating friends. Ralph Peters and Julian Rivero.<br/><br/>The plot ain't bad, some of it all too familiar, but all it well played out. Especially fascinating was the tall, blonde Swede, Sven Hugo Borg.<br/><br/>One more thing. Trigger was billed as the smartest horse in the movies. Negative. He never picked up his boss's hat and brought it to him, and he never untied ropes that bound Roy. Smartest horse honors go to –- ta-da –- Tarzan.<br/><br/>If you can find this movie, grab it –- guaranteed enjoyment. Death Rides the Range (1939) <br/><br/>* 1/2 (out of 4) <br/><br/>Ken Baxter (Ken Maynard) and his pals are out camping when they notice a body fall. They take it to a local doctor who refuses to deal with the man until the dying man tries to give the location of something. Ken wants to find out who killed the man and it turns out there's a piece of property with helium on it as well as some foreign agents.<br/><br/>DEATH RIDES THE RANGE is a pretty poor "C" Western from the days where you probably had two or three of these types of films being released weekly. This one here has all of the Western settings but they also mix in elements of a crime picture, a melodrama and an adventure. There's quite a bit going on in the 55 minute running time but sadly none of it is all that entertaining.<br/><br/>I think the film tries to do way too much and in the end it doesn't get much of anything done. Characters come and go without too much reasons why. We get all sorts of action scenes that are rather good, although you'll notice that the same hill is used several times for people to fall down it. The performances are bland at best, although Maynard is slightly entertaining in his role.
Marvells replied
344 weeks ago