a5c7b9f00b Clark is unable to move his stolen horses. When Tex arrives in town, Clark tricks him into moving them for him. He stakes him at roulette, has his crony let him win, and then sells him the horses. When Tex gets the horses across the state line, he plans to have his henchmen take care of Tex and take repossession of the horses.
This was one of the earlier uses of Robert Tansey's favorite plot (only the 3rd time he had trotted it out of the stable, but he got six more films out of it in later years) in which a group of outlaws (wrongly jailed this time) are let out to join up with the good guys against a worse bunch of outlaws. And, not unusual in the B-western genre, most of the production crew wore several hats; director Robert N. Bradbury and supervisor Lindsley Parsons wrote a song for Tommy Bupp, one of the actually good kid actors of the time who proved real quick-like that singing wasn't his strong suit, while Robert Emmett Tansey worked three jobs under three names... Robert Emmett on story and screenplay, Robert Tansey as the production manager and Al Lane as the assistant director. And, for a change, music director Frank Sanucci actually earned a composers' credit as he did write a song, as opposed to the multi-times some source keeps insisting on crediting him as a composer when he was really the musical director serving up canned music. Roving horse-trader Tex Randall (<a href=">Tex Ritter) and Hank <a href=">Hank Worden swap horses with a fleeing outlaw, The Tombstone Kid (<a href=">Archie Ricks), and the pursuing Sheriff Grey (<a href=">Ed Cassidy) comes along and arrests Tex as the man he was pursuing. But the man who framed the Tombstone Kid , saloon owner and leader of a horse-theft gang, James Clark (<a href=">Earl Dwire), clears Tex and he is released. Clark then rigs the wheel at his saloon so Tex can win some money and buy the stolen herd of horses Clark can't get across the border, then has a henchman steal the receipt and also has plans to get the horses back. Tex and Hank swap herds with Dad Reed (<a href=">Jack C. Smith), so Clark has him arrested for horse theft also. Things don't get much better for Tex and Hank until the Tombstone Kid shows up and shoots henchman Slug (<a href=">Charles King just as he is about to shoot Tex. This is because when Tex swapped Tombstone a fresh horse back in the first reel, Tombstone thanks him and says something about casting "bread upon the water" (which Tex has to explain to Hank is from the Bible). They ride back to town with proof of Clark's double-dealing, and the sheriff lets Tombstone's six men out of jail, and they join Tex, their ranks now swollen to about fifty riders, to chase Clark and his gang across the plains in a chase-type scene much favored by director Bradbury over the years. That only leaves time for Tex to explain to Jean Reed (<a href=">Jerry Bergh), the rancher's daughter, that he is really an agent for the Soutland Railraod, commissioned to pay a large price for the right-of-way through her father's ranch.
If you like music, and even if you don't, this is one of Tex Ritter's better 30s films. It might really be called a musical since it features seven songs. The upbeat opening song, "Heading for Town," showcases Tex's genial and sincere personality; he gives a short semi-comic version of one of his trade mark songs, "Blood on the Saddle"; he does "Hittin' the Trail," all good songs. Tex does a fine version of "I'm a Natural Born Cowboy," a sort of pre-cursor to Bing Crosby's "I'm an Old Cowhand." We get the clichéd group vocal riding song "The Vagabond Song," and even Tommy Bupp sings in his biggest movie scene doing a creditable job on "I'm a Rippin' Snortin' Sheriff." Unfortunately, since he's no off key singing, comic mugging Alfalfa, we'll pass on him.<br/><br/>As a super bonus, though, we get Ray Whitley's band singing and playing Ray's excellent "Texas Washboard Rag," which reflects the musical influences of ragtime music and scat singing. The performance reminds us that, for those unfamiliar with Spike Jones, the washboard, augmented here with bicycle horn and copper pots, was a staple of thirties Western movie bands. It was Spike Jones in the forties who elevated the augmented washboard to orchestral instrument status.<br/><br/>But what about the movie? It's one of the better Grand National efforts. After the upbeat opener, the Tombstone Kid, an 'outlaw', trades horse with Tex, and quotes the Bible -- bread cast on the water returns to you. Then we're off and running with the action including all the formulaic elements of these films, here all well done: Tex being wrongly accused; Earl Dwire nicely evil as Clarke, the rich saloon owner and horse rustler, who swindles Tex; a good fight with Charles King at the outlaws' hideout; Tombstone returning at the end to rescue and aid Tex; and a fine elaborate final chase sequence involving about a hundred horses and horsemen, as Tex and the sheriff chase Clark and his henchmen as they drive the stolen horses through 'the pass.' <br/><br/>Note: There is no dumb sidekick 'comic' relief in this one. That really helped it! Hank Warden, who was in over 200 movies and TV shows, (mostly westerns) was the no nonsense sidekick, but he only appeared briefly except for duetting with Tex in the opening song. You can see him do a hick country dance in Tex's 'Trouble in Texas' (1937), and as the parson in 'The Alamo' (1960) among his many, many appearances.<br/><br/>The development of the story, the editing and the many great songs set it apart from other formulaic oaters of the period. I'd give it a 5 just for the music.
After shaving, horse-trader Tex Ritter (as Tex Randall) and cleaned-up partner Hank Worden (as Hank) are mistaken for outlaws. They are quickly freed, as the plot seems to forget where it's going. Mr. Ritter is framed for some illegal horsing around. There ought to be a law. The DVD sleeve claims, "Action and suspense blend perfectly in this original, exciting Western." In your dreams. There are about one-and-a-half good songs, at least. And, it's amusing to watch Mr. Worden's background facial expressions.<br/><br/>** Hittin' the Trail (4/3/37) Robert N. Bradbury ~ Tex Ritter, Hank Worden, Earl Dwire, Tommy Bupp