The Lash of LaRue

 (imdb)

GHOST TOWN RENEGADES-1947-The Cheyenne Kid aka Marshall Davis (Lash LaRue) and Fuzzy Jones (Al St. John) are dispatched by the chief Marshall (Henry Hall) to investigate the disappearance of 2 surveyors. They come up against evil lawyer Vance Sharp (Jack Ingram) who wants the land owned by Diane Trent (Jennifer Holt; sister of Tim). He has two henchmen (Terry Frost and Lane Bradford). Although Fuzzy is pretty tough and good in a fight, he still supplies the comic relief when they spend the night in a ghost town. Also with William Fawcett. 

Pretty decent low budget western (only 59 minutes) from PRC. One of several Cheyenne Kid features LaRue (who uses his trademark bullwhip several times) made between 1945 & 1948. Prolific director Ray Taylor made several serials and many more westerns (some with LaRue). Screenwriter Patricia Harper wrote screenplays for many movies in the 1940's after a brief turn as an actress.

Thanks for reading, partner!

Gang Busted

GUNS DON'T ARGUE-1957-After a very fake looking building explodes in a quiet small town

special agents Fenton (Bill Baldwin) and Bill Baxter (Sidney Mason) investigate. Fenton explains that the building was blown up by gangsters. He then introduces us to two men who believe “guns don't argue” : Pretty Boy Floyd (Doug Wilson) (and his girlfriend Paula (Jeanne Carmen) ) and Adan Richetti (Knobby Schaeffer) and his girlfriend Hope (Regina Gleason). They are hired to rescue a criminal named Frank Nash who is being transferred by federal agents. The duo is so stupid they not only kill 2 cops but kill Nash too! They also kill a federal agent who happens to be Ross Baxter (Coulter Ervin), Bill's brother. 

Bill goes undercover as a thug and befriends Paula. Meanwhile a female governor enlists the FBI to help stop the murderous bank robbing rampage of Bonnie (Tamar Cooper) & Clyde (Baynes Barron). Captain Stewart (Jim Davis), a Texas ranger goes after them (and picks up the narration too). When Bonnie and Clyde break their comrade Hamilton out of prison they kill everyone including the other prisoners! A farmer named Sully (Hank Patterson) helps Stewart ambush the deadly duo. 

Then the story switches back to Bill avenging Ross' death in a gun battle with Floyd. Then we meet Ma Barker (Jean Harvey) and her sons Herm and Fred along with alcoholic Mr. Barker (Ralph Moody). When Herm is killed Alvin Karpis (Paul Dubov) joins them and then a third son Doc (Lash LaRue) for a bank job that's put on hold to kidnap a millionaire's son. Later they team up with Dillinger (Myron Healy), Baby Face Nelson (Richard Crane) and Homer Van Meter (Robert Kendall) to pull the big bank job. When the heat is on Karpis visits a plastic surgeon (Lyle Talbott). Ma and Fred are killed by G-men and a mummy like Karpis finds out his surgery didn't work. 

An incarcerated Dillinger breaks out of jail using a gun carved from a piece of wood. He teams up with Van Meter and Tony Malento (Texas Joe Foster) and they raid a prison's arsenal and go on a murder/robbery spree. Van Meter dies on a pile of garbage. Later Dillinger gets help from old flame Mildred (Ann Morriss), the “woman in red” who helps the FBI trap and kill public enemy number one. Karpis gets captured after an underwater duel. 

This might sound like an interesting crime drama full of great '50's character actors but it's just 3 episodes of the once popular TV crime drama “Gang Busters” strung together in a very disjointed facts challenged mess.

Thanks for reading!