The Laramie Trail

Not very often do screenplay adaptations of novels adhere to the original story devised by the novelist, but in transferring to the screen Jackson Gregory's 1929 western, "Mystery at Spanish Hacienda," scenarist J. Benton Cheney does a commendable job. Most of Mr. Gregory's complex plot elements are included, the end result being that THE LARAMIE TRAIL is a charmingly atypical B western, its very complicated story unfolding in a swift, if at times slightly bewildering, manner.

Bob Livingston is cast as Rapidan, a Virginian who is a man of mystery, arriving in a California community and becoming involved in a series of related mysteries which even a film with twice the running time of this unpretentious feature would find it challenging to fully explain and unravel. An entry in Republic's "Smiley Burnette Productions" series, Mr. Cheney's script brings in the popular and always delightful Smiley, as Frog Millhouse - a character obviously not in the original novel - for an excellent comic performance. Mr. Livingston is splendid as the stalwart Rapidan, well supported by Emmett Lynn as a shyster attorney, and Martin Garralaga as proprietor of a large hacienda.

Republic edited a number of films in this series for release to television, and THE LARAMIE TRAIL (the film's title having absolutely no connection to the story) ended up being among the titles chopped to 53 ½ minutes. With its ultra-involved plot, this is one film which should not have been cut, even slightly. Jack English keeps the well-photographed proceedings moving and maintains the desired mood of the piece. Mr. Gregory's elaborate plot is not the sort of material Republic generally used for westerns, but Lou Gray's production, Mr. English's direction, and an excellent cast combine to make this a pleasing feature.

Bob Livingston and his sidekick Frog are in top form in this 1944 cowboy outing. A pal is framed for a killing and the duo make sure that the real desperado is brought to justice !

Both Livingston and Smiley Burnette are great in this one, making a decent film even better than I would have expected. Roy Barcroft was a fine heavy, in yet another fun role as a slick villain .

For a B-western, this film more than meets the grade. Even though the frame-up plot is familiar, the cast and writers make this one interesting and suspenseful.

An enjoyable cowboy flick with a satisfying conclusion.

When Gene Autry went into the service during World War II that left his sidekick Smiley Burnette at sea somewhat. But in the world of Republic westerns a character as popular as Frog Millhouse was not going to be left hanging. Burnette took his character into other westerns, a couple with Roy Rogers and here with Robert Livingston on The Laramie Trail.

Livingston and Burnette go to Wyoming to take possession of a ranch when they involved with an escaped prisoner John James wanted for murder. Something about James tells Livingston he's innocent and at that point there's only one course for a cowboy hero.

And of course Livingston is right, James murdered no one. But their private investigation leads them to an old Spanish grandee played by Martin Garralaga, his daughter Linda Brent and a family secret that Garralaga would rather die than have revealed.

Not a bad Republic western with a little more plot to it than most had at the time.