The Texas Rangers

This movie starts off a bit slow but the story line captures you and before you know it you are caught up in a wonderful adventure, I was sorry to see it end. Wonderful location shots , snappy dialog, a really good cast , the villains are played to the hilt and the good guys start off a bit shaky but by the final reel they take control. In one scene Myron Healey an excellent actor, one of the perennial heavies in the fifties westerns forgets and leaves a modern day hearing aid on his right ear, it is clearly visible in the shot, I wonder how many people in the audience picked up on it. The movie ends up with a real good chase involving a train carrying a million dollars in gold and the band of outlaws and the Texas Rangers converging in the final shootout. Attention all western buffs, don't miss this one.

It's too bad that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were no longer in a position to sue for the way that they're portrayed in this humble but lively early assignment in glorious SupercineColor for a young Phil Karlson in which George Montgomery teaches a real ugly collection of bad guys that crime doesn't pay the hard way; with Gale Storm the spunky young heroine who edits the local rag and whose pappy naturally met her end at these miscreants' hands.

The action keeps moving, the colour's pretty, the locations attractive. Those looking for deep motivation wouldn't be watching a film like this in the first place; the rest might find it worth a look.

I was never really a fan of George Montgomery's westerns; they were pretty cookie-cutter jobs, one looking pretty much like the next, cheap black-and-white somewhat shoddy productions with lame scripts and made by mediocre and uninspired directors.

This, however, is WAY above his usual product. It's beautifully shot--I never thought SuperCinecolor could look so good--with a terrific cast of great western veterans, such as John Dehner, Ian McDonald, Douglas Kennedy, Noah Beery, Jock Mahoney, Myron Healey, to name just a few--and in Phil Karlson he had probably the best director he ever worked with. Karlson was known for his fast-paced, right, action-filled westerns that moved like lightning, and this one doesn't disappoint. Montgomery is more animated than he usually is--as a director himself maybe he realized just how good Karlson was and put more heart and effort into his performance than he usually did, Whatever the case, this is one of Montgomery's best westerns--fast, a lot of action and not slowed down too terribly by the usually hammy Gale Storm as his love interest.

If you're looking for a history lesson, look somewhere else--this isn't a documentary. If you're looking for an interesting, satisfying western with good action, beautiful color and spirited performances, this is one for you.

This movie gets my vote as Gale Storm's best western film. She is outstanding in her scenes with her leading man, George Montgomery. The film begins with Johnny Carver (Montgomery), Buff Smith (Noah Beery Jr) and the Sundance Kid (Ian MacDonald) robbing the Waco bank. Sundance double-crosses Carver and Smith, shooting Carver in the back and killing the town sheriff. Fade to prison where Carver and Smith are being held. Major Jones of the Texas Rangers gets the men freed to become Rangers and track down the outlaws who are terrorizing the good folks in Texas. They are released and become Rangers over Helen Fenton's (Gale Storm's) objections. As a Ranger, Johnny meets up with his kid brother (played by DYNASTY director Jerome Courtland) who is killed by the Sam Bass gang. Johnny vows his revenge and gets it. George Montgomery's scenes with Gale are absolutely first rate. The cinematography by Ellis W. Carter is breathtaking! Gale told me that The TEXAS RANGERS was filmed "on location" but in Hollywood-not Texas. No matter, the scenery is beautiful and real...not projected. This is a four star picture in my book. Well worth seeing and owning!

A colourful western that packs a punch, the Texas rangers is solid entertainment with a good build up of the characters and the plot. George Montgomery is a convict given a chance to join the Texas rangers so he could nail Sam Bass and his motley crew who have become the scourge of the state. But Montgomery is only interested in getting the sun dance kid. And he does manage to kill him and he is about to renege on his oath to stop Sam Bass and his gang, but certain events stop him from doing that. The action is slam bang, the plot is smooth as oil, the villains are quite menacing, and there's some close-quarter shooting that's quite violent. An excellent train sequence at the finale is heart-stopping.