The Lone Hand Texan (1947) User Reviews

Burnette Fills The Space in This Durango Kid B

[boblipton · 5/10 · 1 June 2023]

Oil wildcatter Fred F. Sears is having trouble meeting his notes on the many oil leases he has around Oil City, Texas. Outlaws keep shooting up his crews and wrecking his equipment. So he calls in his buddy Charles Starrett to boss the crews. Meanwhile, shopkeeper Smiley Burnette is sweet on local lady Mary Newton.... who's behind the bandits.

It's an overly complicated plot for Miss Newton to gain control of the oil leases, but even so, it takes up only about half of this Durango Kid B western. Burnette fills in the time with his naive clowning and five songs, and Starret dresses as the Durango Kid, seemingly so the bad guys can blame him for Sears' problems. It's adequate for Starrett's many fans.

One for Starrett's juvenile fans. All 300,000 of them!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 17 November 2017]

Charles Starrett (Steve Driscoll), Smiley Burnette (himself), Fred F. Sears (Sam Jason), Mary Newton (Clarabelle Adams), Maude Prickett (Hattie Hatfield), George Chesebro (Scanlon), Robert Stevens (aka Robert Kellard) (Boomer Kildea), Bob Cason (1st outlaw), Jim Diehl (straw boss), George Russell (2nd outlaw), Jasper Weldon (Williams), Matty Roubert (henchman), Mustard and Gravy (musicians), Jock Mahoney (stunt double), and Ernest Stokes.

Director: RAY NAZARRO. Screenplay: Ed Earl Repp. Photography: George F. Kelley. Film editor: Paul Borofsky. Art director: Charles Clague. Set decorator: Frank Kramer. Stunts: Tommy Coats, Matty Roubert. Assistant director: William O'Connor. Sound recording: Lambert Day. Western Electric Sound Recording. Producer: Colbert Clark.

Copyright 6 March 1947 by Columbia Pictures Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 6 March 1947. Australian release: 16 February 1950 (sic). 4,961 feet. 54 minutes.

U.K. release title: The Cheat.

NOTES: Number 87 of Starrett's 132 westerns.

COMMENT: Pretty average Durango Kid entry, with a capable cast, competent direction, and even a slice of action.

Mr. Burnette renders some pleasant songs, plus a nice bit of foolery at an afternoon tea. Fair location scenery helps too.

Although the identity of the chief villain is obvious (in fact this whole aspect of the plot is handled in a sadly heavy-handed fashion), the screenplay just manages to hold the viewer's attention.

And it's always to joy to see Fred F. Sears in the flesh, particularly as he has quite a sizable role in this one. Starrett, of course, is his usual agreeable self.

So, to sum up, whilst this offering is not at all distinguished in any department, it will go down okay with the fans.

The Lone Hand Texan

[coltras35 · 5/10 · 28 February 2022]

Sam Jason is being harassed by a gang that's after his oil leases secretly led by attractive widow Clarabelle Adams, and he looks to old friend Steve Driscoll and his alter ego, the Durango Kid.

Guess who the chief villain was wasn't too much of a surprise but it was quite refreshing in an otherwise fairly routine Durango Kid entry that has the formula of action, comedy and singing down pat. It's nice to see Smiley Burnette getting some romance, however short lived that is.