Wrangler's Roost (1941) User Reviews

Black Bart Rides Again?

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 18 March 2013]

The notorious Black Bart, gentleman outlaw who plied his trade in California of the 1870s looks like he's taken up robbery again this time in Apache Butte, Arizona Territory. The Range Busters, Ray Corrigan, Dusty King, and Max Terhune are called to apprehend the robber.

No one ever knows what happened to the real Black Bart whose real name was Charles Bolles. He disappeared after his parole in 1888 and was never seen or heard from again. So for once a B western had some basis in fact.

As it turns out the real Black Bart is in the area and taking up an entirely different vocation. But he's as concerned as the Range Busters are in apprehending this impostor.

This was a good entry in the Range Busters series, maybe one of their best.

"Well sometimes when you get into a tussle with the devil, you'll have to bark louder than you bite."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 17 July 2012]

You know, I really had to think about that quote in my summary line from The Deacon (Forrest Taylor). It sounds like the first and the second part of the statement belong in different sentences, not to mention different pictures. It's still not making any sense to me even after the picture is over.

"Wrangler's Roost" trades on the legend of the notorious Western outlaw known as Black Bart who I really don't know much about but am now inclined to do some research on. Suffice it for this Range Busters story that Bart's been paroled from jail after a five year hitch, and hasn't been heard from in a decade. Turning up in the town of Apache Butte, he turns into Deacon Stewart, a stalwart citizen who's campaigning to build a new church for the town. Only problem is, the film's main villain Miller (George Chesebro) is impersonating Black Bart, robbing stagecoaches on the one hand, and running the local saloon and gambling house on the other.

A couple of interesting anomalies here. How is it that Crash Corrigan, arriving in town as a 'notorious gambler and ladies man', manages to run the roulette table with every spin? It helps him establish a phony identity, but how did he do that without an accomplice? As for Max 'Alibi' Terhune, I'll have to go out on a limb and say he's got to be one of the great ventriloquists of all time - his lips NEVER move at all!! How does he do that?

Pretty standard story here that reintroduces the perennial rivalry between Crash and Dusty King for the attention of a pretty female lead in Miss Molly Collins (Gwen Gaze). Dusty handles the singing chores on the title tune, but gets his comeuppance when he wins a five dollar bid on a lunch basket raffle, and the silhouetted gal with the bow in her hair turns out to be an old maid. Credit Dusty with chivalry here, at least he was a good sport about it.

Impostor

[StrictlyConfidential · 5/10 · 6 September 2021]

"Wrangler's Roost" was originally released back in 1941.

Anyway - As the story goes - The Range Busters arrive in town to investigate the re-emergence of the gentleman bandit, Black Bart, long thought dead but apparently back in action. The Busters discover that Black Bart is still very much alive but is actually now a respectable citizen leading a quiet life.

Copycat bandits. Now I've seen everything.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 11 May 2022]

The singing Cowboy craze took another step when they brought on a sidekick who had his own dummy as opposed to the fat funny man best pal. The storyline here deals with the alleged return of notorious Bandit Black Bart who had disappeared years before after being released from prison on parole. Ray Corrigan, John 'Dusty' King abf Max Terhune are the tree out here, with Corrigan the straightforward hero, King the singer and Terhune the one with the dummy, a lightly wisecracking one named Elmer. It's obvious that the Black Bart who's on the loose at this time is not the real deal, so they set out to find the real retired Bandit, a man who is living respectfully and quietly.

The storyline is alright, but the Highlight for me was a comic segment of a town Gathering where the men bid on a basket lunch, and King chooses one that he assumes from behind the sheet with the shadow is a lovely young woman. When they walk out, it's revealed to be the bird like Lillian Lawrence, an adorable little old lady who only needed Tweety and Sylvester and of course the umbrella to look like Granny. One of the most recognizable extras and big players and movie history, Lawrence had walk-ons in many films, recognizable as one of the relatives in the "Honeymoon Hotel" number in "Dames", a townsperson in the Barbara Stanwyck film "Banjo on my Knee" and the sidekick to the gossipy Vera Lewis in "Four Daughters" and "Four Wives". The film's plot as a whole is developed and wrapped up far too neatly, dealt with quickly in the film with a running time of just 57 minutes.

Starring the most famous three members of the Range Busters...and, of course, Elmer!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 26 January 2021]

B-westerns often played very fast and loose with historical figures in the old west...so much so that the films bearing these folks' names bear no resemblance to the actual facts....none. Folks like Jesse James, Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill and others were the subjects of many films...often those of Roy Rogers or Gene Autry. However, "Wrangler's Roost" is a most unusual B-western because its portrayal of a famous old west bandit is reasonably accurate and present a 'what if' look at history.

When I first found this film, I had no idea that Black Bart was a real western bandit. But after reading the review by bkoganbing, I did some reading on Bart. He apparently was a 'gentleman bandit' who was known for being extremely polite and effective. He was eventually caught and sent to prison. After his release, he soon disappeared and was never reportedly seen again. This story is a possible explanation for what happened of this notorious outlaw.

When the story begins, the Range Busters (Ray Corrigan, Dusty King, Max Terhune and his dummy Elmer) are dispatched to a town to look for Bart. It seems he jumped parole long ago and a new string of robberies appear to be his work. To infiltrate the local scumbags, Corrigan poses as a professional gambler and the other play law-abiding folks....like they were in all the films.

This is a very good Range Buster film...probably their best. I like the way the plot actually respects history and make for an interesting tale as well. Well worth seeing.