Texas Rangers Ride Again ** (1940, John Howard, Ellen Drew, Akim Tamiroff, May Robson, Broderick Crawford) – Classic Movie Review 9225

Director James P Hogan’s 1940 updated contemporary Western film Texas Rangers Ride Again is Paramount’s follow-up to its 1936 hit The Texas Rangers, though in fact it has little to do with it other than having the same Texas Ranger background.

This time the undercover Texas Ranger lawmen (John Howard, Broderick Crawford) are in cars chasing rustlers (led by Anthony Quinn) in trucks who are rustling and killing old ma Cecilia Dangerfield (May Robson)’ s cattle from her White Sage ranch in the Thirties. Howard plays Jim Kingston, who infiltrates the rustler gang pretending to be the Pecos Kid on the run from the law.

Some names in the cast to watch (especially Quinn and Crawford) make Texas Rangers Ride Again easy to relax to. But, with its very familiar premise, plotting and characters, it is nothing much to write home about. Ellen Drew plays the heroine, Ellen Dangerfield, Cecilia Dangerfield’s granddaughter .

Also in the cast are Charley Grapewin, John Miljan, Anthony Quinn, William Duncan, Harvey Stephens, Eva Puig, Edward Pawley, Eddie Foy Jr, Joseph Crehan, Monte Blue, Stanley Price, Tom Tyler, Eddie Acuff and Robert Ryan.

Ellen drives a 1937 Ford Station Wagon while the Rangers drive 1939 Mercury Sedans.

Texas Rangers Ride Again is directed by James P Hogan, runs 68 minutes, is made and released by Paramount, is written by William R Lipman (original story and screenplay) and Horace McCoy (original story and screenplay), is shot in black and white by Archie Stout, is produced by William LeBaron (executive producer) and Edward T Lowe Jr (associate producer), is scored by John Leipold, and is designed by Hans Dreier and A. Earl Hedrick.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9225

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