Pirates of the Prairie

"WAR OUT WEST...as bullets whine and fists fly!"

Nov 20 1942 Passed 0h 57m
Action, Music, Western

In one of his better early Westerns, Tim Holt, as Deputy Marshal Larry Durant, is sent to Spencerville where a gang of vigilantes has been terrorizing the citizenry. Going undercover as a gunsmith, Larry quickly learns that the leader of the vigilantes, John Spencer (John Elliott), is an honest man who only seeks to establish law and order. The real brains behind the crimes, meanwhile, are revealed to be Spencer's brother-in-law, Lou Harmon (Roy Barcroft), and his chief henchman, Leighton (Charles King), who speculate in the coming of the railroad by forcing the townspeople to relinquish their land.

Plot

This film opens with two small Arizona towns, Spencerville and East Spencerville, separated by a dry gulch and a feud, and governed by a Vigilante Committee. Lew Harmon, committee member and also leader of the crooked element, is using the masked band for his own purpose to terrorize ranchers, and to grab the land and force the railroad to pay high right-of-way prices. Deputy U.S. Marshal Larry Durant, sent to investigate, poses as a gunsmith, and is ordered out of town by Harmon. Helen Spencer, the banker's daughter, discovers the railroad survey is finished and later, Harmon tricks Ike into telling him where the line will run. Larry trails Harmon's henchmen to East Spencerville and breaks up an extortion scheme. This convinces banker John Spencer of the treachery of Harmon and the vigilantes, but he is killed by Harmon before he can disband the committee. Larry, after Ike is wounded trying to help him, rounds up the citizens of East Spencerville and sets a trap for the criminals.

Written by

Doris Schroeder, J. Benton Cheney, Berne Giler

Directed by

Howard Bretherton

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

RKO Radio Pictures

Languages

English

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
145
Average Rating
5.8 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA