The Durango Kid's alter ego Steve Carson has some trouble getting started with his investigation into the disappearance of area outlaws due to Smiley Burnette's insistence that Steve's a good guy. You see, Carson staged a fake hold-up and murder of Texas Ranger Captain Henley (Fred Sears) so he could ingratiate himself with the outlaw bunch secretly run by Charles Bruton (John Dehner) of Copper City. When Carson approaches businessman Morgan (Clayton Moore) as a go-between to learn the identity of Bruton, he finds himself walking a fine line between the baddies and the Rangers.
Seeing Clayton Moore in this picture reminded me of all those disguises he used to wear during his run as The Lone Ranger, usually to infiltrate some gang or get information while Tonto was off doing something else. In this picture he was almost unrecognizable wearing a simple mustache; he might have gotten away with it in his own series. Moore and Jock Mahoney often turned up in these Durango Kid flicks, Moore was usually the heel and Mahoney a good guy. In this one, Mahoney portrays the local Ranger leader Tim Starling.
Smiley Burnette of course was a mainstay in the Durango series, but I couldn't help thinking he was just a bit annoying in this one. Couldn't he wise up for one minute and let Carson/Durango work his plan without complication? I guess it didn't help that the side gimmick involved a couple of Smiley clones portrayed by a duo going by the name of Mustard and Gravy. They were very weak in each of their bits beginning with the wrestler schtick, how do you take a wrestler seriously going by the name of Dimples Dynamite? The Masked Cur wasn't much better, he didn't have his mask on right. Getting back to Smiley for a minute, he did have a clever idea with the 'pre-hung' clothes washing gimmick. You'll just have to see it for yourself.
Well the action in the picture moves from Copper City to the town of El Dorado where we learn how outlaw Bruton disposed of all those missing outlaws that the Rangers and the Mexican Rurales could never find. After paying a rather considerable fee to remain hidden from sight, Bruton really did hide them from sight. I could give it away here but why spoil the fun?
Trivia fans take note: Carson calls his horse 'Bullet' and fifty cents per hour was the going labor rate paid to Mustard and Gravy. And for you old timers like myself, when was the last time you saw anyone use the old finger-cross when making a promise you wouldn't keep?
Seeing Clayton Moore in this picture reminded me of all those disguises he used to wear during his run as The Lone Ranger, usually to infiltrate some gang or get information while Tonto was off doing something else. In this picture he was almost unrecognizable wearing a simple mustache; he might have gotten away with it in his own series. Moore and Jock Mahoney often turned up in these Durango Kid flicks, Moore was usually the heel and Mahoney a good guy. In this one, Mahoney portrays the local Ranger leader Tim Starling.
Smiley Burnette of course was a mainstay in the Durango series, but I couldn't help thinking he was just a bit annoying in this one. Couldn't he wise up for one minute and let Carson/Durango work his plan without complication? I guess it didn't help that the side gimmick involved a couple of Smiley clones portrayed by a duo going by the name of Mustard and Gravy. They were very weak in each of their bits beginning with the wrestler schtick, how do you take a wrestler seriously going by the name of Dimples Dynamite? The Masked Cur wasn't much better, he didn't have his mask on right. Getting back to Smiley for a minute, he did have a clever idea with the 'pre-hung' clothes washing gimmick. You'll just have to see it for yourself.
Well the action in the picture moves from Copper City to the town of El Dorado where we learn how outlaw Bruton disposed of all those missing outlaws that the Rangers and the Mexican Rurales could never find. After paying a rather considerable fee to remain hidden from sight, Bruton really did hide them from sight. I could give it away here but why spoil the fun?
Trivia fans take note: Carson calls his horse 'Bullet' and fifty cents per hour was the going labor rate paid to Mustard and Gravy. And for you old timers like myself, when was the last time you saw anyone use the old finger-cross when making a promise you wouldn't keep?