Bandits of El Dorado (1949) User Reviews

Which Way Did They Go, George?

[boblipton · 6/10 · 18 October 2014]

This is a pretty good B western. The most successful outlaws in Texas have been disappearing with their loot, despite the best efforts of the Texas Rangers and the Mexican Federales. It's up to Texas Ranger Steve Carson to go underground to trace these disappearing bad men.

All the elements work in this Durango Kid movie. It's a bit shorter than usual, timing in at 54 minutes, but there's very little bloat. The comedy bits with Smiley Burnette work, the songs are good and the camera-work of Fayte M. Browne is excellent. The acting is better than usual, with John Dehner and Clayton Moore in major roles.This is a good movie to show to people who are not familiar with the series.

Aren't Disappearing Badmen a Good Thing?

[Henchman_Number1 · 6/10 · 18 July 2021]

Notorious outlaws are pulling off successful heists and vanishing with the stolen loot never to be seen again. Texas Rangers Steve Carson / The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) and Ranger Captain Richard Henley (Fred Sears) hatch a scheme for Carson to infiltrate a gang suspected in the plot. Carson's cover becomes compromised when he is recognized by an old pal, town local Smiley Burnette.

There is a pretty decent B-Western flick packed in here. The villainry is decidedly less cartoonish then in most of the Durango's as well as some occasional quassi-noir cinematography and good action sequences. For some inexplicable reason Smiley's hijinks have been ramped up in this otherwise more hard-edged entry into the series.

Not only that but the studio decided to double down on the comedic relief with the addition of the singing cowboy duo of Mustard and Gravy. The two were actually pioneers in the Cowboy Boogie musical sound. Nothing to show for that here as their talent is largely wasted in time killing, comedy filler as a pair of Smiley clones.

A solid episode in the Durango Kid Series. With a little more creative care it could have been one of the best. Nevertheless, overall it's enjoyable B-Western fare.

"I can handle outlaws. I can't handle Smiley."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 26 October 2014]

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?

Where have all the outlaws gone?

[michaelRokeefe · 5/10 · 9 March 2015]

Ray Navarro directs and Barry Shipman writes the screenplay for another Charles Starrett shoot 'em up. A very short movie running just a little over 50 minutes, but there is no time really wasted. The Texas Rangers and Mexican officials are stumped with the absence of Texas bad guys. Ranger Steve Carson(Starrett)comes up with a plan that has him faking a hold-up and murdering a Texas Ranger Captain(Fred Sears). Carson gets in with a gang secretly ran by Charles Burton(John Denher)and tries to get information about a criminal hideout from businessman B.F. Morgan(Clayton Moore). (Yes,of Lone Ranger fame). Morgan of course is in cahoots with Burton, who has a special way of disposing of outlaws.

Carson as expected has help from alter-ego The Durango Kid. There of course is Smiley Burnette to provide some comic relief and warble a few tunes. This outing he is more of an irritant than anything. Pretty good B Western. Neat watching Moore being a bad guy and without a mask. Smiley messes around with a couple of tunes like "When I Find Out What I Said" and "Half A Notion".

Other players include: Edmund Cobb, John Douchette, Ray Jones, Al Haskell, Ray Bennett and Jock Mahoney.

The missing outlaws

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 25 February 2022]

Outlaws along the Texas-Mexican border are mysteriously disappearing without a trace, so the Durango Kid adopts a second fake outlaw identity to expose the scheme.

An unusual idea of outlaws disappearing and John Dehner as the bad guy as well as a harder-edged action elevates this from average. It's a very good western, instilled with energy and plot frothing in a well-heated cauldron.