Charles Starrett Movies

Charles Starrett returns as the Durango Kid in Columbia's Rough, Tough, West. For most of the film, however, Starrett is known as "Steve Holden," a former Texas Ranger who comes to a wide-open mining town to visit an old friend (Jack -- later Jock -- Mahoney). Alas, said friend has turned bad, and is busy arranging a major land grab when Steve arrives on the scene. With deep regret, our hero dons his Durango disguise to thwart his ex-friend's criminal activities. Happily, the villain sees the error of his ways before too much damage can be done. The musical portion of the program is handled by Carolina Cotton and Pee Wee King and his band. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Although Smoky Canyon is officially an entry in Charles Starrett's "Durango Kid" western series, the film is essentially a showcase for the talents of Jack (later Jock) Mahoney, who'd been a supporting player and stunt double in the Starrett films for several years. Mahoney plays a sheepman who's framed for the murder of a rancher. It's all part of a scheme by a dishonest cattleman (Tristam Coffin) who hopes to extenuate a range war for his own profit. Starrett assumes his "Durango" disguise to help clear Mahoney's name. A few comic breaks in the action are provided by habitual Starrett sidekick Smiley Burnette. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Columbia's "Durango Kid" series was winding down to a close by the time Junction City went before the cameras in 1952. Durango, aka Steve Rollins (Charles Starrett) rides into town with saddle pal Smiley Burnette. The boys go to the rescue of pretty Kathleen Case, who is being victimized by greedy relatives. Much of the film is related in flashback, giving Columbia an excuse to utilize miles and miles of stock footage from earlier "Durango Kid" efforts. Livening up the proceedings is Jock Mahoney, frequent stunt double for Charles Starrett, who plays "himself". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Fort Savage Raiders is another entry in Charles Starrett's "Durango Kid" western series. Starrett once again does double duty as a peacekeeper named Steve (this time his last name is Drake) and as masked avenger Durango. The heavy of the piece is escaped military prisoner Craydon (John Dehner) who, with several other fugitives from justice, forms an army of terrorists. After dozens of attacks on peaceful communities, Craydon is targeted for elimination by the authorities. Steve Drake is assigned to put an end to Craydon's activities. Why he needs to adopt the disguise of the Durango Kid to pull this off is a mystery left unsolved by screenwriter Barry Shipman (who later went on to such prestige westerns as Republic's Stranger at My Door). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Durango Kid--aka Charles Starrett--rides again in Bandits of El Dorado. For the umpteenth time, Starrett plays a lawman on the trail of a mysterious desperado. The villain in this one smuggles American outlaws into Mexico then murders them for their money belts. Somewhere along the line, Starrett is compelled to don his "Durango" mask to bring the heavy to justice. Critics in 1951 praised Charles Starrett for his agility in the stunt sequences, though in fact most of these stunts were performed by Jock Mahoney (who, billed as Jack O'Mahoney, also played a supporting role in the film). Comedy is provided by Smiley Burnette, as well as a bizarre duo known as "Mustard and Gravy." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In Prairie Roundup, Fred F. Sears' direction brings a welcome jolt of vitality to Columbia's aging "Durango Kid" western series. Once again, Charles Starrett stars as Steve Carson, a lawman who is forced to assume the identity of masked do-gooder Durango. Framed for murder, Carson escapes to locate the real killer. It turns out that he was set up by cattle baron Buck Prescott (Frank Fenton), who eliminates competition by stealing livestock from other ranchers. Before Prescott is brought to justice (there's seldom much suspense in one of these westerns), Starrett's sidekick Smiley Burnette sings a couple of comic ballads. Reviewers were quick to comment upon director Sears' clever camera compositions and his skill at maintaining a respectable level of tension. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A late entry in Columbia's seemingly endless Durango Kid Western series, Cyclone Fury was augmented with a hefty dose of stock footage from an earlier Durango effort, Galloping Thunder (1946), footage that included sidekick Smiley Burnette warbling "Hear the Wind (Singing a Cowboy Song)" accompanied by Merle Travis and his Bronco Busters. The story -- Durango's effort to deliver horses to the U.S. Cavalry -- was not much but the film benefited from an unusually villainous turn by Clayton Moore, on salary strike from his Lone Ranger television show. Charles Starrett, as the Robin Hood-like Durango, was doubled in the stock footage by Jock Mahoney and supported in the new scenes by child actor Louis Lettieri. The latter went on to play Allan Lane's young sidekick, Little Beaver, in a failed Red Ryder television pilot. Former Durango series director Fred F. Sears, who directed Galloping Thunder, turned up in a supporting role this time around. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Charles Starrett plays lawman Steve Forsythe in Ridin' the Outlaw Trail. Somewhere along the line, of course, Steve is obliged to don the mask of The Durango Kid, mysterious righter of wrongs. The "wrongs" in this instance include the theft of $20,000 in gold, and the "kidnapping" of a blacksmith's forge! Jim Bannon, who only a few months earlier had played the heroic Red Ryder, provides the villainy in this fast-paced "Durango Kid" entry. The musical chores are handled by Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys. Sunny Vickers, a pert young starlet who was apparently being groomed for bigger things by Columbia, is the heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Durango Kid rides again in Lightning Guns. As ever, the masked Durango (alias Steve Brandon) is played by Charles Starrett, who this time around is on the trail of a gang of cold-blooded killers. Rancher Dan Saunders (Edgar Dearing) is held responsible for the killings because of his opposition to a politically expedient dam project. Durango believes that Saunders is innocent, and he intends to prove it. Appearing in a secondary role is Jock O'Mahoney (later known as Jock Mahoney), who also doubles for Charles Starrett during many of the action scenes. Starrett's leading lady is Gloria Henry, whom couch potatoes of the 1950s will remember as Alice Mitchell on TV's Dennis The Menace. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Charles Starrett plays The Durango Kid in the 1950 Columbia western Texas Dynamo. In fact, Charles Starrett always played the Durango Kid, but this was what his fans craved, so why spoil a good thing? As a novelty, Starrett not only plays Durango and his "alter ego" Steve Drake, but also takes on a third identity, that of a hired gun in the employ of the film's bad guys. As one critic noted, this may be the only western in which the hero is obliged to chase himself. Jock O'Mahoney -- later known as Jock Mahoney -- plays a secondary role, and also doubles for Starrett during the riskier stunt sequences. The rest of the cast includes Fred Sears, who'd directed some of the past Durango Kid entries, and Emil Sitka, best known for his appearances in Columbia's Three Stooges comedies ("Hold hands, you lovebirds!") ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Once more, Charles Starrett hits the trail as the masked do-gooder known as The Durango Kid in Streets of Ghost Town. Also once more, Starrett spends his "unmasked" scenes playing a character named Steve, in this case Steve Woods. The slender plot concerns a treasure hunt in a supposedly deserted town. This premise is used as an excuse to showcase lengthy excerpts from previous "Durango Kid" westerns, offered herein as "flashbacks." Columbia Pictures had a positive genius for recycling old footage into new movies: as proof, one need only peruse all those patchwork Three Stooges comedies of the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Charles Starrett goes up against an entire family of criminals posing as respectable citizens in this entry in Columbia's long-running Durango Kid Western series. When one of the Mahoneys is killed in a jail break, the greedy family frames the masked avenger by having Chick Mahoney (Don Harvey murder rancher Hyland while masquerading as the Kid. The head of the family, Mrs. J.C. Mahoney (Mira McKinney), pretends to comfort the murder victim's children, Mary Ellen (Gail Davis) and young Tod (Tommy Ivo), but her clan is in reality attempting to take over the Hylands' water supply and gain control of the entire valley. Aided by old friend Smiley Burnette, Steve Armitage, aka the Durango Kid (Starrett), manages to convince the Hyland kids of the Mahoney family's treachery, and when the dust settles, the valley is once again safe from Ma Mahoney and her brood. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi