Saddle Mountain Roundup

I have never really understood Max Terhune. In his Range Buster films, he's always toting about his ventriloquist's dummy, Elmer. Think about it....a hero riding about the range with a puppet in his arms! Because of that, I can never take any of his films very seriously, that's for sure. So, at the outset, this one could be, at best, a decent film--never a very good one.

The story is a nice change for the series because in some ways it's like combining a Charlie Chan or old dark house movie with a traditional B-western. It begins with a very nervous old man writing a letter to the Range Busters requesting their help. However, before they arrive, the old guy has been murdered--and so, naturally, the three (Dusty King, Ray Corrigan and Terhune) investigate. One of the possible killers is a guy named 'Blackie'---and this is at least a dead giveaway that he's NOT one of the good guys! Overall, the film is a decent mix of action, comedy and mystery. Not great but a nice change of pace for the series.