King of the Texas Rangers

Infobox Film
name = King of the Texas Rangers


director = William Witney
John English
producer = Hiram S. Brown Jr
writer = Ronald Davidson
Norman S. Hall
William Lively
Joseph O'Donnell
Joseph Poland
starring = "Slingin' Sammy Baugh"
Neil Hamilton
Pauline Moore
Duncan Renaldo
Charles Trowbridge
Herbert Rawlinson
Frank Darien
Rudolph Anders
cinematography = Reggie Lanning
distributor = Republic Pictures
released = Flagicon|USA 4 October 1941 "(serial)"cite book
last = Mathis
first = Jack
title = Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement
origyear = 1995
publisher = Jack Mathis Advertising
isbn = 0-9632878-1-8
pages = pp. 3, 10, 56-57
chapter = ]
Flagicon|USA Early 1950s "(TV)"
runtime = 12 chapters (215 minutes) "(serial)"
6 26½-minute episodes "(TV)"
country = USA
language = English
budget = $138,536 (negative cost: $139,701)
awards =
amg_id = 1:27455
imdb_id = 0033786

"King of the Texas Rangers" (1941) is a Republic film serial.

"King of the Texas Rangers" is slightly anachronistic in that it features a mix of period western and modern elements, which was not unknown in the B-Western films also produced by Republic. In this case, Cowboys vs. Nazis. Although the serial's plot involves Nazi agents in Texas, this serial predates America's entry into World War II. The Nazis are never named as such but it is strongly implied within the serial

Plot

When Tom King's Texas Ranger father is shot dead by Nazi sabateurs, he leaves college and joins the Texas Rangers himself. Shortly he is given the mission of avenging his father's death and defeating the foreign agents.

King teams up with Sally Crane, a reporter who witnessed his father's murder, and Mexican officer Pedro Garcia, who shares an interest as the agents are working across the border in both countries.

Cast

* "Slingin' Sammy Baugh" as Ranger Tom King Jr
* Neil Hamilton as John Barton/Felix Hauptman
* Pauline Moore as Sally Crane
* Duncan Renaldo as Lt Pedro Garcia
* Charles Trowbridge as Robert Crawford
* Herbert Rawlinson as Colonel Lee Avery
* Frank Darien as Pop Evans
* Rudolph Anders as His Excellency
* Jack Ingram as Shorty

Production

"King of the Texas Rangers" was budgeted at $138,536 although the final negative cost was $139,701 (a $1,165, or 0.8%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1941.

It was filmed between 17 June and 18 July 1941. The serial's production number was 996.

Other actors were curious and sceptical about footballer Sammy Bough as the lead in a sort of western. However, according to co-star Kenne Duncan, Bough turned out to be a good horseman (he was raised on a ranch in Texas), took direction well and learned about acting quickly.cite book
last = Harmon
first = Jim
coauthors= Donald F. Glut
authorlink = Jim Harmon
title = The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury
origyear = 1973
publisher = Routledge
isbn = 9780713000979
pages = pp. 116, 119
chapter = 5. Real Life Heroes "Just Strangle the Lion in Your Usual Way" ]

In the opinions of Harmon and Glut, this serial contains "one of the greatest cliffhangers of all time." King (Bough) jumps onto a speeding train and gets into the engine cab just as the train enters a tunnel in a mountain. The villains detonate explosives causing a landslide at the other end of the tunnel. In the resolution, Bough yells "Open that throttle!" and the train shoots out of the tunnel to safety.

Republic liked calling their heroes "King" in order to use the title "King of..." The studio had found success with this naming scheme following the adaptation of Zane Gray's "King of the Royal Mounted". [cite book
last = Harmon
first = Jim
coauthors= Donald F. Glut
authorlink = Jim Harmon
title = The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury
origyear = 1973
publisher = Routledge
isbn = 9780713000979
pages = pp. 283
chapter = 11. New Masks for New Heroes "Get That Masked Trouble Maker" ] [cite book
last = Cline
first = William C.
title = In the Nick of Time
origyear = 1984
publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc.
isbn = 078640471X
pages = pp. 23
chapter = 2. In Search of Ammunition ]

Release

Theatrical

"King of the Texas Rangers"' official release date is 4 October 1941, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.

Television

In the early 1950s, "King of the Texas Rangers" was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.

Chapter titles

# The Fifth Column Strikes (29min 11s)
# Dead End (17min 42s)
# Manhunt (16min 42s)
# Trapped (17min 9s)
# Test Flight (16min 40s)
# Double Danger (16min 30s)
# Death Takes the Witness (16min 43s)
# Counterfeit Trail (16min 48s)
# Ambush (16min 48s)
# Sky Raiders (16min 51s)
# Trail of Death (16min 40s)
# Code of the Rangers (16min 47s)_Source: [cite book
last = Cline
first = William C.
title = In the Nick of Time
origyear = 1984
publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc.
isbn = 078640471X
pages = pp. 231
chapter = Filmography ]

ee also

* List of film serials by year
* List of film serials by studio

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0033786|title=King of the Texas Rangers
*amg title|id=1:27455
* [http://www.serialexperience.com/showarticle.php?fldRecNum=270 King of the Texas Rangers at Todd Gault's Movie Serial Experience]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Republic Serial
before=Jungle Girl (1941)
years=King of the Texas Rangers (1941)
after=Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. (1941)succession box
title=Witney-English Serial
before=Jungle Girl (1941)
years=King of the Texas Rangers (1941)
after=Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. (1941)