This film finds Ken Baxter and his two pals, Pancho and Panhandle, finding Professor Wahl, injured and wandering on the range.This film finds Ken Baxter and his two pals, Pancho and Panhandle, finding Professor Wahl, injured and wandering on the range.This film finds Ken Baxter and his two pals, Pancho and Panhandle, finding Professor Wahl, injured and wandering on the range.
Willy Castello
- Dr. Flotow
- (as William Castello)
Richard Alexander
- Big Nick Harden
- (uncredited)
Jack Evans
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Chick Hannan
- Mike
- (uncredited)
Murdock MacQuarrie
- Sheriff
- (uncredited)
Milburn Morante
- Land Recorder
- (uncredited)
Bud Osborne
- Bartender Bud
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is one of four Ken Maynard films sold by Colony Pictures in 1941 to the National Broadcasting Company to be telecast on New York's first television station, W2XBS; its earliest documented television broadcast occurred Saturday 6 December 1941 on WNBT (Channel 1). Post WW-II viewers got their first look at it in New York City Saturday 28 August 1948 on WNBT (Channel 4) and in Los Angeles Thursday 4 May 1950 on KECA (Channel 7).
- ConnectionsRemade as Gold Strike (1950)
Featured review
Cantankerous Ken Rides Again!
"Death Rides the Range" is a routine Poverty Row quickie starring the aging Ken Maynard and his horse Tarzan. In an effort to prop up the story, Maynard is given two sidekicks, Panhandle (Ralph Peters) and Pancho (Julian Rivero) who provide some of the best moments in the film. It didn't hurt either to have veteran bad guy Charlie King cast as one of the villains.
The story has a thinly disguised WWII plot wherein unknown villains are trying to steal helium gas (for dirigibles) found in a secret cave on the Morgan Ranch. Along comes Ken Baxter (Maynard) and his two pals looking for work. They come across an injured archaeologist Dr. Wahl (Michael Vallon) and bring him to the ranch of cantankerous old Hiram Crabtree (John Elliott). There we meet Wahl's other two partners Baron Stakoff (Sven Hugo Borg) and Dr. Flotow (William Costello). Wahl mutters something about finding a lost cave but is murdered by an unknown assailant before he can reveal more.
Next we meet rancher Joe Larkin (King) who is engaged in a dispute over a strip of land upon which sits (you guessed it) the hidden cave is located. The other party in the dispute are the Morgans, Lettie (Fay McKenzie) and Jim (Julian Madison). Naturally Ken has an eye for the comely Lettie. It turns out that Larkin is in cahoots with the archaeologists. Soon Dr. Flotow is eliminated and Ken closes in on the bad guys.
Although the need for helium for dirigibles was a little dated by 1940 this film has an obvious ruthless "foreign" villain, a thinly disguised German, interesting for a "B" western since the U.S. had not yet entered WWII.
Ken Maynard had been a major star in the 1920's famous for his trick riding and daring subnetwork. Unfortunately he had a few too many personal demons and his career steadily declined during the 1930s. This film is from his final solo starring series. He would re-surface briefly over weight and as nasty as ever in the 40s in Monogram's "Trail Blazer" with Hoot Gibson and Bob Steele. After that he basically "retired" from the screen.
The story has a thinly disguised WWII plot wherein unknown villains are trying to steal helium gas (for dirigibles) found in a secret cave on the Morgan Ranch. Along comes Ken Baxter (Maynard) and his two pals looking for work. They come across an injured archaeologist Dr. Wahl (Michael Vallon) and bring him to the ranch of cantankerous old Hiram Crabtree (John Elliott). There we meet Wahl's other two partners Baron Stakoff (Sven Hugo Borg) and Dr. Flotow (William Costello). Wahl mutters something about finding a lost cave but is murdered by an unknown assailant before he can reveal more.
Next we meet rancher Joe Larkin (King) who is engaged in a dispute over a strip of land upon which sits (you guessed it) the hidden cave is located. The other party in the dispute are the Morgans, Lettie (Fay McKenzie) and Jim (Julian Madison). Naturally Ken has an eye for the comely Lettie. It turns out that Larkin is in cahoots with the archaeologists. Soon Dr. Flotow is eliminated and Ken closes in on the bad guys.
Although the need for helium for dirigibles was a little dated by 1940 this film has an obvious ruthless "foreign" villain, a thinly disguised German, interesting for a "B" western since the U.S. had not yet entered WWII.
Ken Maynard had been a major star in the 1920's famous for his trick riding and daring subnetwork. Unfortunately he had a few too many personal demons and his career steadily declined during the 1930s. This film is from his final solo starring series. He would re-surface briefly over weight and as nasty as ever in the 40s in Monogram's "Trail Blazer" with Hoot Gibson and Bob Steele. After that he basically "retired" from the screen.
- bsmith5552
- Mar 26, 2005
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $15,000 (estimated)
- Runtime58 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Death Rides the Range (1939) officially released in Canada in English?
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