Vigilante Hideout (1950)
Cattle detective, Rocky Lane, arrives in town to investigate cattle disappearances only to realize just three cows owned by eccentric inventor, Nugget Clark, are involved. However, the disappearances lead to a deeper mystery involving dynamite explosions, rampaging cowboys and a water shortage.
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Pretty Good
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Range detective Rocky Lane arrives in town to help Nugget Clark's rustling problem, even though Nugget has only 3 cows. Rocky also learns the other real problem in town is the lack of a water supply, which Nugget is trying to tap using dynamite to test for vibrations where water might be. The town also has raised $20,000 for a fund to build an aqueduct which is stored in the bank vault. This gives Benson, express operator, an idea to use an abandoned mine that leads directly under the bank and Nugget's dynamite to blow a hole underneath so the crooks can make off with the funds. Rocky tries to piece together the rustling of Nugget's cattle, the actions of Muley Price and his gang, as well as the charges that he is responsible for the recent troubles and robberies in town. This western did have original ideas but they weren't fleshed out as well as they could have been, especially not getting into the crux of the story til the halfway mark and with characters whose purpose doesn't carry that far into the story. Perennial Rocky Lane villain Roy Barcroft seems to disappear halfway through the film and the idea of the heroine's father being a former crook wasn't utilized very well. The highlight of the film is really the things Nugget invents (just for the sake of saying he was able to invent them) such as a perpetual motion machine, a voice recorder, horseless carriage, plus many more but thinking they will never have any practical purpose. Rating, based on B westerns, 6.
Popular Indiana born cowboy Rocky Lane's heyday was probably the 1940's and 50's, although he worked from 1929 till the mid 60's. VIGILANTE HIDEOUT is evocative of his cowboy roles. Rocky and his faithful stallion Black Jack come to the rescue of eccentric Nugget Clark(Eddy Waller), who is trying to help his neighbors fight the harsh drought by providing them water. There is $25,000 in the bank for the purpose of building an aqueduct. Rocky places himself right in the middle of the bitter battle over the water rights. Bad guys led by Muley Price(Roy Bancroft)rob the bank, but of course have little hope of getting to far with Range Detective Lane on their trail. Average or better Saturday morning cowboy movie. Surely entertaining enough. Also in the cast: Virginia Herrick, Don Haggerty, Guy Teague and Cliff Clark.