At the Bijou with Gobe: Arizona Raiders

The Almanack once again welcomes ace film critic Mr. Dale Goble:

I couldn't pass up a chance to see Ben Cooper and Audie Murphy together, so I got a copy of the movie when Turner Classic Movies played an uncut version of ARIZONA RAIDERS (1965) a while back. "Audie Murphy as a new kind of action-man . . ." the poster says, "Raider-Turned-Ranger."

Another chink in the White Hat Ranger legends, and not by some Eastern Revisionist Historian, but by Audie Murphy hisownself. Can't argue with that. Granted, these are Arizona Rangers, but the origins are the same as Ranger origins are all over. I feel verified and vindicated.

Also in the cast is Buster Crabbe, as Captain Tom Andrews, head of the Arizona Vigilantes, who recruits his Rangers from the dregs of Quantrill’s band after the War of Southern Insurrection. Gloria Talbot plays the Mexican girl Martina, and Michael Dante plays the lone bad apple from Quantrill’s gang of Dixie cut-throats. Fred Graham is Quantrill.

It was good to see Ben Cooper in a role where he wasn't the punk kid, but otherwise the picture was ordinary at best. Filmed at the Apacheland Movie Ranch, Gold Canyon, Arizona. Frank Gruber and Richard Shayer are credited with the story, Mary & Willard Willingham worked on the screenplay. Willard Willingham also had a role in the film.                                                                                --Gobe