Paul Franklin

Caffeine Madness

Dr. Greene discusses the dangers of the drug menace, Caffeine, in this parody of the 1936 propaganda film, Reefer Madness, and it's 2005 musical remake.

The Fighting Redhead

Red Ryder gets a telegram from his old friend Dan O'Connor asking for help in his fight against Faro Savage and his gang of rustlers. A gun dropped by Faro during a rustling raid makes Red and Sheila O'Connor, Dan's daughter, think they have ample proof against Faro but they are stymied by the law. Buckskin Blodgett and the Duchess, Red's aunt, find the body of O'Connor who was killed when Faro's men sent the sheriff out on a ruse. Sheila, discovered while rifling Faros office for evidence, escapes but not before she is recognized. Faro kills one of his own henchmen and then frames Sheila for the murder. Red and Little Beaver set out to clear Sheila and to try to find evidence against Faro and his gang. Written by Les Adams

Roll, Thunder, Roll!

Jim Bannon is back as enduring cowboy hero Red Ryder in Eagle-Lion's Roll, Thunder, Roll. As ever, Ryder's cohorts are Little Beaver and the Duchess, here played by "Little Brown Jug" and Marin Sais. This time, Ryder tries to prove that a series of cattle raids and ranch fires were not the handiwork of masked Mexican do-gooder El Conejo.

Ride, Ryder, Ride!

Riding the plains with Little Beaver and Buckskin Blodgett, Red Ryder encounters bandits trying to hold up the stagecoach carrying Libby Brooks, owner of the Devil's Hole newspaper

Dark Mountain

A woman doesn't realize that the man she has just married is a gangster. When she is implicated in a murder he committed, she turns to an ex-boyfriend, who is now a park ranger, for help. He hides her out in a cabin up in the mountains, and her husband goes on the hunt for both of them.

Overland to Deadwood

Cash Quinlan, owner of the Hauling Company, is the leader behind a gang of raiders who have been robbing stagecoaches between Mesquite and Deadwood. He hopes by doing so to drive his competitors out of business so that he can get the railroad franchise for himself.....

Thundering Hoofs

Bill Underwood falls out with his father and chooses the life of a cowhand rather than take charge of his father's stage line.

Riders of the Northland

In this western, three Texas Rangers decide to do their part to save the world and join the Army, but before they can, they are sent to Alaska to destroy a secret Nazi operation involving a submarine refueling station. The outpost is located behind an impenetrable tangle of barbed wire. The rangers get a little help, and discover a traitor. Then to get through the wire, they start a cattle stampede and save the day.

Down Rio Grande Way

Slightly more elaborate than most Charles Starrett westerns, Down Rio Grande Way is set in the mid-19th century, when the Republic of Texas was poised to join the Union. Starrett plays Texas Ranger Steve Martin, who is dispatched to a "renegade" Texas country that refuses to become part of the good old USA. He discovers that the crux of the problem is a local tax collector who, with the help of a crooked newspaper editor, is systematically robbing the citizens of their hard-earned cash, all the while fomenting anti-American sentiments.

Torpedo Boat

Richard Arlen and Phil Terry star as Skimmer and Tommy, two lifelong buddies who've invented a lightweight, high-speed torpedo boat (hence the title). Their copacetic business relationship is strained when nightclub singer Grace Holman (Jean Parker), having been jilted by Skimmer, marries Tommy on the rebound.

Fighting Bill Fargo

Johnny Mack Brown essays the title role in Universal's Fighting Bill Forgo. Returning to his home town, Bill Fargo takes over the operation of his late father's newspaper. He quickly gets swept up in political intrigue fomented by political boss Hackett (Kenneth Harlan), who has a cute habit of rubbing out any and all honest candidates for the sheriff's office.

Fighting Bill Fargo

Johnny Mack Brown essays the title role in Universal's Fighting Bill Forgo. Returning to his home town, Bill Fargo takes over the operation of his late father's newspaper. He quickly gets swept up in political intrigue fomented by political boss Hackett (Kenneth Harlan), who has a cute habit of rubbing out any and all honest candidates for the sheriff's office.

Hands Across the Rockies

Wild Bill Hickock and Cannonball help two young people in love and bring the murderer of Cannonball's father to justice.

Power Dive

The story concentrated on a group of test pilots, busily experimenting with a revolutionary all-plastic airplane. Ace flyboy Brad Farrell (Richard Arlen) is determined to prove the practicality of the new aircraft, designed by Professor Blake (Thomas Ross), father of Brad's sweetheart Carol (Jean Parker). Back on solid ground, Brad must vie for Carol's attentions with his own brother, engineer Doug Farrell (Don Castle).

The Return of Daniel Boone

The scout's grandson foils land-grabbers; his sidekick flirts with twins.

Outlaws of the Panhandle

Outlaws of the Pandhandle was the last of Charles Starrett's "formula" westerns for Columbia: hereafter, Starrett would be seen only in the guise of frontier medico Steven Monroe or masked do-gooder The Durango Kid. For the moment, however, the star is cast as Jim Endicott, bound and determined to put an end to the underhanded activities of gin-mill operator Faro Jack Vaughn (Norman Willis). The villain's strategy is to get the local cowpunchers tanked up on rotgut that they'll prove to be easy pickings for a gang of rustlers-and will be unable to complete work on a railroad spur which will bypass the outlaws' hideaway.

Outlaws of the Panhandle

Outlaws of the Pandhandle was the last of Charles Starrett's "formula" westerns for Columbia: hereafter, Starrett would be seen only in the guise of frontier medico Steven Monroe or masked do-gooder The Durango Kid. For the moment, however, the star is cast as Jim Endicott, bound and determined to put an end to the underhanded activities of gin-mill operator Faro Jack Vaughn (Norman Willis). The villain's strategy is to get the local cowpunchers tanked up on rotgut that they'll prove to be easy pickings for a gang of rustlers-and will be unable to complete work on a railroad spur which will bypass the outlaws' hideaway.

Across the Sierras

Elliott is hunted by Curtis who has spent six years behind bars because of his testimony. After knocking out several baddies and putting up with the zany antics of his sidekick Taylor, Elliott guns down his antagonist, but Luana Walters, the girl he almost marries, will not abide a gunslinger so Elliott is compelled to ride off alone into the sunset once more.

Where Did You Get That Girl?

In this musical comedy, a motley band of musicians have only their extreme poverty in common. They end up writing a hit and getting a recording contract. The trouble is, the composer's works are never played without another band member doctoring them up to make them swingier. Fortunately, the composer isn't too averse to the changes as he has just won the heart of the beauty who sings his revamped songs.

Thundering Frontier

After a handful of non-formula westerns, Charles Starrett returned to the mixture as before in Thundering Frontier. Starrett plays Jim Fillmore, kind to old ladies, small animals and heroine Norma Belknap (Iris Meredith). In contrast, the villains are kind to no one, least of all struggling building contractor Square Deal Scottie (Alex Callam), whose projects are continually targeted for demolition and his payroll is forever being stolen at gunpoint. A good 25 percent of the film's running time is given over to Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers, whose C&W croonings are pleasant but a bit much. One of the film's few surprises is that Starrett's perennial screen sparring partner Dick Curtis isn't one of the bad guys.

West of Abilene

Frontiersman Tom Garfield and his pals endeavor to save their land from the clutches of slimy easterner Forsyth. The villain hires a bit of local muscle in the form of brutish Chris Matson, but he's no match for our hero.

The Durango Kid

The Durango Kid is a sort of Robin Hood of the West who helps the lovely Walters (who replaced Starrett's usual love-interest, Iris Meredith), the daughter of a homesteader, defeat the evil MacDonald who has been terrorizing the decent citizens with his gang of rustlers.

Blazing Six Shooters

The story revolves around a valuable silver deposit, located between two ranches. Villain Lash Bender cooks up a scheme to gain control of both ranches so that he may have a clear field to the silver lode.

The Stranger from Texas

Things get under way when US marshal Tom (Starrett) finds himself in the midst of a range war. The villains are a band of rustlers who play both sides of the confrontation against one another, the better to move in and claim all the livestock.

Outpost of the Mounties

In this adventure, a courageous Canadian Mountie must bring peace an embattled miner and an unscrupulous trader whose price mark-ups are beginning to hurt the community. They fight so frequently that when the avaricious proprietor is killed, the young man becomes the prime suspect.

The Man from Sundown

The hero, Texas Ranger Larry Whalen (Charles Starrett), is on the trail of a mysterious outlaw leader.

The Man from Sundown

The hero, Texas Ranger Larry Whalen (Charles Starrett), is on the trail of a mysterious outlaw leader.

Timber Stampede

Cattlemen fight corrupt railroad men out to destroy the forest.

Blue Montana Skies

Gene Autry follows a clue written on a rock by his murdered partner and discovers a fur smuggling operation near the Canadian border.

Spoilers of the Range

Hero Jeff Strong (Starrett) comes to the rescue of a group of victimized ranchers. The villains are a gang of crooked gamblers, who demand a valuable dam as payment for a $50,000 debt. The ranchers hope to earn the money by getting their cattle to market on time, but head bad guy Cash Fenton (Kenneth MacDonald) and his flunkey Lobo (Dick Curtis) intend to prevent this.

Home on the Prairie

When shifty cattlemen Belknap (Walter Miller) and H.R. Shelby (Gordon Hart) are caught shipping infected animals to Mexico, they frame inspector Gene Autry. Now Autry and his sidekick, Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette), must catch the bad guys in the act and set things straight. June Storey co-stars as rancher Martha Wheeler. Autry sings "I'm Gonna Round Up My Blues," "Moonlight on the Ranch House" and "Big Bull Frog."

Sunset Murder Case

Small-time showgirl poses as a stripper to infiltrate a nightclub whose owner is believed responsible for her father's murder.

Rhythm of the Saddle

Gene is the foreman at the ranch owned by wealthy rodeo owner Maureen. She will lose her rodeo contract unless sales improve.

Tell Your Children

High-school principal Dr. Alfred Carroll relates to an audience of parents that marijuana can have devastating effects on teens: a drug supplier entices several restless teens, Mary and Jimmy Lane, sister and brother, and Bill, Mary's boyfriend, into frequenting a reefer house. Gradually, Bill and Jimmy are drawn into smoking dope, which affects their family lives.

Headin' East

A cattle rancher comes to the aid of farmers by heading to NYC to stop the racketeers hijacking their produce shipments.

Outlaws of the Orient

Johnny Eaton, trouble-shooter for an American oil company drilling in China, leaves his bride-to-be to head for the Orient and straighten out problems at the inland-concession site his company controls.

Roaring Timber

Jim Sherwood , toughest logging boss in the timber country, takes on his toughest assignment when he agrees to cut an enormous volume of timber for Andrew MacKinley, who has to deliver the timber within sixty days.

Trouble in Morocco

A newspaperman Paul Cluett (Jack Holt) gets rival reporter Linda Lawrence (Mae Clark) to admit that she is investigating a story in Morocco that guns are being smuggled illegally.

Secret Valley

Rancher entertains girl in Nevada to get a divorce. Then her gangster husband shows up.

Beyond the Caribbean

Andre Roosevelt, a cousin to US President Theodore Roosevelt, could afford to trot the globe filming safari and hunting expeditions, and footage from his travels and exploration was combined with some crudely-staged shots,in Hollywood, of him rescuing a ship captain---his sailing-ship captain E. Erskine Loch---and a woman from a cultish native tribe. Andre and Captain Benson (Erskine Loch) go into a Caribbean jungle with Rita de le Vega, whose dad was an explorer who lost his life among the savage Penitentes tribe, but left behind information concerning a treasure. They encounter the tribe who put on a voodoo ceremony by hanging a tribesman on a cross as a sacrifice under the supervision of the voodoo witch doctor. Using underwater diving equipment, Andre & Company find the lost pirate treasure in a stone idol, and head for their yacht with the savages in hot pursuit.