"The Kid From Broken Gun" has the distinction of being the last of the Durango Kid series starring Charles Starrett and Smiley Burnette which had been running since 1945. Unfortunately, like many of the latter day Durangos, this one also relies on extensive use of stock footage, this time from "The Fighting Frontiersman" (1946).
The "new" footage is set in a court room where Jack Mahoney (himself) aka "The Kid From Broken Gun" is on trial for the murder of Matt Fallon (Chris Alcaide). Prosecuting the case is none other than good old Myron Healey. Defending Mahoney is female lawyer Gail Kingston (Angela Stevens) who harbors a secret of her own. Steve Reynolds (Starrett) and his pal Smiley Burnette have arrived to support Mahoney.
Being set in a court room offered Columbia the opportunity to bring in a hefty amount of stock footage from an earlier film. The back story concerns the legendary Santa Ana gold which has wound up in the hand of unscrupulous express agent Martin Donohugh (Tristram Coffin) for safekeeping. The murder of Fallon occurs when Mahoney seeks him out for insulting Gail.
When Mahoney is found guilty, the Durango Kid re-convenes the court and .........................................................................
Also in the cast are John "Lefty" Cason as Chuck, Chris Horvath aas Al Donohugh's henchmen and Pat O'Malley as Doc Hardy who is murdered during the trial. Helen Monery, George Chesebro, Robert Fibner, Emmett Lynn and Zon Murray among others, appear in the stock footage.
With the ending of the long running series a number of questions remained unanswered: - how did Smiley never guess the real identity of Durango?; - where DID Starrett hide the white horse Raider?; - how did he get Raider from town to town without being seen?; -how did Starrett achieve his quick changes from Steve to Durango without aid of a phone booth?; - how did he keep his clothes for both characters so neatly pressed; and - how did Durango manage to keep his mask on during his numerous encounters with the bad guys?
Charles Starrett had been making westerns for Columbia since 1935. For him, this would be his final film. -
The "new" footage is set in a court room where Jack Mahoney (himself) aka "The Kid From Broken Gun" is on trial for the murder of Matt Fallon (Chris Alcaide). Prosecuting the case is none other than good old Myron Healey. Defending Mahoney is female lawyer Gail Kingston (Angela Stevens) who harbors a secret of her own. Steve Reynolds (Starrett) and his pal Smiley Burnette have arrived to support Mahoney.
Being set in a court room offered Columbia the opportunity to bring in a hefty amount of stock footage from an earlier film. The back story concerns the legendary Santa Ana gold which has wound up in the hand of unscrupulous express agent Martin Donohugh (Tristram Coffin) for safekeeping. The murder of Fallon occurs when Mahoney seeks him out for insulting Gail.
When Mahoney is found guilty, the Durango Kid re-convenes the court and .........................................................................
Also in the cast are John "Lefty" Cason as Chuck, Chris Horvath aas Al Donohugh's henchmen and Pat O'Malley as Doc Hardy who is murdered during the trial. Helen Monery, George Chesebro, Robert Fibner, Emmett Lynn and Zon Murray among others, appear in the stock footage.
With the ending of the long running series a number of questions remained unanswered: - how did Smiley never guess the real identity of Durango?; - where DID Starrett hide the white horse Raider?; - how did he get Raider from town to town without being seen?; -how did Starrett achieve his quick changes from Steve to Durango without aid of a phone booth?; - how did he keep his clothes for both characters so neatly pressed; and - how did Durango manage to keep his mask on during his numerous encounters with the bad guys?
Charles Starrett had been making westerns for Columbia since 1935. For him, this would be his final film. -