Starring: Lash LaRue, Al "Fuzzy" St. John, Jennifer Holt
Director: Ray Taylor
Studio: Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)
PLOT SUMMARY:
Crooked Barton City attorney Vance Sharp (Jack Ingram) is luring various heir's to the abandoned mining town Waterhole, to their deaths. Sharp hopes by eliminating the heirs, he may be able to scope out whatever remains in the old, derelict town. Cheyenne Davis (Lash LaRue) and his sidekick Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John) are sent in to investigate the murders. Along the way, two more heirs show up, including beautiful Diane Trent (Jennifer Holt), who offer to help Cheyenne bring down the culprits.
FILM REVIEW:
Ghost Town Renegades was an entertaining, if typical, Lash LaRue vehicle. All the trademarks of one of his westerns are here and he uses his famous bullwhip numerous times throughout the film. I, especially, liked the atmospheric sequences in the musty, old interiors of Waterhole. Perfectly spooky PRC fun. Equally as fun were the four fistfights throughout the film which not only show off Lash's abilities but also St. John's acrobatic prowess. St. John was also delightful in his comic routines, from chasing his hat to the film's end gag of him trying to remove paper which is stuck to his person. Jennifer Holt is a passable heroine, though wooden in her performance.
Boyd Magers of Western Clippings cites this as one of Lash's best outings for PRC and I am indebted to agree. As I said, all the cliches of a Lash western are here and this is as good place as any to get your feet wet with the King of the Bullwhip's filmography.
Incidentally, I viewed this film via a cheap, bargain basement DVD released by budget label Family Value Collection, which presents this film on a double-sided disc with another PRC LaRue western, Border Feud, also released in 1947. This release is a dubious one as both of these films remain under copyright. However, the prints on this disc are fantastic and perfectly watchable so, even given the illegal nature of it, I do recommend this cheapie edition until an authorized release comes along.
Until nest time, pardners.
