Robert Filmer | Through the Shattered Lens

On the frontier, someone is raiding the homes of ranchers like Jim (Henry Hall) and Judy Barton (Paula Raymond). The Homeowners Association summons Steve Roper (Charles Starrett) to bring a stop to the raids. Everyone suspects that Cal Matson (Steve Darrell) and his son, Rob (Billy Halop), are behind the raids but Steve, as the Durango Kid, discovers that a third party is trying to set everyone at war with each other for his own benefit.

The entry in the Durango Kid series was Charles Starrett’s 103rd western. It’s not a particularly distinguished entry, relying heavily on stock footage. I did find the idea of the film’s bad guy trying to manipulate the Bartons and the Matsons into destroying each other to be interesting but the movie doesn’t do much with it and the identity of main villain will be obvious to anyone who watches the film. There is one good scene where Steve disarms three bad guys and then makes them walk all the way back to town without their boots on. Steve doesn’t mess around.

Smiley Burnette provides the comic relief and a few songs. This time, Smiley’s a dime store writer researching his next book. Musically, he is accompanied by The Sunshine Boys. 103 movies in and Smiley still hasn’t figure out that Steve and Durango are one of a kind.

There’s trouble in Phantom Valley. The ranchers who founded the town are increasingly at odds with the newly arrived homesteaders. Each side blames the other for the tensions. Marshal Steve Collins (Charles Starrett) is sent to investigate who is responsible for all of the trouble but, when two people are murdered, it is up Steve’s alter ego, the masked Durango Kid, to investigate and solve the murders. Helping him out is his ever-loyal sidekick, Smiley Burnette. Smiley compares himself to Sherlock Holmes, walks around with a magnifying glass, and sings a few songs.

This Durango Kid film opens with a exciting montage of cattle stampedes, shoot-outs, floods, and horse chases. Even though it’s almost all stock footage that appeared in a countless number of other B-movies, it’s still exciting to watch. Despite the opening montage, there’s still less stock footage than usual in Phantom Valley. The emphasis is instead on the Durango Kid as a detective, trying to solve a stone-cold whodunit. It makes for an interesting change of pace and the Durango Kid gets to show off his intelligence along with his shooting and horse riding skills. Charles Starrett is convincing as a detective. Even if he is trying to solve the case a century before finger printing, The Durango Kid knows that hand-writing is just as easy a way to identity a culprit. Smiley Burnette, as usual, handles the comedic relief and the singing. I could have done without the songs but Smiley trying to use a magnifying glass and losing his temporary position as the town’s marshal to a child will always be good for a laugh.

Phantom Valley was a welcome change of pace for the Durango Kid. Western fans will find much to appreciate.