Pirates of the Prairie
- November 20, 1942 (1942-11-20) (U.S.)[1]
Pirates of the Prairie is a 1942 American western film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring Tim Holt, Cliff Edwards and Nell O'Day. Produced by RKO Pictures, it was inspired by the Banditti of the Prairie.[2][3] The plotline is strikingly similar to the 1940 film Legion of the Lawless. Doris Schroeder is credited with the screenplay for both films.
Plot
In the Old West, deputy marshal Larry Durant comes to Spencerville to establish his gunsmith business. He discovers the town is run by a vigilante committee, which was organized to keep law and order, but is now terrorizing the farmers and business owners to control the town before the coming of the railroad. The vigilante committee is led by the corrupt Lew Harmon who demands Durant leave town. Harmon's brother-in-law, John Spencer, is honest but has been fooled by Harmon to believe Harmon is doing his job. Spencer's daughter, Helen, has been deceived as well. Durant's friend, Allen, is the chief surveyor, and tells Durant plans are being formed to build a depot for the coming railroad in East Spencerville rather than Spencerville. Durant's sidekick, Ike, inadvertently reveals the plans to Harmon and his gang, but Durant thinks it was Helen. Harmon's gang force the land owners of East Spencerville to sell their property. When they force store owner Rufe Jackson to sell out, Durant and Ike intervene. A gunfight ensues injuring Rufe's wife and killing one of Harmon's henchmen. Durant discovers other land deeds the gang forced owners to sign.
In light of the assault of East Spencerville, John Spencer calls a meeting of the vigilante committee to disband it, but Harmon orders him to be shot and killed as he leaves Harmon's ranch. At the meeting, Harmon announces the railroad is going through East Spencerville and falsely says Durant and Allen are in cahoots. Durant finds John Spencer's body and reports his death. Harmon accuses Durant of the murder. Ike interrupts the meeting and is chased out of town by Harmon's gang and shot. Injured, Ike finds Durant and reports Harmon's plans to kill Durant and move in on East Spencerville. Ike confesses that he is the one who revealed the plans to redirect the railroad. Durant rides to East Spencerville and warns the citizens of the vigilantes' plans. A gunfight ensues when the vigilantes ride into East Spencerville. Durant arrests Harmon and part of his gang and secures them in the jail. Harmon's remaining gang break into the jail and free Harmon. The gang rides back to Spencerville with Durant in pursuit. Durant finds the gang at the bar and a gunfight ensues. Harmon is shot and killed by Durant. The rest of the gang is arrested. Ike announces plans to consolidate the two towns. Durant bids farewell. Ike, who has anxiously waited for his fiancée Genevieve, to arrive, hurries out of town when she finally arrives with several children in tow.
Cast
- Tim Holt as Deputy Marshal Larry Durant
- Cliff Edwards as Ike (as Cliff 'Ukulele Ike' Edwards)
- Nell O'Day as Helen Spencer
- John Elliott as John Spencer (as John H. Elliott)
- Roy Barcroft as Lew Harmon
- Karl Hackett as Rufe Jackson
- Ed Cassidy as Chief Surveyor Allen (as Edward Cassidy)
- Charles King as Henchman Layton
References
External links
- Pirates of the Prairie at IMDb
- Pirates of the Prairie at AllMovie
- Pirates of the Prairie at the TCM Movie Database
- Pirates of the Prairie at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- v
- t
- e
- Across the Atlantic
- The Argyle Case
- Bar 20 Rides Again
- Below the Border
- The Black Diamond Express
- Bordertown Gun Fighters
- Boys' Reformatory
- The Bush Leaguer
- Call of the Prairie
- Carson City Cyclone
- Caught in the Fog
- Chasing Trouble
- The Chorus Kid
- County Fair
- Danger Flight
- Dawn on the Great Divide
- Dinky
- Down Texas Way
- The Eagle's Brood
- Fugitive from Sonora
- Ghost Town Law
- The Girl from Mandalay
- The Girl Who Dared
- The Greyhound Limited
- Heart of the West
- Hidden Enemy
- Hidden Valley Outlaws
- Hills of Kentucky
- In Old Colorado
- Isle of Escape
- It Happened Out West
- King of the Royal Mounted
- Laughing at Danger
- Law of the Valley
- The Leathernecks Have Landed
- The Man from the Rio Grande
- The Match King
- Midnight Limited
- The Navajo Trail
- Night Raiders
- On the Spot
- One-Round Hogan
- Outlaws of Santa Fe
- Outlaws of the Desert
- Pirates of the Prairie
- The Prince of Thieves
- The Redeeming Sin
- Renegades of the Rio Grande
- Return of the Terror
- Rhythm Parade
- Riders of the Badlands
- Riders of the Rio Grande
- Riders of the West
- Ridin' Down the Trail
- The San Antonio Kid
- Santa Fe Scouts
- Second Choice
- The Showdown
- Sign of the Wolf
- The Silver Slave
- The Singer of Naples
- Sky Patrol
- Three on the Trail
- The Time, the Place and the Girl
- The Topeka Terror
- Tough Kid
- Trail of the Mounties
- The Trap
- Triggerman
- Turn Back the Hours
- Twilight on the Trail
- Up in the Air
- Wagon Tracks West
- Wanted by the Police
- West of the Law
- Western Gold
- While London Sleeps
- Who's Guilty?
- Wild Brian Kent
- You're Out of Luck