Masked Raiders (1949)

Directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston this B movie Tim Holt Western also includes his regular lady’s man sidekick Chito Jose Gonzalez Bustamante Rafferty (Richard Martin). These men made several one hour programmers for RKO; each feature similar plots that include at least one female role. In this case Marjorie Lord plays Gale Trevett; she wears the pants in the family that includes a young boy Artie (Gary Gary) Trig (Tom Tyler) Uncle Henry (Houseley Stevenson) and Matt (played by TV’s future Lone Ranger Clayton Moore). As usual there’s an unscrupulous banker (Frank Wilcox) though he appears to be the victim early in the story. Banker Corthell is assisted by a tough and shady Marshal Barlow (Harry Woods). Charles Arnt plays the town’s Doc Nichols; Jay Kirby aka Bill George plays another member of the Trevett family.

A series of robberies in the middle of the state causes Texas Rangers captain (Jason Robards Sr. uncredited) to send Tim and Chito to Willcox to investigate and stop the black masked bandit dubbed the Diablo Kid. Posing as cowboys looking for work they meet the Trevett before going into town. Shortly thereafter the bank is robbed and Tim is shot while trying to stop the Diablo Kid. Unbeknownst to Tim it was the Doc that wounded him just enough to allow the bandit to escape. As it turns out Gale and her family have been robbing the banker and using the money to help other families pay off their mortgages because Corthell had previously caused her father to lose most of his land. Tim eventually figures out who’s playing Robin Hood by following the money trail that leads through Doc. After he’d been fired by Tim for roughing up Doc Barlow and some others temporarily confuse (prolong) the situation by masquerading as the bandits but everything is resolved after the (requisite) climactic shootout when the Trevetts come to the aid of Tim and Chito at the banker’s ranch.

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