The Rough, Tough West

In this B-western, Charles Starrett's square-jawed former Texas ranger dons the all-black garb of his alter-ego The Durango Kid to restore order to a frontier community under the malicious sway of an old compadre. By the 63rd entry in the Columbia Pictures series, which ran to 65 titles in total, the routine was well-practised. There's just enough rudimentary plotting, gunfights, fisticuffs and musical asides to keep the kiddie matinée crowd quiet for an hour. Starrett is an unimpeachably straightforward lead, with no psychological wrinkles to speak of, while the preponderance of songs may surprise newcomers to the Durango Kid series. Here we get five old-timey numbers, provided by comedy fireman Smiley Burnette and skilled yodelling chanteuse Carolina Cotton. None of this is on a terribly sophisticated level - least of all the knockabout interludes with the fire crew - but it's unpretentious, zips along, and offers an amiable reminder of simpler times.