The Durango Kid

Categories: Did You Know|Published On: April 18, 2003|Views: 2|

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Now, when you think of the Western and you think of the word “Kid”, you
probably first think of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But there was
another Western “Kid” that actor Charles Starrett brought to life a little
earlier – the black-clad Durango Kid.

Already a Western star with dozens
of films under his holster when The Durango Kid film was released in
1940, Charles Starrett had it all – good looks, an athletic build, and the
ability to actually act. But little did he know back in 1940 the impact his
Durango Kid was going to have – not only on audiences, but also on the future
evolution of the Western genre.

The film’s story goes something like
this: We have Charles Starrett playing the dual role of Bill Lowry, ranch owner,
and the Durango Kid, masked, do-gooder with the interests of the homesteaders at
heart. There’s also Sam Lowry, Bill’s father – who makes the fatal discovery
that war is being waged by one Mace Ballard against the homesteaders. Being as
evil as they come, Mace promptly kills Sam – blaming the crime on the mysterious
Durango Kid. Of course, this ruffles Bill’s feathers, who knows the crime
wasn’t committed by the Durango Kid because he is the Durango Kid.

Adventure ensues, with more Ballard atrocities including the raid of one
Ben Winslow’s homestead, This raid is eventually stopped by Bill, who promptly
falls in love with Ben’s daughter, Nancy. Then, in Durango garb, he robs Ballard
blind and gives all the money to the homesteaders. That’s when things take an
interesting turn. Ballard has the U.S. Marshall post a reward for Durango’s
arrest, and the U.S. Marshall turns around and makes Bill the deputy responsible
for making that arrest. It is after Ballard commits the most dastardly of
crimes, however, that things begin to really get intense. Suspecting the truth
about Bill’s identity, he kidnaps Nancy and sets a trap that he hopes will
result in Bill’s death. He has, of course, no such luck. Bill outsmarts him,
kills him in a rousing gunfight, and gets the gal.

So Starrett hung up
his cowboy hat, but not for long. Durango Kid mania had taken hold of the
nation’s youth, so in 1943 Columbia Pictures released Sagebrush Heroes
a film that featured Starrett as a radio actor reprising the Kid on the
airwaves. Then, in 1945, they went full steam ahead and released a sequel to the
1940 film, The Return of the Durango Kid. A comic book followed in 1949,
and by 1952, there were 65 Durango Kid serial films made.

With so many
serials, one would think that they’d be rather easy to find. Not so. Columbia
never released any of them to television, meaning that many of them were never
seen after their theatrical run. Occasionally, however, you can catch them on
cable and at the odd film festival. Be on the lookout, pardner!


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