Ride in the Whirlwind (1965), Winchester '73 (1950), Open Range (2003), The Bravados (1958), The Last Hunt (1956), Come On Tarzan (1932), Rio Lobo (1970), Outlaws of the Plains (1946) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Prairie movies.
Storyline: June, 1911. Among the dignitaries from the Balkan State of Carpathia in London for the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary is the Regent, His Serene Highness the Grand Duke Charles. The London foreign office places great importance on Carpathia because of an unstable geopolitical situation with Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany set to overthrow its monarchy government if allowed. The Regent, a Prince originally from Hungary, and the most recent and now deceased Queen married for convenience. As such, the Regent has spent time with a series of lady friends while on his travels in his somewhat "free" state. In meeting one of those London women, music hall actress Maisie Springfield, and the company of her current production "The Coconut Girl", the Regent instead has his eyes set on one of the minor players in the show, American actress Elsie Marina. When seemingly simpleminded Elsie receives a party invitation from the Regent for that evening, Elsie is not so simpleminded to understand the implications when she learns upon her arrival at the Carpathian Embassy where the Regent and the Carpathian entourage are staying that the party is just for two. On the Regent's relatively short stay in London, he and Elsie go through a series of feelings in their relationship, where the Regent just wants to have some fun, while Elsie doesn't mind fun within a proper context, which means no dinners for two without some formal getting to know each other period. Elsie gets caught up in the diplomatic and geopolitical side of the issues when she inadvertently meets the other two royal members of the Carpathian entourage. The first is the Queen Dowager, the Regent's mother-in-law, who isn't as hard of hearing as she lets on in the carrying out of her duties. The second is Nicholas VIII, the sixteen year old current King and the Regent's son, who will take over official duties when he becomes of age in eighteen months, and who, unlike his father, is sympathetic both to the democratic process in wanting free elections in Carpathia and to the Germans to who he is related on his mother's side. All these goings-on make for a difficult few days for Northbrook, the foreign office's envoy who has just temporarily taken over this file.—Huggo
Plot Keywords: king, prince, government official, actress, ambassador, queen, amusing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Crooked ranch foreman Thatcher sends his two henchmen, Parnell and Clint, out to murder his boss, wealthy Peter Arnold who has just arrived to retire on his ranch, bringing in tow his daughter, tomboy Jessie, who despises western life and can't wait to run off back to San Francisco. Stagecoach line owner Dave Collins and his sidekick Chito show up just in time to deter the attackers. Collins isn't done yet, though, as a gold shipment sent on one of his stages is stolen by Parnell and Clint, one of whom is recognized by Jessie, attempting to escape back to the west coast. Collins has his hands full trying to retrieve the stolen gold, and dealing with Jessie, who's fallen head-over-heels in love with him.—Doug Sederberg <vornoff@sonic.net>
Plot Keywords: ranger, cowboy, old man, hero, young woman, rancher, thrilling ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: It's 1874 and the Texas Rangers have been reorganized. But Sam Bass has assembled a group of notorious outlaws into a gang the Rangers are unable to cope with. So the Ranger Major releases two men from prison who are familiar with the movements and locations used by Bass and his men and sends them out to find him.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: texas ranger, major, sundance kid, brother, girl, outlaw, tense ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Zorro, the masked deliverer of Indians of Spanish-ruled California, is about to be hanged when General Palma is declared governor of Santa Cruz. Palma is to replace the tyrannical commandante, Sebastian Golle, who has been pilfering King Charles' tax money and terrorizing the natives. With the help of the Indians, Zorro escapes and, posing as Don Diego Vega, a gentleman pauper from Mexico, offers his services to Palma and his lovely daughter Isabella. Palma, however, refuses Diego and unwittingly sends him out as bait for Zorro. But as Palma chases the elusive hero, he is killed by a bandit who leaves Zorro's "Z" mark on his dead body. After Isabella is made governor, Golle plans to marry her and receive Santa Cruz as her dowery, and Diego agrees to do his wooing for him. Golle, meanwhile, has been taxing the Indians beyond their means and enslaving the sons of those who cannot pay. When Golle's soldiers herd the slaves into the public square, their mothers cry for Zorro to deliver them. Hoping to expose Golle's barbarism, Diego brings Isabella to the square, where she promises to free the slaves once information on Zorro's whereabouts is brought to her and offers a public bounty of two hundred pieces of gold for the outlaw. Zorro, however, steals the gold and buys the slaves' freedom himself. Then, on Isabella's birthday, Golle stages a burlesque bullfight in which a child is placed in the ring, hoping to lure Zorro out of hiding. When Isabella pleads with the foppish Diego to save the child, he fights the bull bravely and adeptly, revealing his true virility and love for Isabella. Seeing them kiss, Golle accuses Diego of betraying him, and Diego fends off Golle and his soldiers and escapes. When Zorro's mark is found on Golle's wounded body, Isabella finally realizes Diego is Zorro and escapes from Golle's clutches to capture him, still determined to avenge her father's murder. Golle captures them both, however, and fatally whips Isabella's female companion, planning to blame her death on Zorro. When Zorro finds the woman marred with the same backwards "Z" found on Palma, Isabella finally realizes it was Golle who killed her father. Just as Zorro is about to be hanged, the natives stage an uprising and help him defeat Golle. Zorro's loyal priest then blesses Isabella and Zorro, and the couple falls through the gallows box and kisses.
Plot Keywords: zorro, swashbuckler, swordsman, governor, killer, aristocrat, melodramatic ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: "The Tioga Kid" is a remake of 1946's "Driftin' Kid" with only slight plot changes - hero Eddie Dean now has an identical twin brother working with the outlaws of stock from the original, all of the songs are recycled, most of the character names are the same, and the main difference is Jennifer Holt is now playing the role that Shirley Patterson had in "Driftin' River" as "Jenny Morgan," while most of the original cast - Dennis Moore, William Fawcett, Lee Bennett - are also here using the same character role names and, in some instances, the same footage. Eddie Dean and sidekick Soapy Jones return some stolen cattle (instead of horses) to Jenny Morgan, and Eddie runs off ranch hand Tucson Brown, who is working with the outlaws, led by Joe Morino, that includes Eddie's (unknown to him) twin Clint Mason/The Tioga Kid. After Jenny sees a wanted poster that makes her think Eddie is the Tioga Kid, Eddie has a hard time before bringing the gang to justice, aided by the change-of-heart Tioga Kid. Dean has more shirt changes than usual because of the dual role and stock footage from "Driftin' River."—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: texas ranger, brother, cattle rustler, rancher, twin, singing cowboy, gripping ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: When Eddie and his pals deliver cattle to the Lawrence ranch, they run into trouble with Ringo Evans and his gang. Ringo's men are rustling cattle and attempting to kill the foreman. Seeing the resemblance between the foreman and his pal Waco, Eddie has Waco impersonate the foreman. They then find proof that Evans is behimd the rustling but find themselves greatly outnumbered when the gang attacks.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: rancher, sidekick, thug, cattle rustler, cowboy, foreman, rousing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Henry Rodgers is after Margie's stage line. He has her in trouble by having her gold shipments robbed thereby driving her insurance premiums to an unaffordable level. Eddie and Soapy arrive to help out. Eddie suspects Rodgers but when he breaks into his office, Rodgers apparently kills him. With Eddie out of the way, Rodgers makes the robbery that will put her out of business.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: sidekick, singing cowboy, robber, stagecoach owner, masked man, sheriff, thrilling ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Nancy Evans, lovely circus owner, has a ranch that she's never visited, but for sentimental reasons won't sell to Mike Abbott. Her partners, secretly in league with Abbott, sabotage the circus to force Nancy to sell the ranch; instead, she goes there to live. Will her neighbors, the Three Mesquiteers, be a match for the secret swindlers? And what's so valuable about that run-down ranch anyway?—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: cowboy, circus owner, circus manager, circus performer, madcap, amusing, playful ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Gene Autry (Gene Autry), foreman of an absentee-owner ranch, agrees to a ruse to help an elderly friend, Dad Haskell (Frank Darien), who has lied in letters to his daughter Betty (Jean Rouveral) back east, telling her he is a wealthy rancher. When his daughter, her prospective bridegroom, Walter Gregory (George Wolcott) and his haughty mother, Mrs. Gregory (Margaret Armstrong) arrive, Gene helps Dad Haskell deceive them into believing the ranch is the old man's. Gene and the cowhands pretend to turn the place into a dude ranch. However, the ruse is ruined when the real owner arrives, compounded by some unscrupulous crooks who have discovered helium gas on the range and plot to steal it for a foreign power.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: rancher, sidekick, singing cowboy, outlaw, fiancé, young woman, endearing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In 1868, in the Dakotas, Cheyenne Chief Yellow Wolf and his son Little Wolf leave their destitute village and head toward the nearest army post in the town of Sand Creek. The two chiefs travel on foot because their tribe has very few horses. They intend to meet the local army commander to complain that, with winter approaching, their tribe needs warm clothing, horses and food. The Cheyenne have no firearms, as per treaty stipulations, and they cannot hunt for food. The local army commander is Captain George, a cowardly heavy-drinking U.S. Cavalry officer. He greets the two Cheyenne chiefs by saying that his main concern is not the Cheyenne's needs but the needs of his own people. He also insists that he was given orders to remove the Cheyenne from the Black Hills to a reservation in Oklahoma. Chief Yellow Wolf replies that the Black Hills region is their native home and refuses to accept the re-settlement to a reservation in Oklahoma. He is willing to offer Captain George a trade. The chief will show Captain George an area of recently discovered gold deposits in return for assurances that his tribe will not be removed from the Black Hills. Captain George reluctantly agrees to the trade, but after the two Cheyenne chiefs leave, he sends his man Garvin to shoot at Yellow Wolf in the street, in order to intimidate the chief. Unfortunatelly, Garvin shoots the chief dead. The chief's son Little Wolf runs back to his tribe and vows vengeance on the town. Town marshal Tate secretly loves Yellow Wolf's daughter Pretty Willow who is Little Wolf's sister. Tate believes that the Cheyenne should be allowed to remain on their lands. He cautions the townsfolk that Little Wolf's warriors might raid the town to avenge their chief's death. However, Captain George and the rest of the townspeople dismiss this warning and make fun of Tate. They also demand Tate's resignation as town marshal. A disgusted Tate complies and hands-in his badge. He makes plans to move out of town soon. That very night, Little Wolf's warriors raid the town, steal army guns and horses, kill a few people and disappear. Having stolen most of the town's horses and weapons, the Cheyenne plan to return in force and massacre everyone. Ex-marshal Tate must race against time and find a way to save the town.—nufs68
Plot Keywords: native american, widow, cavalry captain, chief, child, love interest, dark ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Lightning Jack Kane is an Australian outlaw in the wild west. During a bungled bank robbery he picks up mute Ben Doyle as a hostage. The two become good friends, with Jack teaching Ben how to rob banks, while they plan Jack's last heist.—Rob Hartill
Plot Keywords: outlaw, sidekick, prostitute, sheriff, vigilante, native american, amusing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Road-movie from Montana to Wyoming. A gullible, innocent young man (Mulroney) assists a versatile girl (Taylor) on her long quest to get her brother out of jail.
Plot Keywords: teenager, drifter, friend, mother, father, criminal, thrilling ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Ellen Williams' father has a valuable collection of furs and an outlaw gang is after them. Before he is killed, Williams hides a note revealing their location. The Texas Rangers are on the job and to get more information, they have Panhandle pose as an Indian chief.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: texas ranger, cowboy, lawman, criminal, young woman, father, spirited ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Lightning Bill Carson and sidekick Magpie are after Burrows, the man that killed a friend of theirs. Burrows is after the Arden ranch and his gang are rustling their cattle. Bill is robbing Burrows while posing as the mysterious Phantom and it's not long before the two collide.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: cowboy, sidekick, thief, suspect, young woman, landowner, intense ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Pale Arrow is a white man raised since a boy by the Pawnee Chief. With wagon trains now encroaching on Pawnee land, the Chief sends Pale Arrow to be with the white people. Now known as Paul Fletcher, he takes the job of wagon train scout. The Chief wants peace but when he dies, Crazy Fox takes over and now leads the Pawnees in an attack against that wagon train.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: native american warrior, native american chief, native american woman, settler, uncle, wagon master, brash ...
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