Whirlwind Raiders

I've read that Smiley "Frog" Burnette and Charles Starrett didn't get alone so well in real life because when they made their first film together Smiley told Starrett that he had been sent by the studio to bail him out. That may not have been exactly true but it is true for this particular outing. Smiley was an extremely talented songwriter and entertainer but he left a little to be desired as a sidekick. I always thought his humor appealed mainly to the preschool crowd. I always liked Gabby Hayes and Fuzzy St. John better. But in this film, Smiley really shines. His comedy is much better too. So I recommend this particular Durango Kid to see Smiley at his best. Otherwise, it's a typical Charles Starrett/Durango Kid feature. One reviewer pointed out that the Kid's identity is revealed for the first and only time in a movie. So that would be another reason to watch Whirlwind Raiders. As usual in a Saturday afternoon oater, the title has very little to do with the story except to indicate that there is plenty of action.

It's 1873 and the disbanded Texas Rangers have been replaced by the corrupt Texas State Police. Steve Lanning arrives posing as a wanted outlaw to get in with them in his attempt to have them replaced. His inside work helps the Durango Kid break up the State Police raids but he is in trouble when his secret identity as Durango becomes known to them.

The Durango Kid take on the Texas State Police and Fred F Sear's scheming villain in this standard yet enjoyable entry which has some good toe tapping songs and a better than average comedy routine by Smiley Burnette who tinkers a lot as a tinkerer who is plumbed tinkered out by the end of the film.