4/5 "Tex Ritter Series ... Double Feature... Monogram Pictures (2008)"
  by J. Lovins (Missouri-USA)
Monogram Pictures presents "RHYTHM OF THE RIO GRANDE/RAINBOW OVER THE RANGE" (1940) (54 mins/B&W) -- Tex Ritter was an American country singer and actor --- From his very first film in 1936 through some of his best loved singing Westerns of the mid '40s, he gave the American public some of the best B-Westerns of that era --- Ritter also worked on various radio programs --- In 1932, he starred on the WOR Radio show The Lone Star Rangers, which was New York's first broadcast western --- He sang songs and told tales of the Old West --- Ritter wrote and starred in Cowboy Tom's Roundup on WINS Radio in New York in 1933 --- This daily children's cowboy radio program aired over three stations on the East Coast for three years --- These shows marked the beginning of Ritter's popularity in radio, which paved the way for his upcoming singing career --- He also performed on the radio show WHN "Barndance" and sang on NBC Radio --- He appeared in several radio dramas, including CBS's "Bobby Benson's Adventures" and "Death Valley Days".

Ritter began recording for American Record Company (Columbia Records) in 1933 --- His first released recording was "Goodbye Ole Paint.", also recorded "Rye Whiskey" at that label. In 1935, he signed with Decca Records, where he recorded his first original recordings, "Sam Hall" and "Get Along Little Dogie."

In 1936, he moved to Los Angeles, California --- His motion picture debut was in "Song Of The Gringo" (1936) for Grand National Pictures --- He starred in twelve movies for Grand National, "B" grade Westerns, love that art deco "Grand National Pictures" animated clock logo at the start and finish of the movie --- Which included "Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts" (1937), and "Trouble In Texas" (1937) co-starring Rita Hayworth (then known as Rita Cansino). (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The first film of this double feature - "RHYTHM OF THE RIO GRANDE" (2 March 1940) (58 mins/B&W)

Under the production staff of:
Albert Herman - Director
Edward F. Finney - Producer
Robert Emmett Tansey - Screenwriter
Marcel Le Picard - Cinematographer
Frank Harford - Songwriter
Johnny Lange - Songwriter
Lew Porter - Songwriter
Frank Sanucci - Composer (Music Score)

Our story line and plot, Looking for his missing friend, Tex Regan (Tex Ritter) arrives in an area besieged by the bandit Pablo (Martin Garralaga) whom the Rangers have been unable to catch --- When Tex is captured by Pablo he soon realizes Pablo, who is looking for the killer of his sister, is innocent of the raids blamed on him --- Tex thinks he knows who that man is and also suspects that same man is responsible for the disappeance of his friend --- A few of my favorite B-Western character actors show up to help the plot along Tristram Coffin, Glenn Strange and Forrest Taylor --- Filmed at Palmdale, California.

the cast includes
Tex Ritter ... Tex Regan
White Flash ... Tex's Horse
Suzan Dale ... Ruth Crane
Warner Richmond ... Buck
Martin Garralaga ... Pablo (the Bandit)
Frank Mitchell ... Shorty (Tex's Sidekick)
Mike J. Rodriguez ... Lopez (Pablo's Rider)
Juan Duval ... Rego (Pablo's Rider)
Tristram Coffin ... Jim Banister
Chick Hannon ... Henchman Pete
Earl Douglas ... Henchman Blackie
Forrest Taylor ... Ranger Captain Edward Crane
Glenn Strange ... Sheriff Hayes (as Glen Strange)
James McNally ... Ransom - Crooked Ranger

Second film of the this double feature - "RAINBOW OVER THE RANGE" (29 July 1940) (58 mins/B&W)

Under the production staff of:
Albert Herman - Director
Edward F. Finney - Producer
Roland Lynch - Screenwriter
Robert Merton - Screenwriter
Roger Merton - Screenwriter
Robert Emmett Tansey - Screenwriter
Marcel Le Picard - Cinematographer
Fleming Allen - Songwriter
Garland Edmundson - Songwriter
Johnny Lange - Songwriter
Lew Porter - Songwriter
Frank Sanucci - Musical Direction/Supervision / Composer (Music Score)
Art Wilcox - Composer (Music Score)
Fred Bain - Editor
Glen Glenn - Sound/Sound Designer

Our story line and plot, Tex Reed (Tex Ritter) is a U.S. Marshal coming to the aid of a beleaguered schoolmarm --- Ritter and his sidekick Slim Chance (Slim Andrews) discover that the only school in the valley is threatened with closure by town boss Jim Rader (James Pierce) --- Is Rader also behind the rustlings --- Can our hero Ritter stop his skullduggery with his flying fists and fast guns --- This was the sixth out of nine Monogram oaters --- Tex Ritter oater featuring his future wife Dorothy Fay --- The sagebrush tale was filmed in and around Prescott, AZ, including Watson Lake, Granite Dells, and the movie studio Producers Pictures Corporation (soon to be PRC) built at what is now Watson Lake Park. After making only two pictures at their new Prescott studio, PPC first rented it to Monogram, and then sold it to the City of Prescott --- Listed third billing on the title credit is Warner Richmond, yet he is barely in the beginning of the film --- During early shooting he was thrown by his horse, landing on the granite rocks, suffering a fractured skull --- Check out this catchy tune under the credits: "My Tonto Basin Home" by Garland Edmundson.

the cast includes
Tex Ritter ... Tex Reed
White Flash ... Tex's Horse
Slim Andrews ... Slim Chance (as 'Arkansas Slim' Andrews)
Dorothy Fay ... Mary Manners
Gene Alsace ... Henchman Bart
Warner Richmond ... Gene Griffin
James Pierce ... Jim Rader (as Jim Pierce)
Chuck Morrison ... Buck
Dennis Moore ... Jeff Manners
Art Wilcox ... Musician
Art Wilcox and His Arizona Rangers ... Band
Charles Wilcox ... Musician
Ted Bronson ... Musician
Garland Edmundson ... Musician
Zoebra McLain Jackson ... Singer (as Joleen McLain)
Pinkie Jackson ... Musician

BIOS:
Tex Ritter (aka: Woodward Maurice Ritter)
Date of Birth: 12 January 1905 - Murvaul, Texas
Date of Death: 2 January 1974 - Nashville, Tennessee

TEX RITTER WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURE FROM VCI ENTERTAINMENT:
Vol 1: Marshal of Gunsmoke & Oklahoma Raiders (VCI #7204)
Vol.2: Arizona Days & Arizona Trail (VCI #7294)
Vol 3: Rollin' Plains & Song of the Gringo (VCI #7302)

CLASSIC WESTERNS - TEX RITTER FOUR FEATURE FROM VCI ENTERTAINMENT:
Marshal of Gunsmoke; Oklahoma Raiders; Arizona Days & Trouble In Texas

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guidelines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under DVD Com) as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s & '40s and B-Westerns --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with musical adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Amazon or VCI where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 54 mins on DVD ~ Monogram Pictures ~ (1/27/2009)