The Durango Kid


The Durango Kid is a 1940 American Western directed by Lambert Hillyer, starring Charles Starrett, Luana Walters and Kenneth McDonald. This is the first of 65 Durango Kid movies Starrett made at Columbia Pictures.
The Durango Kid was just another of Columbia's B-western features in its popular Charles Starrett series, with no special distinction except for its standard hero-vs.-villain plotline. In 1945 the studio produced a sequel, The Return of the Durango Kid, which caught on with moviegoers and became a series. Starrett went on to portray The Durango Kid full-time until his retirement in 1952.

Plot

Bill Lowry returns home to his family ranch, to find that ruthless businessman Mace Ballard is trying to force the townspeople into selling their land. Opposing Ballard is Lowry's father, who leaves for the marshal's office to press charges. On his way there, an armed sniper—Ballard—kills him. This prompts Bill to masquerade as The Durango Kid, fabled vigilante who fights for justice. While Durango harasses Ballard and terrorizes Ballard's gunmen, Bill becomes the marshal's special deputy, investigating Ballard's activities legally. Ballard is charged with murder but escapes, firing at the law. He is killed in the ensuing gunplay.

Cast

  • Charles Starrett as Bill Lowry / The Durango Kid
  • Luana Walters as Nancy Winslow
  • Kenneth MacDonald as Mace Ballard
  • Francis Walker as Henchman Steve
  • Forrest Taylor as Ben Winslow
  • Melvin Lang as Marshal Dan Trayboe
  • Bob Nolan as Bob, member of Sons of the Pioneers
  • Pat Brady as Pat, member of Sons of the Pioneers
  • Lloyd Perryman, Karl Farr, Hugh Farr, members of Sons of the Pioneers
  • Frank LaRue as Sam Lowry

    Film series

The Durango Kid began a series of 65 films released by Columbia Pictures.
  1. The Durango Kid
  2. The Return of the Durango Kid
  3. Both Barrels Blazing
  4. Rustlers of the Badlands
  5. Outlaws of the Rockies
  6. Blazing the Western Trail
  7. Lawless Empire
  8. Texas Panhandle
  9. Frontier Gunlaw
  10. Roaring Rangers
  11. Gunning for Vengeance
  12. Galloping Thunder
  13. Two-Fisted Stranger
  14. The Desert Horseman
  15. Heading West
  16. Landrush
  17. Terror Trail
  18. The Fighting Frontiersman
  19. South of the Chisholm Trail
  20. The Lone Hand Texan
  21. West of Dodge City
  22. Law of the Canyon
  23. Prairie Raiders
  24. The Stranger from Ponca City
  25. Riders of the Lone Star
  26. Buckaroo from Powder River
  27. Last Days of Boot Hill
  28. Six-Gun Law
  29. Phantom Valley
  30. West of Sonora
  31. Whirlwind Raiders
  32. Blazing Across the Pecos
  33. Trail to Laredo
  34. El Dorado Pass
  35. Quick on the Trigger
  36. Challenge of the Range
  37. Laramie
  38. The Blazing Trail
  39. South of Death Valley
  40. Horsemen of the Sierras
  41. Bandits of El Dorado
  42. Desert Vigilante
  43. Renegades of the Sage
  44. Frontier Outpost
  45. Trail of the Rustlers
  46. Outcast of Black Mesa
  47. Texas Dynamo
  48. Streets of Ghost Town
  49. Across the Badlands
  50. Raiders of Tomahawk Creek
  51. Lightning Guns
  52. Prairie Roundup
  53. Ridin' the Outlaw Trail
  54. Fort Savage Raiders
  55. Snake River Desperadoes
  56. Bonanza Town
  57. Cyclone Fury
  58. The Kid from Amarillo
  59. Pecos River
  60. Smoky Canyon
  61. The Hawk of Wild River
  62. Laramie Mountains
  63. The Rough, Tough West
  64. Junction City
  65. ''The Kid from Broken Gun''