THE RANGE BUSTERS (1940) Ray 'Crash' Corrigan, John 'Dusty' King & Luana Walters | Western | B&W

The Range Busters is a 1940 American Western film directed by S. Roy Luby and written by John Rathmell. The film is the first in Monogram Pictures' "Range Busters" series, and it stars Ray "Crash" Corrigan as Crash, John "Dusty" King as Dusty and Max "Alibi" Terhune as Alibi, with Luana Walters, LeRoy Mason and Earle Hodgins. It was released on August 22, 1940.

SYNOPSIS
The Circle T Ranch faces a series of murders orchestrated by a ghostly serial killer, ultimately resulting in the death of owner Homer Thorp. His daughter, Carol, under pressure from the villainous Torrence, refuses to sell the ranch. She finds aid in defending her property from Torrence's schemes with the assistance of the Range Busters. Crash, Dusty, and Alibi, the three Range Busters, arrive in town and rescue Carol from Torrence's intimidation. Upon learning about the ranch's cursed history from Carol's friend Doc Stengle, they accept a job offer from Carol and embark on a mission to uncover the truth behind the Phantom haunting the ranch. As they delve deeper, they realize that Torrence's gang of gunrunners is hiding in an abandoned mine on the property. The Range Busters engage in a series of actions, including rounding up the gang and revealing the true identity of the enigmatic Phantom.

CAST & CREW
Ray "Crash" Corrigan as "Crash" Corrigan
John "Dusty" King as "Dusty" King
Max "Alibi" Terhune as "Alibi" Terhune
Luana Walters as Carol Thorp
LeRoy Mason as Torrence
Earle Hodgins as Uncle Rolf
Frank LaRue as Doc Stengle
Kermit Maynard as Wyoming
Bruce King as Wall
Carl Mathews as Henchman Rocky
Horace Murphy as Homer Thorp

Directed by: S. Roy Luby
Screenplay by: John Rathmell
Produced by: George W. Weeks
Cinematography: Edward Linden
Edited by: S. Roy Luby
Production Companies: Phoenix Productions, Inc.
Distributed by: Monogram Pictures
Release Date: August 22, 1940
Running Time: 56 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English

NOTES
Hal Erickson wrote on Allmovie.com, "The initial entry was as much a whodunit as a western, with the heroic triumvirate trying to ascertain the identity of The Phantom, a mysterious murderer. The revelation of the culprit will be a surprise to anyone who hasn't caught on to the clues planted in Reel One. Boasting good performances and well-chosen, unfamiliar outdoor locations, The Range Busters was an auspicious start to one of Monogram's most lucrative series."

The "Range Busters" series ran from 1940 to 1943 and encompassed 24 films, with the first 16 starring Corrigan, King and Terhune.

The Range Busters (1940)
Trailing Double Trouble (1940)
West of Pinto Basin (1940)
Trail of the Silver Spurs (1941)
The Kid's Last Ride (1941)
Tumbledown Ranch in Arizona (1941)
Wrangler's Roost (1941)
Fugitive Valley (1941)
Saddle Mountain Roundup (1941)
Tonto Basin Outlaws (1941)
Underground Rustlers (1941)
Thunder River Feud (1942)
Rock River Renegades (1942)
Boot Hill Bandits (1942)
Texas Trouble Shooters (1942)
Arizona Stage Coach (1942)
Texas to Bataan (1942)
Trail Riders (1942)
Two Fisted Justice (1943)
Haunted Ranch (1943)
Land of Hunted Men (1943)
Cowboy Commandos (1943)
Black Market Rustlers (1943)
Bullets and Saddles (1943)