WESTERN RACKETEERS (1934) Bill Cody, Edna Aslin & Hal Taliaferro | Western | B&W

Western Racketeers is a 1934 American western film directed by Robert J. Horner and starring Bill Cody, Edna Aslin and Hal Taliaferro It was an independent film produced on Poverty Row.

SYNOPSIS
In the San Bernardino Mountains, cattlemen form a vigilante group to protect themselves from a gang who are murdering ranchers who won't pay their protection racket.

Cattlemen use Alamo Pass in order to get their cattle to market. A gang has taken it over and charges a toll to go through it. When one rancher doesn't have enough money to pay the toll, he winds up dead. A local rancher, Bill Bowers, investigates the killing, but his neighbor and rival Molly Spellman decides to take her cattle around the pass instead of through it to avoid the toll. The gangsters kidnap her, and Bill gathers the other ranchers in the area for a final showdown with the gang.

CAST & CREW
Bill Cody as Bill Bowers
Edna Aslin as Molly Spellman
Hal Taliaferro as Sheriff Rawlings
George Chesebro as Fargo Roberts
Richard Cramer as The Coroner
Bud Osborne as Blackie - Henchman
Frank Clark as Steve Harding / Tiny Harding
Tom Dwaine as Mullins
Ben Corbett as Mike
Robert Sands as Sam Spellman
Billy Franey as The Informer
Gilbert Holmes as Breed Morgan
Blackjack Ward as Henchman
Wally West as Cowhand
Gene Alsace as Cowhand
Budd Buster as Cowhand

Directed by Robert J. Horner
Written by James P. Hogan
Produced by Nathan Hirsh
Cinematography Brydon Baker, Frank Bender
Edited by Henry Adams
Production company Aywon Film Corporation
Distributed by Spectrum Pictures
Release date April 2, 1934
Running time 55 minutes
Country United States
Language English