Tex Ritter Western #35

Sagebrush dreams up a prank to pull on the gang at the ranch, and when a chilly morning gives him the perfect setup, he rounds up his unsuspecting friends with what sounds like urgent news. What begins as genuine concern quickly deflates into a groan-worthy punchline in this lighthearted Western humor tale from 1957.

Tex Ritter thinks he's struck it rich when a prospector pays him handsomely for scrub land, handing over what appears to be a fortune in gold nuggets—but word of his prize travels fast, and outlaw Joe Fisher's gang intercepts him on the trail to relieve him of his fortune. Trapped in a secluded cavern and left for dead, Tex must use his wits to escape and turn the tables on the bandits before Fisher and his men can divide the spoils and disappear into the mountains.

When Cactus Brain spots a peculiar animal in the newspaper, he's stumped—but his companion is quick to set him straight. In this humorous frontier romp, Cactus Brain's confusion about what he's seeing leads to a rapid-fire exchange that ends with an answer that's equal parts silly and stubborn.

Tex Ritter rides into Blue Grass Basin to investigate rumors of violence and corruption, only to find himself framed for the murder of the ruthless rancher Drew Craig—a killing he didn't commit. With the pearl-handled .45 used in the crime planted in his room and a lynch mob on his heels, Tex must track down the real killer and expose the scheme before justice catches up with him on the wrong side of the law.

Wagon Wheels stops by Chuck's Grub House for a meal, but finds plenty to grouse about—from the slow service to the quality of the soup and bread. When Chuck finally has enough of the complaints, he turns the tables with a problem of his own that'll leave Wagon Wheels in a tight spot.

When the Hook Danvers gang strikes a stagecoach for gold bullion and leaves a wounded guard in their wake, Tex Ritter picks up the trail and tracks them to Wild River Canyon. Cornered with nowhere to escape, Danvers forces Tex onto a treacherous log raft into the wild rapids—a death trap meant to look like an accident. With his horse White Flash's help, Tex survives the canyon's boiling waters and turns the tables on the outlaws in a desperate final confrontation.

Gopher Face and a dimwitted cowpoke get into a heated scrap over who's the dumbest hand in town, each determined to prove their stupidity outweighs the other's. When a bystander tries to settle the dispute with questions, both contestants eagerly showcase their astounding lack of sense. It's a goofy test of wills where being dumb is the only prize that matters.

Tex Ritter goes undercover as a traveling singer to track down Jose Marco, the outlaw leader whose daring jail-break freed a convicted murderer and sparked a wave of border rustling that's terrorizing ranchers across the frontier. Posing as a wanted man himself, Tex earns Marco's trust and lures him north with tales of a hidden horse corral—setting the stage for a desperate mountain confrontation that will test both his wits and his rope skills.

Priscilla frets over her growing weight, and a well-meaning friend suggests horseback riding as the perfect solution—never mind that she's never been on a horse before. What could possibly go wrong with that logic?