Charles Starrett (1903 - 1986) was best known for his starring role in the Durango Kid Columbia Pictures western series. While on the Dartmouth football team, he was hired to play a football extra in the 1926 film The Quarterback. In 1930 he played the romantic lead in Fast and Loose, which also featured Miriam Hopkins and Carole Lombard. After that, he was very active for the next two years but his roles were unremarkable. In 1933 he was featured in Our Betters and helped organize the Screen Actors Guild, and in 1936 signed with Columbia Pictures and become one of the top ten western stars, starring in 115 movies the following 16 years.

After playing assorted sheriff and rangers roles, Starrett gained fame for his role as the Durango Kid. The first film in which he played his famous alter-ego character was known as The Durango Kid, which was released in 1940, but for some reason, Columbia did not see fit to continue with the series at that time. The character was revived in 1944 and lasted through 1952. The Durango Kid films combined vigorous action sequences – often with speeded up camera work and spectacular stunts performed by Jock Mahoney – and western music.

Below are some of Charles Starrett Westerns (Before Durango Kid), The Durango Kid Westerns, and the non-western movies.

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============Charles Starrett's Westerns (Before Durango Kid)=========

1. Undercover Men (1934) - Charles Starrett - Bank teller Bob Hunter (Charles Starrett ) is branded a coward when he fails to thwart an armed holdup. Even his girlfriend, Betty Winton, gives up on him when he is fired and his reputation in the tough town of Highland is ruined. He joins the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in an attempt to redeem himself. Bob is elated when he is assigned to Highland to crack the same gang of bank robbers that destroyed his life. All seems lost when he is kicked off the force for brawling with a fellow officer. Worse still, the fight was witnessed by the very girl he is trying to win back, Betty Winton (Adrienne Dore).

2. Stampede (1936) - Charles Starrett (before Durango Kid)

Stevens (J.P. McGowan) is after the Milford ranch and is keeping away all cattle buyers so Milford (Le Strange Millman) will be unable to pay off his note. Buyer Larry Carson (Charles Starrett) arrives and avoids the attempts on his life. When Larry fouls up Stevens attempt to destroy Milford's herd, he rescues one of the henchmen who confesses. Larry learns Stevens is the culprit and the evidence is in his safe. He must now find a way to get into Stevens' safe.

3. Rio Grande (1938) - Charles Starrett (before Durango Kid) - [Links to movie is below] Barker is after the Andrews ranch and kills Bart Andrews. But Bart had sent for Cliff Houston (Charles Starrett) and Cliff now arrives and takes over the fight against Barker. To get the necessary hands to drive Andrews' herd to market, Cliff makes a deal with Barker saying hew will give him half the money collected. Both Cliff and Barker then make plans to double-cross the other when the cattle are sold.

[Movie removed from You Tube]

4. Down Rio Grande Way (1942) - Charles Starrett (Before Durango Kid)

Down Rio Grande Way is set in the mid-19th century, when the Republic of Texas was poised to join the Union. Starrett plays Texas Ranger Steve Martin, who is dispatched to a "renegade" Texas country that refuses to become part of the good old USA. He discovers that the crux of the problem is a local tax collector (Norman Willis) who, with the help of a crooked newspaper editor (Davision Clark), is systematically robbing the citizens of their hard-earned cash, all the while fomenting anti-American sentiments.

5. Texas Stagecoach (1940) - Charles Starrett- The Kinkaids and the Harpers both run stage lines and are friendly competitors. Appleby is after the stage line and convinces the two owners to build a spur line to the same town. Then he has both projects sabotaged pitting the friends against each other and running them out of money. Charles Starrett plays Larry Kinkaid and Iris Meredith plays Jean Harper.

6. BULLETS FOR RUSTLERS (1940) - CHARLES STARRETT - Steve Beaumont (Charles Starrett), an operative for the Cattleman's Protective Association, is assigned the difficult task of breaking up a murderous gang of rustlers led by Ed Brock and Strang. He takes Sheriff Webb, Judge Baxter, and rancher Ann Houston into his confidence, and works his way into the rustler stronghold and confidence by "turning rustler" himself. [ADDED]

=======================Durango Kid=====================

1. The Return of the Durango Kid (1945) - Charles Starrett - It is Texas in 1875 and Kirby's gang continues to rob the stage. But now, the Durango Kid, robs Kirby's gang and returns the money to Mrs. Bancroft of the stage line. After that, he foils or robs the gang every time they try to make a heist. But Bill is really looking for evidence to clear the name of his dead father, the real Durango Kid.

2. Durango Kid in Law of the Canyon (1947) - Charles Starrett - ''In the opening scene of this fine "Durango Kid" series entry, wannabe general store owner Steve Langtry (Charles Starrett) is robbed, wounded, and left for dead at Skeleton Pass by a gang of thugs. Rescued by prospector Smiley Burnette and brought to nearby Jackson City, Steve receives a ransom note demanding two thousand dollars for the return of his wagons. But instead of paying the ransom, as suggested by Dr. Middleton (Fred F. Sears), Steve dons the disguise of the Durango Kid, much to the excitement of Spike (Buzz Henry), Sheriff Coleman's (George Chesebro) impressionable son.

Note: Movie contains Spanish Sub-titles.

3. Durango Kid in Lone Hand Texan (1947) - - Charles Starrett -In Texas, during the days of oil booms and lawlessness, a band of outlaws led by Scanlon is using a campaign of terror to scare off oil-well drillers on Sam Jason's property and monopolize the drilling in the area. During one raid, The Durango Kid, the masked enemy of all outlaws, comes to aid of the drillers and chases away the outlaws. The attacks on Sam's oil wells become so frequent that his workers eventually quit their jobs. Unknown to Sam, The Durango Kid, when not in disguise, is his cowboy pal Steve Driscoll.

4. Durango Kid in Snake River Desperadoes (1951) - Charles Starrett - Hatching a scheme to sell rifles to the Indians as a protection against the white settlers, Jim Haverly (Monte Blue) works both sides against the middle by having his henchmen masquerade as Indians and raid the settlers. With the ranchers preparing for retribution against the Indians, Haverly's plan is working well until Steve Reynolds/The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) shows up and, with the aid of a young white boy (Tommy Ivo) and his young Indian friend (Don Reynolds), and his bumbling sidekick Smiley (Smiley Burnette), begins the process of uncovering the actual villains.

[ADDED]

5. Durango Kid in BLAZING ACROSS THE PECOS (1948) - Self-appointed Pecos Flats mayor Ace Brockway, a gun-running rapscallion, is secretly supplying the local Indian tribe with armaments to attack his business rival's wagon caravans in an attempt to drive him out of town. But not if The Durango Kid can corral Ace and his henchmen first.

With Spanish Sub-Titles

6. Durango Kid in Cyclone Fury (1951) - Johnny is a young Indian boy who falls heir to thousands of wild horses when his adoptive white father is murdered by henchmen of the town's leading citizen, Grat Hanlon. With the aid of his protector Steve Reynolds (Charles Starrett) , he acquires an Army contract to deliver 300 horses a month to the cavalry. Hanlon, desiring the contract himself, and his men set out to keep the contract from being fulfilled.

7. Durango Kid in Kid from Broken Gun (1952) - In 1875 New Mexico, Jack Mahoney stands trial for the murder of Matt Fallon. Jack is accused of committing the murder in a fit of jealousy over Fallon's attentions to Jack's girl friend, Gail Kingston. Gail, an attorney, defends Jack at his trial, but cannot contest prosecuting attorney Kiefer's assertion that Jack has a history of an uncontrollable temper. Kiefer reveals to the jury that Jack was as a boxer nicknamed "The Kid from Broken Gun," and was forced to retire because of his "killer instinct." Jack's longtime friend, Steve Reynolds (Charles Starrett), whose alter ego is The Durango Kid, comes to Jack's aid and testifies to Jack's

8. Durango Kid in The Blazing Trail (1949) (with Spanish sub-titles)

Charles Starrett plays Steve Allan in Columbia's Blazing Trail. Halfway through the proceedings, Starrett dons the familiar mask of the Durango Kid, and when ranch-owner Old Mike Brady (Robert Malcolm) is murdered, Steve (Starrett) tries to root out the killer. Several people had pretty good motives, including Brady's envious brothers (Steve Darrell and Steve Pendleton). Jock Mahoney performs a few of the Durango Kid's chancier stunts.

9. Durango Kid in Phantom Valley (1948) - Someone definitely seems determined to start a range war between the cattlemen and the local homesteaders. The mystery is who this crooked mastermind is, and it's up to Steve [Charles Starrett] and his alter ego, The Durango Kid, to find out who. Assisting him is Smiley "Sherlock Holmes" Burnette, whose expertise, gained from a correspondence school manual (and a large magnifying glass), proves to be less than very valuable.

10. Durango Kid - Fighting Frontiersman (1946) - Prospector Cimarron Dobbs (Emmett Lynn') stumbles on a vast cache of Spanish gold left in Texas by Santa Ana's army, and knows he will be swindled out of his discovery unless he gets help. Saloon hostess Dixie King (Helen Mowery) agrees that he must secure the help of the Durango Kid (Charles Starrett), otherwise known as Steve Reynolds. Dobbs is kidnapped by a gang headed by John Munro (Robert Filmer'), owner of the saloon where Dixie works. She writes Steve, and the Durango Kid and his sidekick Smiley (Smiley Burnette) ride out to help. Meanwhile, henchmen Rankin (George Chesebro) and Slade (Zon Murray) are vainly attempting to learn the location of the treasure from Dobbs. Steve begins to suspect that Munro is involved, and offers a $5,000 reward for information leading to Dobb's whereabouts and announces that the treasure will be divided among the needy ranchers in the area. [ADDED]

11. DURANGO KID - HEADING WEST (1946) - Dakota Indian Agent Steve Reynolds receives a copy of the Bonanza City Nuggett from Jim Mallory and reads a story blaming the Durango Kid for recent gold mine raids. Steve, also the Durango Kid, and his pal Smiley head for Bonanza City to contact Mallory and Rance Hudson, his partner in the mining machinery business. Mallory sells his interest in the business to Hudson for $50,000 and heads for California. Seeing him off are Hudson's secretary Anne Parker, her father Sam Parker, owner of the Gold Moon Mine and his miners Hank Penny and the Plantation Boys (Harold Hensley, Noel Boggs, Sanford Williams and Fenton Reynolds). Hudson plans to rob the wagon train and blame the Durango Kid, and sends Curlew and his henchmen to do the job. Killing Mallory in the raid, Curlew caches the money rather than taking it to Hudson. Despite that, Hudson learns that Carter plans a gold shipment and orders Curlew to rob the stage. [ADDED]

12. Durango Kid in Both Barrels Blazing (1945) - The outlaw gangs are robbing the railroads and the Rangers cannot follow them when they move to New Mexico. So Kip decides to take a vacation to New Mexico and, as the Durango Kid, bring Cass and his gang back to justice. But Cass and his gang are killed at the bank in a double cross and Kip must still find the loot. For this, he enlists the help of Tex and Grubstake, although Grubstake does not know it. [ADDED]

13. Durango Kid in Bonanza Town (1951) - Using marked bills, Steve Ramsay (Charles Starrett) is looking for the supposedly dead Henry Hardison. Coming to Bonanza Town he gets a job with the town boss Crag Bozeman and gets paid with marked bills. He suspects Hardison is Boseman's boss and he is right as Hardison and his men are now planning to get rid of both him and the Durango kid. [ADDED]

14. Durango Kid in The Rough, Tough West (1952) - Steve Holden, also the Durango Kid (Charles Starrett), arrives in a mining town and finds that his old friend Big Jack Mahoney is operating a saloon and winning illegal control of gold mines and claims. Saloon entertainer Carolina is in love with Mahoney and does not know of his unorthodox deals. Mahoney gains control of the town's only outgoing road and demands toll on all of the gold shipments. But Steve, newly-appointed Sheriff, and Smiley lead the miners to a secret road??

[ADDED]

15. The Durango Kid in Terror Trail (1946) - Red Butte saloon owner Duke Catlett (Lane Chandler) is the secret owner of a large sheep flock which he grazes on surrounding cattlelands. A range war looks between the cattlemen, led by Bart Mason (Zon Murray), and the sheepherders. Karen Kemp (Barbara Pepper) and her younger brother Rocky (Elvin Eric Field), a young city tough, enroute from Chicago to buy a half interest in a Catlett enterprise are held up by two of the latter's gunmen and lose $30,000. But the Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) gives chase and retrieves the money. At the relay station, Karen meets the Durango Kid again, and his pal Smiley (Smiley Burnette), but does not recognize the former in his guise of Steve Haverly. Durango learns of cattlemen scattering poisoned wheat, but does not know who the instigators are. Smiley's trading post is wrecked and Karen offers Smiley and his boys (Ozie Waters and His Colorado Rangers) a job playing for a show that night. Catlett catches Karen eavesdropping while he and his men are plotting to steal Steve's cattle herd. Catlett realizes he must change his plans and instead of attacking Steve's herd on the south range, he intends to attack the north range, and has Steve informed of the south range attack.

[ADDED]

16. Gunning for Vengeance (1946) - A United States Marshal, Steve Landry (Charles Starrett), is appointed to serve in the town of Rim Rock, which he quickly finds is ruled over by a lawlessness element who prefer the town be wide open. When the outlaws are out of his jurisdiction, he assumes his role of "The Durango Kid" to bring them to justice. But he leaves tracks that appear to be just what the gang needs to rid themselves of both the marshal and Durango. [ADDED]

17. Bandits Of El Dorado (1949) - Wanted outlaws have mysteriously disappeared. Ranger Captain Henley and Steve have a plan to find them. Steve becomes a wanted man by faking the killing of Henley. Not only is he now in trouble as both the Rangers and the Mexican Rurales are after him, but Smiley knows him and may expose his masquerade to the bad guys. [ADDED]

=========Charles Starrett's Non-Western Movies================

1. Jungle Bride (1933) - Charles Starrett

A woman (Anita Page), her fiance (Charles Starrett) and a suspected murderer are shipwrecked together.

2. Murder on the Campus (1933) - Charles Starrett

Reporter Bill Bartlett (Charles Starrett) wants to get to the bottom of things when three murders are committed at college. Bartett's sweetheart (Shirley Grey) is implicated, he works twice as hard.

3. Green Eyes (1934) - Charles Starrett

The owner of a large mansion in the country throws a costume party for some of his friends. However, the party turns sour when he is found stabbed to death in a closet. The police and a guest try to discover who committed the murder. Charles Starrett stars as Michael Tracy

4. Sons of Steel (1934) - Charles Starrett

Chadburne Steel is run by two brothers, old men.

They each have different plans for their sons. Curtis (Holmes Herbert) has put Ronald (William Blakewell) through college in style, and gives him a cushy executive job at the plant. John (Walter Walker) has a more twisted plan. He has given his son away at birth to a machinist and his wife. Phillip (Charles Starrett) has worked his way through college tending the furnace and doing rich kids laundry. Upon graduation, he puts Phillip in the lowest paying job possible , with the plan of promoting him to the executive branch in one year. Both plans are terribly flawed and lead to an industrial accident and a general strike by the steelworkers.

5. A Shot in The Dark (1935) - Charles Starrett

The infallible detective (Charles Starrett) meets the perfect crime! A group of people gathered in an old mansion are being systematically murdered by a hooded killer.

6. Make a Million (1935) - Charles Starrett

A college economics professor's (Charles Starrett) "radical" ideas about capitalism get him fired. When he decides to put those ideas into practice, he finds that they actually do generate him huge amounts of money. Soon a local banker and others who scoffed at his ideas see the amount of money he's making and try to cheat him out of his system.

7. What Price Crime? (1935) - Charles Starrett

Federal agent Allen Grey (Charles Starrett) is commissioned, along with several of his fellow-agents, to capture and put an end to a gang of thieves who have been systematically, using inside information, looting warehouses. He suspects the gang-leader is Douglas Worthington (Noel Madison), a nightclub owner who is also into prizefighting promotions. Grey poses as a professional prizefighter in order to work his way into the confidence and employment of the gang. To complicate the matter. he falls in love with Worthington's sister, Sandra (Virginia Cherrill), who is unaware of her brother's racketeering activities.

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