Back home

Arizona Raiders

26 votes

Producing House

Murphy plays an ex-Quantrill's Raider who's released from jail with buddy Cooper to be deputized as Arizona Rangers in order to hunt down the remnant of the gang, rumored to he hiding out in a town "neer dee border" in the words of the loose-lipped saloon dancer. The goons are found hiding in an Indian mission. Murphy and Cooper pretend to want to rejoin the gang, but the bad guys catch on and brutally beat Cooper, who protects Murphy's true sentiments to the death.

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 1965-08-01

Runtime: 88 mins

Director: William Witney

Spoken language: EspaƱol, English

Genres: Western

Original title: Arizona Raiders

Production Companies: Robert E. Kent Productions, Admiral Pictures (II), Columbia Pictures

Production Countries: United States of America

Reviews

J

John Chard
Rangers and Raiders. William Quantrell's raiders are cornered by Capt. Tom Andrews and Quantrell and a number of his men are killed. Two are captured whilst Montana Smith and the others escape to carry on their illegal operations. Clint Stewart and Willie Martin are the two captives, who much to their surprise, are spared a death sentence on account of Capt. Andrews vouching for them as soldiers of integrity and honour. Sentenced to 20 years hard labour, the guys are faced with an interesting proposition when Andrews offers to break them out so as they can join the Texas Rangers. The plan being for them to infiltrate the renegade Raiders and help to bring them down. With few votes and even less reviews of substance written, one could be forgiven for thinking that Arizona Raiders is barely worth the time. Using elements of the Quantrell Raiders legacy and blending with the Texas Rangers plot lines, Arizona Raiders is not found wanting in the entertainment department. Directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy, Buster Crabbe (this film not to be confused with Crabbe's 1936 film, The Arizona Raiders) and Michael Dante, it's a film that has a number of notable issues within its plot. It would have been easy to just have it as a straight forward tale about bad guys turning good (something other reviewers claim it to be), but writers Frank Gruber and Richard Schayer add impetus to the good versus bad axis by cramming in other factors. Murphy plays lead protagonist Clint Stewart, asked to basically switch sides and loyalties, his conflict is excellently portrayed by genre legend Murphy. His resolve is further tested by emotional pulls involving his brother and best friend, with Witney and his team seemingly happy to put Stewart through the mangler, with the result being a richly told character strand. Also into the equation comes the role of the Indians, so often seen as the nemesis and bad boys of the genre, here they get something slightly different as they become involved in this white man squabble. It's really rather refreshing the part they have to play. Though the score from Richard LaSalle is badly out of sorts, this is off set a touch by the visual treat on offer with the locale. Beautifully shot by Jacques R. Marquette, the Gold Canyon location is a sumptuous extra character, giving an added depth to the story unfolding. The story is nicely paced by Witney, who rightly gives us development of characters in the first half of the piece, while all the genre staples of shoot outs, villains and chases are nicely added to the already intriguing broth. A little treasure as far as this viewer is concerned. So if you be a genre fan such as I? Well do catch this one if you get the chance. 7/10
2017-02-09

Recommendations

Renegade
3

Renegade

1987-10-30

While on his travel across the Southwestern United States, with his Jeep CJ Renegade and his chestnu

Wyatt Earp
3.4

Wyatt Earp

1994-06-24

From Wichita to Dodge City, to the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Wyatt Earp is taught that nothing matte

3:10 to Yuma
3.6

3:10 to Yuma

1957-08-07

Dan Evans, a small time farmer, is hired to escort Ben Wade, a dangerous outlaw, to Yuma. As Evans a

7 Faces of Dr. Lao
3.5

7 Faces of Dr. Lao

1964-03-18

An old Chinese man rides into the town of Abalone, Arizona and changes it forever, as the citizens s

The Trail of the Silver Spurs
2.3

The Trail of the Silver Spurs

1941-01-04

The Range Busters are investigating a gold robbery from the Denver Mint in a supposedly deserted gho

Tombstone
3.8

Tombstone

1993-12-25

Legendary marshal Wyatt Earp, now a weary gunfighter, joins his brothers Morgan and Virgil to pursue

Bandit Ranger
1.8

Bandit Ranger

1942-09-28

Rancher Clay Travers finds and brings in the body of ranger Frank Mattison, murdered on the road to

The Water Hole
0

The Water Hole

1928-08-25

Judith Endicott, the daughter of a wealthy eastern banker, vamps Philip Randolph, an Arizonan, when

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
3.5

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

1957-05-30

Lawman Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their partic

Foxfire
3

Foxfire

1955-07-13

A part-Indian mining engineer looks for gold in an Arizona ghost town with his socialite bride.

The Sunset Legion
0

The Sunset Legion

1928-04-21

The citizens and near-by ranchers of a western town are being besieged by a gang of rustlers and rob

The Gentleman from Arizona
0

The Gentleman from Arizona

1939-12-25

The "gentleman" is played by John King, but the star of the show is J. Farrell McDonald, cast as a c

My Darling Clementine
3.7

My Darling Clementine

1946-10-17

Three brothers stop off for a night in the town of Tombstone. The next morning they find one of thei

Junior Bonner
3

Junior Bonner

1972-07-21

With his bronco-busting career on its last legs, Junior Bonner heads to his hometown to try his luck

Open Range
3.6

Open Range

2003-08-11

A former gunslinger is forced to take up arms again when he and his cattle crew are threatened by a

3:10 to Yuma
3.6

3:10 to Yuma

2007-09-06

In Arizona in the late 1800s, infamous outlaw Ben Wade and his vicious gang of thieves and murderers

Stagecoach
3.8

Stagecoach

1939-03-02

A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo

Law of the Ranger
0

Law of the Ranger

1937-05-11

Working undercover, Rangers Bob and Wally arrive to take up ranching. Out to stop them is Bill Nash

Florence, Arizona
0

Florence, Arizona

2015-04-09

Welcome to Florence, Arizona: a cowboy town with a prison problem. Just 8,500 residents call the tin

Galloping Thunder
3

Galloping Thunder

1946-04-24

The cattle herds of some Arizona ranchers are being stampeded and stolen, so the Arizona Stockmen's