JohnHowardReid Ian Keith (Fancy Charlie, the phantom aristocrat, a count of no account), Bill Elliott (Red Ryder), Bobby Blake (Little Beaver), Alice Fleming ("The Duchess"), Virginia Christine (Celeste), William Haade (Ace Hanlon), Bud Geary (Burdette), Jack Rockwell (Buck, a member of the gang), Jack Kirk (sheriff), Fred Graham (Chuck), Henry Hall (banker), Earle Hodgins, Tom London (fighting suitors), Bob Burns, Neal Hart, Rose Plumer, Jack Tornek (townsfolk), and "Thunder". Director: LESLEY SELANDER. Screenplay: Earle Snell, Charles Kenyon. Based on comic strip characters created by Fred Harman. Photography: William Bradford. Film editor: Charles Craft. Art director: Hilyard Brown. Set decorator: Charles Thompson. Music director: Richard Cherwin. Make-up: Bob Mark. Special effects: Howard Lydecker. Assistant director: Donald Verk. Sound recording: Ed Borschell. Associate producer: R.G. Springsteen. Executive producer: Herbert J. Yates.Copyright 16 August 1945 by Republic Pictures Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 7 September 1945. No U.K. general release. Never theatrically released in Australia. 56 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Red is suspicious of his aunt's new suitor. When the man beats "Thunder" with his riding crop, Red knows his conclusion is well founded.COMMENT: The synopsis is not exactly promising, but this turns out to be one of the best of the series, thanks to a whole heap of exciting action sequences which are put across with some really thrilling stunt-work. Ian Keith, Virginia Christine and William Haade make an agreeable trio of villains, with felicitous support from Jack Rockwell (on the wrong side of the law for this one), Bud Geary and Fred Graham (who no doubt doubled for Elliott in some of the most spectacular stunts). Even Selander's direction rates a notch or two above his usual humble endeavors, and by Republic "B" standards, production values are remarkably high.

bkoganbing English actor and Cecil B. DeMille favorite Ian Keith plays an Englishman out west who Bill Elliott has found out has wooed and will be wedding the Duchess. Alice Fleming usually a very shrewd woman has fallen for this guy who Red Ryder suspects is not all he seems.Turns out to be right and saloon keeper William Haade has some history with a guy he calls Fancy Charlie. Keith is most definitely not the titled Englishman he claims. But the prospect of bilking the Duchess is something he makes common cause with Keith about.Virginia Christine is also in this as Keith's phony French maid. The last 10 minutes or so features a most exciting stagecoach chase with Red Ryder chasing down the coach where the kidnapped Duchess is.A good one from the Red Ryder series.