Wolves of the Range (1943)
Directed by Sam Newfield, Wolves of the Range is a classic Poverty Row Western and part of the Lone Rider series starring Robert Livingston (credited as Bob Livingston). Produced by PRC Pictures, this 58-minute film delivers a blend of frontier action, amnesia-driven suspense, and good-versus-evil storytelling typical of 1940s B-Westerns.
Plot Summary
The film opens during a severe drought in the American West, threatening the livelihoods of local cattle ranchers. Banker Dan Brady (Ed Cassidy) tries to help the community, but is murdered by Harry Dorn (I. Stanford Jolley), the corrupt head of the Cattlemen’s Association, who’s secretly orchestrating cattle rustling and sabotage.
Enter Rocky Cameron (Robert Livingston), the Lone Rider, who volunteers to retrieve emergency funds from a neighboring town. But after a head injury, Rocky suffers amnesia, forgetting where he hid the money. As the town spirals into chaos and suspicion, Rocky must recover his memory and expose Dorn’s criminal enterprise—with help from his comical sidekick Fuzzy Q. Jones (Al St. John).
Cast Highlights
- Robert Livingston as Rocky Cameron
- Al St. John as Fuzzy Q. Jones
- Frances Gladwin as Ann Brady
- I. Stanford Jolley as Harry Dorn
- Ed Cassidy as Banker Dan Brady
- Jack Ingram, Kenne Duncan, and Karl Hackett as henchmen and townsfolk
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- This film is one of several Lone Rider entries starring Livingston, who replaced George Houston in the role
- The plot’s use of amnesia was unusual for Western heroes at the time, adding a psychological twist to the action
- The earliest known TV broadcast was on February 10, 1951, on WOR-TV Channel 9 in New York City
- Director Sam Newfield was known for his prolific output, often shooting films in under a week for PRC
