Western Pals Take a Budget Ride

PRC Cowboys Compete In A Robust Market

A wartime boom in theatre attendance made even barrel-bottom PRC a warm prospect for independent producers emerging everywhere to pluck the daisies of record grossing. The company had begun as a releasing arm for indies, sort of a low level United Artists, but by 1945 was upgrading to in-house product and purchase of exchanges so as to control all aspects of pic making/selling. Alexander-Stern was linked with PRC from 1942, a reliable source for westerns, exploitation ... whatever sold. A-S had a deal for "Texas Ranger" actioners to join a Buster Crabbe group in filling PRC's western quota. Frontier Fugitives has Tex Ritter and Dave O'Brien pulling ranger duty. Tex was blessed with song and a Texas-real speaking voice. I don't understand what kept him from being a top-most saddle name. At one Fugitives point he even serenades the villains. Cowboys sold from distinct product floors: Republic in the penthouse, Monogram at mid-level, PRC basement stuck. Still, flat rentals were plentiful to be had, what with unprecedented number of small theatres buying. PRC's are tough to find in watchable prints, most having gone PD with quicksand that entails. Frontier Fugitives showed up on Retroplex HD and looks better than low average for a discard oater.