Buckaroo from Powder River

Steve Lacey, known to audiences as the Durango Kid, rides into a dusty town to crack a counterfeit bonds scheme. He zeroes in on Pop Ryland, a man at the center of the scam who juggles his two legitimate sons and a stepson drawn into the family web. Rather than fighting the gang head on, a hesitant ally from Pop's clan helps Steve from behind the scenes, using a disguise at key moments to steer the investigation toward the right trail. The pursuit is brisk, the terrain sunbaked, and every clue tightens the circle of trust around a community rocked by fraud.

Directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Norman S. Hall, Buckaroo from Powder River premiered in 1947 as part of Columbia's popular Durango Kid Westerns. The cast features Charles Starrett in the Durango Kid role, with Eve Miller, Forrest Taylor, Paul Campbell, and Smiley Burnette.

Box office data for this 1947 B Western isn't widely documented, but Buckaroo from Powder River was one of many mid budget Durango Kid entries released by Columbia Pictures.

While not a household name today, Buckaroo from Powder River sits within the broader framework of 1940s Westerns that balanced brisk action with light humor. The Durango Kid films helped establish Charles Starrett as a dependable crowd pleaser and kept Smiley Burnette in demand as comic relief, shaping the era's staple on screen persona.

Critical reception at the time framed these pictures as solid, dependable entertainment rather than groundbreaking cinema. The film foregrounds themes of loyalty across familial ties, the constant tug of law versus crime, and improvisation in the face of deception. It delivers a brisk, moral tone that fans of the Durango Kid series expected and enjoyed. Its pacing keeps the action tight without slowing for filler and keeps eyes on the prize.