In my summary, I call "Phantom Ranger" a hybrid western. That's because like so many B-westerns of the era, it is set in the West...of the present day. This makes for a strange combination of the old and the new. So, while Tim McCoy rides about on his horse, in another scene you might see folks in a pickup truck! It's odd, but it's also entertaining.
film is about a rash of counterfeit $20 bills. It seems a gang in southern Arizona has kidnapped an engraver and is forcing him to make very high quality forgeries. So, the FBI sends Tim to investigate...given that he's a cowboy AND a G-man!! Like so many of McCoy's films, he poses as a bad guy in order to infiltrate the gang and by the end he's not only rounded up the gang but also gotten the girl (huge surprise here!).
While a relatively ordinary plot, I liked the film for a few reasons. First, I have a soft spot in my heart for Tim McCoy. He was no pretty-boy singing cowboy but in real life was a Colonel as well as traveling trick-shooter. And, he could act. So, while some of the folks around him have trouble remembering their lines or are a bit irritating (such as the dopey girl), he's smooth and likable. I also LOVED the incredibly violent ending--it was really cool. So, if you like old B-westerns, this one is worth your time and without so many of the usual clichés--singing, a dopey sidekick and the like.
film is about a rash of counterfeit $20 bills. It seems a gang in southern Arizona has kidnapped an engraver and is forcing him to make very high quality forgeries. So, the FBI sends Tim to investigate...given that he's a cowboy AND a G-man!! Like so many of McCoy's films, he poses as a bad guy in order to infiltrate the gang and by the end he's not only rounded up the gang but also gotten the girl (huge surprise here!).
While a relatively ordinary plot, I liked the film for a few reasons. First, I have a soft spot in my heart for Tim McCoy. He was no pretty-boy singing cowboy but in real life was a Colonel as well as traveling trick-shooter. And, he could act. So, while some of the folks around him have trouble remembering their lines or are a bit irritating (such as the dopey girl), he's smooth and likable. I also LOVED the incredibly violent ending--it was really cool. So, if you like old B-westerns, this one is worth your time and without so many of the usual clichés--singing, a dopey sidekick and the like.