Really Surprised!

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Night Raiders is directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Maurice Tombragel. It stars Whip Wilson, Fuzzy Knight, Lois Hall and Tommy Farrell. Music is by Raoul Kraushaar and cinematography by Ernest Miller.Build a fire under the sheriff to see how he jumps!Pretty unexciting "B" Oater that finds Wilson as a Territory Marshal investigating why in the town of Bitter Springs night raiders are ransacking property - but taking nothing?! Plot is uninteresting which in turn marries up with the over all tired feel to it all. It feels more like a 1930s spooky mystery, something which is further felt via the musical accompaniments. Whip of course cracks his whip and punches heroically and Knight is naturally a lovable buffoon, while the finale involving shootings and fisticuffs among the rocky terrain is pleasingly safe. But it doesn't have enough about it to warrant recommending even as a time waster. 3/10

Watching this old picture on TV I was surprised to hear the title music which was more familiar as the theme for the Dale Robertson TV western series 'Tales of Wells Fargo'. I believe two different themes were used - one by Harry Warren - for this long-running TV show and the Night Raiders title music was presumably adapted for one of them. Perhaps the film itself is only a B picture although with a somewhat unusual plot but at least the music is worthy of better things. Raoul Kraushaar composed the music for Night Raiders which was released a few years before Tales of Wells Fargo appeared. Strange how music can stir memories after fifty years.