Code of the Range

In this Charles Starrett western that WAS NOT produced by Peter B. Kyne and was solely written by Ford Bebee, although some sources attribute the story to Peter B. Kyne because, with his permission and as a selling angle, the title shown on the film and all of the posters is "Peter B. Kyne's CODE OF THE RANGE." The use of his name was Mr. Kyne's only contribution. Ford Beebe's "original screenplay" (he had used it before) finds the cattlemen, headed by "Calamity" Parker, opposing the use of their range lands by sheep herders, with cattlemen Lee Jamison and Ed Randall in the dissenting minority and they offer sheepman Angus McLeod free grazing privileges. Saloon owner Barney Ross offers to keep the sheepmen off of the range and out of town if each cattleman will pay $500. They agree after he promises there will be no bloodshed. Ross then visits bank clerk Quigley, who Ross knows has stolen bank funds to cover his gambling losses at Ross' saloon, and forces him to forge the name of bank president Adams on a foreclosure notice on Jamison's ranch. Ross then buys Jamison's property thereby making it impossible for the sheep-herders to use the land for grazing. Calamity's daughter Janet works at the bank and is engaged to Jamison but they have parted because of a quarrel over the feud. But when Jamison learns that his property has been "legally" stolen, Mary, who suspects Ross and Quigley, aids him by wiring Adams to return immediately. Jamison, suspecting that Ross will have his henchmen take Adams off the stagecoach and kill him, beats the gang to the stagecoach, takes Adams and hides him. But Jamison has to flee town when Ross tells the townsmen that Jamison took Adams off the stage and killed him. But he will return.