"The Tioga Kid" is a remake of 1946's "Driftin' Kid" with only slight plot changes - hero Eddie Dean now has an identical twin brother working with the outlaws of stock from the original, all of the songs are recycled, most of the character names are the same, and the main difference is Jennifer Holt is now playing the role that Shirley Patterson had in "Driftin' River" as "Jenny Morgan," while most of the original cast - Dennis Moore, William Fawcett, Lee Bennett - are also here using the same character role names and, in some instances, the same footage. Eddie Dean and sidekick Soapy Jones return some stolen cattle (instead of horses) to Jenny Morgan, and Eddie runs off ranch hand Tucson Brown, who is working with the outlaws, led by Joe Morino, that includes Eddie's (unknown to him) twin Clint Mason/The Tioga Kid. After Jenny sees a wanted poster that makes her think Eddie is the Tioga Kid, Eddie has a hard time before bringing the gang to justice, aided by the change-of-heart Tioga Kid. Dean has more shirt changes than usual because of the dual role and stock footage from "Driftin' River." Ranger Eddie Dean is looking for the outlaw the Tioga Kid, a man he closely resembles. He runs into Joe Morino and his gang of rustlers at the same time Tioga arrives to cut himself into Morino's game. But Morino doesn't give in and in the showdown, Eddie and the Kid find themselves on the same side. Cowboy crooner Eddie Dean has a dual role in this one, that of his regular character using his own name, and that of outlaw Clip Mason, The Tioga Kid. Their paths cross at Dow City in the Tombstone Territory of Arizona, when Eddie and sidekick Soapy Jones (Roscoe Ates) get wind of a cattle rustling operation. They hire on as hands for pretty rancher Jenny Morgan (Jennifer Holt), while Eddie tries to find out more about the outlaw that looks just like him. One tip for viewers, good guy Eddie - white shirt; bad guy Tioga - black shirt.<br/><br/>One wouldn't consider Dean to be one of the more physical cowboys, he seems slighter of build than most. That doesn't prevent him from having some of the wilder fist fights you'll see in a Western. Nothing in the vicinity is safe; in this one a brawl in a bunkhouse takes out a wood stove, table and a bunk.<br/><br/>Be attentive during a bar room battle when Dean, as Tioga, takes on town boss Joe Marino (Dennis Moore); one of Marino's henchmen hits him on the left side of the head with a bottle, but you'll see him grab the right side of his head as he goes down.<br/><br/>It looks like Roscoe's Soapy character is a goner in this one, he gets shot off his horse by one of Marino's henchies, but it turns out he's only winged in the arm. One of Soapy's better lines in the film - "Well I'll be the uncle of a prairie dog!" <br/><br/>Dean's horse Flash is co-billed with Eddie at the start of the film, but did you know that he actually appeared with four different horses in his films? Depending on the movie, you'll see him riding either War Paint, White Cloud, Copper or Flash. Eddie didn't want any of his horses upstaging him.<br/><br/>Fans of Dean's singing voice won't be disappointed here, he does three original tunes written for the movie. "Driftin' River" opens the film, followed later by "Way Back in Oklahoma". After saving the day in the story, Soapy suggests that maybe Eddie and Jenny ought to hitch up, but his response in song says otherwise - "Ain't No Gal Got a Brand on Me".<br/><br/>For trivia buffs, Eddie Dean's real name was Edgar Dean Glosup. When I saw Tioga Kid, it was in a viewing room at one of the western conventions. Jennifer Holt had just passed away and I felt as if I had lost a sister rather than just a close friend. In the last scene, Roscoe Ates suggests Eddie Dean and Jennifer join up to run the ranch and Eddie responds in true cowboy hero fashion with the song "Ain't No Girl Got A Brand on Me." As Eddie and Roscoe mount their horses and ride away, Jenny folds her arms and leans back against the front porch post with that familiar smile. The last shot shows her waving to Eddie. I thought if I had been the producer of a TV newscast which gave the obits to former movie stars, I would have included that shot as the newscaster read the obit. Even today, it brings a lump to the throat of this old Front Row Kid. Love ya Scorpio.
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365 weeks ago