''Crossroad Avenger'' is a 1953

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film intended to serve as a

television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...

. It was directed by

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novelist. In the 1950s, Wood directed several B movie, low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult c ...

(who also wrote the script) and served as a

star vehicle In the motion picture industry, a star vehicle (or simply vehicle) is a film written or produced for a specific star, either to further their career or simply to profit from their current popularity. It is designed to optimally display that star's ...

for Tom Keene. Keene had become known as a star of

B movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

Westerns in the 1930s and 1940s, but was experiencing a downturn in his career in the 1950s.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 Wood served as both writer and director. He also had a small acting role as a

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. During its 18 months of opera ...

rider.Hayes (2001), p. 125 The film lasts 25 minutes. The series failed to find a buyer. It was eventually combined with another Western starring Keene into a longer film called ''The Adventures of the Tucson Kid'' and was syndicated to television as a movie c. 1954.Craig (2009), p. 16-20

Plot

Keene plays the "Tucson Kid", an

insurance investigator An insurance investigator examines insurance claims that are suspicious or otherwise in doubt. Investigators in this field have differing specialties and backgrounds. Some insurance companies have their own in-house investigation teams while other ...

who travels to any town where a suspicious insurance claim has appeared.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 The career description would allow the proposed series to adopt an anthology format, with a different location and storyline in each episode.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 The other hero of the story is a sheriff's deputy called Ed (

Tom Tyler Tom Tyler (August 9, 1903 – May 1, 1954) was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films, and for his portrayal of superheroes in movie serials ''The Adventures of Captain Marvel'' and ''The Phantom''. Tyler als ...

). Both are

middle age Middle age (or middle adulthood) is the age range of the years halfway between childhood and old age. The exact range is subject to public debate, but the term is commonly used to denote the age range from 45 to 65 years. Overall This time span ...

d men.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 The film is set in a small town by the name of Crossroads. The Tucson Kid, under the alias Duke Smith, is here to investigate the burning of a saloon and the reason the owner demands payment in cash by the insurance company. Said owner is local businessman Bart Miller (

Lyle Talbot Lyle Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on a wide ...

), who recently arranged the murder of Jim Hawks (the co-owner of the saloon) and the destruction of the saloon in an act of

arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

. The murdered man was also the local sheriff. Miller employs a criminal gang consisting of Dance (Don Nagle), Lefty (

Kenne Duncan Kenne Duncan (February 17, 1903 – February 5, 1972) was a Canadian-born American B-movie character actor. Hyped professionally as "The Meanest Man in the Movies," the vast majority of his over 250 appearances on camera were Westerns, but ...

), and Max (

Bud Osborne Leonard Miles "Bud" Osborne (July 20, 1884 – February 2, 1964) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 600 films and television programs between 1912 and 1963. Biography Osborne was born Miles Osborne in Knox County, Texas, ...

).Craig (2009), p. 16-20 The gang intends to frame someone for the recent murder and by chance they choose the Tucson Kid. A

lynch mob Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged or convicted transgressor or to intimidate others. It can also be an extreme form of in ...

soon gathers, but the prisoner is rescued by "desert rat" Zeke ( Harvey B. Dunn). Ed arranges for "Duke Smith" to remain in Zeke's custody.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 Zeke soon reveals to his guest that Hawks was locked up in the saloon and supposed to die in the fire. He rescued the man from the flames, only to see him murdered shortly afterwards. He suspects Bart Miller was the murderer.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 Elsewhere, the gang conspires to murder Zeke and frame "Duke" for the murder.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 In the resulting gunfight, Zeke is killed and Lefty is wounded. The Tucson Kid buries the man in a makeshift grave.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 The gang exhumes the body and alerts Ed, who insists that the body should be left to rest in peace. He also insists on a fair trial for "Duke". At this point "Duke" reveals the findings of his recent investigation. The partnership of Hawks and Miller extended to a new

drilling rig A drilling rig is an integrated system that Drilling, drills wells, such as oil or water wells, or holes for piling and other construction purposes, into the earth's subsurface. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to ...

, and the two had found oil. But Hawks was entitled to a

lion's share The lion's share is an idiomatic expression which now refers to the major share of something. The phrase derives from the plot of a number of Aesop's Fables, fables ascribed to Aesop and is used here as their generic title. There are two main typ ...

of the profits, which was the motive of his murder.Craig (2009), p. 16-20 Realizing that "Duke" and Ed now know the truth, Miller orders his gang to attack. All the villains are killed, including Miller whose death is the result of a

friendly fire In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy or hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while ...

incident. Ed thanks the Tucson Kid for his help, and the investigator rides out of town. Ending the film.Craig (2009), p. 16-20

Sources

* *

References

External links

* {{Ed Wood 1953 films 1953 Western (genre) films American Western (genre) television films Films directed by Ed Wood Films with screenplays by Ed Wood Films produced by Ed Wood Television pilots not picked up as a series 1950s American films