Gold Raiders (1951)

The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard) come into town to peddle their wares but, when revealed to be scam artists, instead join up with a former-marshal-turned-insurance-salesman (George O'Brien) who is there to make sure gold ore shipments remain uninterrupted.

At barely an hour’s length this are all the complications this low-budget feature requires.

Insurance sales are certainly an odd element to include in a Western, certainly one meant for kids, and it makes me wonder if maybe it was meant as some sort of propaganda or commercial.

There are some horse and carriage chases; a couple of bar brawls and more than one shootout, enough elements to satisfy the indiscriminate Western fan.

The boys are there for comic support and barely have any effect on the story; they aren’t even the ones who ruin the secret gold transport plan! An alcoholic doctor and his granddaughter (Clem Bevans and Sheila Ryan) also figure into the plot.

I’d only ever seen the Snow White Three Stooges feature, and this is hardly at that low quality level. It’s a perfectly fine (get it?) full length feature for them; they get to slap each other, sing, and tell a couple of corny (but still funny) jokes.

Also, with Lyle Talbot.