Frontier Pony Express (DVD)

Amidst the chaos of the American Civil War, corrupt Senator Calhoun Lassiter conspires with newspaper publisher Brett Langhorne to carve out his own personal empire in the California territory. To advance his scheme he must intercept crucial Army dispatches carried by the U.S. Pony Express, hiring outlaw boss Luke Johnson's gang to carry out the attacks. Express rider Roy Rogers is determined to shut down the criminal operation, but the task is complicated by his budding relationship with Ann Langhorne, Brett's beautiful sister. Outmanned and outgunned, Roy fights an uphill battle against Luke Johnson's thugs to bring kingpins Lassiter and Langhorne to justice.Frontier Pony Express is a rousing action-packed film from the early years of western screen legend Roy Rogers' career.

Roy teams up here with veteran Raymond Hatton who worked in over 400 pictures, most notably as Rusty Joslin in the Three Mesquiteers series and Marshal Sandy Hopkins in nearly 30 Rough Riders films. Also appearing is the great African-American film pioneer and actor, Noble Johnson, who co-founded the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, one of the first black studios, in 1916. Today he is best remembered for his role as the native chief in King Kong (1933), as well as for substantive roles in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and The Mummy (1932).

• western