Under Colorado Skies (1947)

Under Colorado Skies: Directed by R.G. Springsteen. With Monte Hale, Lorna Gray, Paul Hurst, William Haade. Monte Hale has been working as a teller in a bank in Allentown, Texas during the summer to earn money for his medical college expenses during the upcoming year. He is about to leave to return to college when the bank is held up by two members of a notorious gang, headed by Marlowe, leaving Monte with the smoking gun of one of the bandits that killed the bank president. To avoid bringing disgrace on the family of his sweetheart, Julia Collins, by revealing that it was her brother Jeff, supposedly working in Denver, who induced him to open the back door of the bank to let the robbers in, Monte allows suspicion to rest on him until he can clear himself. Knowing he can’t clear himself or pry Jeff loose from the gang if he is taken to jail, Monte fights his way free and escapes. He trails the Marlowe gang to Red Rock, Colorado when Julia appears and complicates the task. On her way to Denver to see Jeff, whom she still believes to be there, Julia is wounded in a stagecoach holdup by the gang, and is brought to the saloon/hotel of “Lucky” Hawkins. There Monte, using an assumed name, is forced—by the absence of the local doctor—to give medical care to Julia to save her life. The news that he is a doctor attracts the attention of Marlowe, lying wounded in a hideout in the hills. The gang kidnaps Monte who is forced to treat Marlowe’s wound and afterward is kept prisoner by the gang. With the secret help of Luck and Julia, Monte manages to turn his enforced part in the Marlowe gang activities to his advantage.

“Under Colorado Skies finds Monte Hale as a medical student working at a bank to pay his way through college. During a holdup, the bank president is killed and Monte left holding the bag. The inside man was John Alvin, brother to Lorna Gray who Monte is courting. Most of us would talk right up and save ourselves, but not this tightlipped cowboy hero. Monte escapes the law and goes in pursuit of the gang and the brother.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis was a pretty good Republic western with Hale shown to best advantage. Paul Hurst has a standout role as the saloon owner who becomes Haleu0026#39;s best friend and benefactor. But stealing the film in every scene heu0026#39;s in is William Haade, the genial outlaw leader who kidnaps Monte and kind of likes having his personal physician around in his line of work.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDefinitely try to catch this one, B western fans will love it.”