The Texas Rangers is a 1936 American Western film directed by King Vidor and starring Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie. The picture was nominated for Best Sound Recording (Franklin Hansen) at the 1936 Oscars.
The story follows Jim Hawkins and Sam McGee, a pair of bandits who, along with their companion Wahoo Jones, are notorious for robberies and violence. After a failed holdup, Jim and Wahoo escape capture by enlisting in the Texas Rangers, hoping the disguise of lawmen will shield them from suspicion.
As Rangers, the men at first continue their crooked ways, but Jim gradually changes. His sense of duty and the example of Major Bailey, the upright commander of the Rangers, begin to influence him. Jim falls in love with Amanda Bailey, a frontier woman who further inspires him to abandon his outlaw past.
Sam, however, remains ruthless and self-serving. His lawless behavior leads to a deadly confrontation between the former partners. In the end, Jim proves his loyalty to the Rangers and redeems himself, while Sam faces justice for refusing to change.
Tropes:
- Becoming the Mask: Jim and Wahoo join the Rangers to hide from the law and continue their crooked ways. However, while serving with the Rangers they gradually change; acquiring a sense of duty coming to believe in the ideals of the Rangers.
- The Cavalry: Jim saves his company from an Apache war party that has them pinned down by escaping, stealing an Apache horse and riding off and fetching Company C, who ride to the rescue.
- Crime Spree Montage: After Jim and Sam McGee go their separate ways in Kimball County, Sam begins a reign of terror which is illustrated by a montage of the crimes he and his gang are committing.
- Dirty Cop: Needing money and impressed by the Rangers' reputation, Jim and Wahoo join the Rangers with the pair planning to use the position to enrich themselves. When sent to locate cattle rustlers Jim and Wahoo discover they are led by Sam who agrees that teaming up to work both ends against the middle will make all of them rich.
- Dramatic Ammo Depletion: When Jim confronts the Indians on top of the cliff, he shoots one but when a second one attacks him, he discovers his pistol has run dry, forcing him to fight the Indian hand to hand and kill him with his own knife.
- Ending Memorial Service: Ends with Wahoo's funeral, and with Major Bailey delivering a eulogy for Wahoo and all of the Texas Rangers who have been killed in the line of duty.
- Hat Damage: Jim shoots Wahoo's hat during their stage robberies to hide Wahoo's involvement and make it look real. While splitting up the loot, complains that the last time Jim did this he damn near parted his hair as he pokes three fingers through three holes in his hat. Later, during the Apache attack, he gets an arrow through his hat. On realizing the arrow hasn't touched his head, he pulls it out and kisses it.
- In the Back: Sam shoots Jess Higgens' two henchmen in the back as they are about to shoot Jim in the makeshift courtroom.
- It Tastes Like Feet: After doing a Spit Take, Judge Snow says "I asked for rye, not this coal oil!"
- Job Title
- More Expendable Than You: When the Rangers are pinned down by the Apache, two of the married Rangers discuss making a break for the ridge so they can bring back The Cavalry. While each tries to convince the other to stay, Jim and Wahoo announce they don't have a wife or kids tying them down and make a break for the ridge before anyone can stop them.
- One Riot, One Ranger: Jim becomes so trusted he is sent to singlehandedly arrest and prosecute a murdering town boss.
- The Savage Indian: Wahoo and Jim begin to have second thoughts when they take on a group of hostile Indians who have murdered the family of young David whom they look after. Later, Jim gets a strong reputation among the Rangers when he saves their company from annihilation by a large Apache war party.When Apaches try to kill them by rolling boulders down on top of them, Major Bailey claims only an Indian could have thought of a trick like that.
- Shipper on Deck: Wahoo gets sick of Jim denying his feelings for Amanda Bailey and decides to force the two of them together. He tells Amanada that Jim is too shy to tell her directly, but spent all of his time when they were out hunting Indians talking about her (which he hadn't). This makes Amanda confront Jim and the two of them end up kissing.
- Small-Town Tyrant: Jim becomes so trusted he is sent to singlehandedly arrest and prosecute Jess Higgens, a murdering town boss. Jim originally plans to install Sam as the new town boss but changes his mind and has Sam promise to leave the area.
- Spit Take: Both District Attorney Dave Twitchell and Judge Snow do a spit take on hearing that Jim has an arrest warrant for Jess Higgens.
- Train Job: The first crime in Sam McGee's Crime Spree Montage is a train robbery.