Billy Carson tracks down the murderer of a man carrying news of the railroad travelling through the town of Red Rock, where Fuzzy Q. Jones is Justice of the Peace, Town Marshall, barber and horse doctor.
With the railroad coming to Red Rock, trouble is expected and Billy has been sent ot help his friend Fuzzy who is the town's Sheriff, Judge, and barber. When the man that sent Billy is murdered and the railroad location map stolen, broken match sticks point to Vic Landreau. While Billy tries to find the missing map, Landreau suspects Billy is on to him and plans to have him killed.
Shadows of Death is a 1945 American western film directed by Sam Newfield.
Fuzzy As A Barber Has A Close Shave With Danger!
It is unfortunate the previous reviewer was surprised that Larry "Buster" Crabbe made westerns. Crabbe portrayed a variety of roles during his long career ranging from Tarzan (Tarzan the Fearless serial) to Flash Gordon (serials), from cowboy Billy Carson to a French Foreign Legionnaire ("Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion" TV series).
In 1940, Bob Steele was starring as PRC's 'Billy the Kid' (who, in these films, was a good guy wrongfully blamed for various misdeeds). But Steele received a better offer from Republic Pictures, where he would become one of the Three Mesquiteers.
To fill Steele's slot, PRC hired Buster Crabbe, and from 1941-1946, he would appear in three dozen western programmers, including the film reviewed here. The initial entries had Crabbe continuing the 'Billy the Kid' role, but his screen name was later changed to 'Billy Carson' (supposedly because of the negative connotation associated with 'Billy the Kid').
Crabbe's sidekick in all these range epics was Al 'Fuzzy' St. John, who had become entrenched as a cowboy saddle pal.
As with most westerns of the period, Crabbe's films were primarily shown at matinées in neighbourhood theatres across the country with the largest part of the audience made up of children. This is why almost all the major cowboys had comic sidekicks. Character and plot development was largely absent. It was a non-discriminating audience that wanted action, a laugh or two, and for the good guy to beat the bad guy. The "B" western filled the bill.