Developments in Montana
There is some rustling trouble in the area and the local ranchers have joined forces to call in the Rangers and support them by offering up their best horses to them. That is everyone except young rancher Steve Bauer (Myron Healey) who having lost no horses doesn't feel like he should hand over his best horses. When Steve goes to make peace with a rancher he had argued with only to be the only one in the area when outlaws kill the older rancher Steve finds himself facing a lynching from those who don't like him. Whilst ranger Rocky Lane (Allan Lane) witnessed the whole thing and can clear him Steve ends up seeking help from the wrong people who in truth plan to use him.
I have to give the writers of "Night Riders of Montana" some credit because by the start of the 50s there had been a good 15 years of these one hour westerns and pretty much every story had been told and retold more times than I care to think about yet they try to put some life in to this one. That life comes from an opening set up which establishes Steve as an enemy of other ranchers but then wrong accused of murder before unwittingly joining forces with the wrong crowd. I could go on because there are a surprising number of developments in this old western maybe more than in truth it needed.
The thing is, because "Night Riders of Montana" quickly establishes itself as a series of developments it keeps you watching and on your toes even though that being a Rocky Lane western you know the inevitable outcome. In fact when you strip away the various twists what you have left is a routine looking western with routine characters and routine action.
What this all boils down to is that "Night Riders of Montana" ends up entertaining purely because the writer writers have put some effort in to the actual storyline with a series of developments which keeps you on your toes.
