With ‘Plunderers Of Painted Flats’, Republic Studios came to an end after over 20 year of mainly B films – many of them Westerns

It’s main film product had been Westerns but by this time Television churned them out quite successfully –

‘Plunderers Of Painted Flats’ was not a classic Western but even so Republic went out at least with a pretty good one.

George MacReady is an unpleasant character and owner of a large ranch – one which he wants to expand almost at any price.. He has no scruples whatever chasing down whoever he doesn’t want on his land. One of his gang shoots down the father of Skip Homeier and little Ricky Allen but then an old gunfighter played Edmund Lowe shoots MacCready’s the person who had done the shooting

MacReady decides thast he needs help now so he hires another gunfighter John Carroll. Just to make things more interesting On the same stagecoach as Carroll is travelling there on are three mail order brides, Madge Kennedy, Bea Benedaret, and Corinne Calvet.

Calvet is intended for Skip Homeier

The story is well acted and well told. Carroll gives one of his best screen performances, in this neglected Western.

As the demand and market for B-pictures declined, Republic Pictures began to cut back, slowing production from 40 main films annually in the early 1950s to 18 in 1957.
A tearful Herbert Yates informed shareholders at the 1958 annual meeting that feature-film production was ending; the distribution offices were shut down the following year.

In the early 1960s, Republic sold its library of films to Television.
CBS bought Republic’s studio lot but they had in fact been using these facilities for some years.

Republic Pictures was one of the first major independent film studios best known for creating B-movies. Founded in 1935 by Herbert Yates as a merger of several smaller “poverty row” studios, Republic produced memorable feature films and launched the careers of John Wayne, Gene Autry, Rex Allen, and Roy Rogers.

Republic Pictures earned its greatest reputation for its numerous serials, which were generally considered the best in the business. The company introduced choreographed fight scenes, and excelled in the special effects of model work, explosions, and simulating superheroes’ ability to fly.

Republic exploded into national prominence with its focus in Westerns, film serials and B-films emphasising mystery and action, the staples of Saturday afternoon matinees. The studio rocketed serials like The Adventures of Captain Marvel and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe into the public imagination throughout its fabled 24-year history. Notable Republic Pictures include Under Western Stars (1938), Flying Tigers (1942), Macbeth (1948), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), The Red Pony (1949), The Quiet Man (1952), and Johnny Guitar (1954).

Out of interest Under Western Stars (1938), was the first film for Roy Rogers.  He had been in a number of films before this – under his own name Leonard Sly and the last two as Dick Weston but Republic decided that for his first starring role he would be Roy Rogers – and that was how he remained.