THE VIGILANTE
FIGHTING HERO OF THE WEST
15 CHAPTER SERIAL
1947

Based on Action Comics cowboy character, The Vigilante, and starring Ralph Byrd, (better known from the Dick Tracy serials), this was Byrd’s last ever serial appearance.

The Vigilante was one of the first live action adaptations of a DC Comics character, beating Superman by one year although Batman had already made an appearance with his own serial in 1943.

PLOT:
The Vigilante, a masked government agent, is assigned to investigate the case of the "100 Tears of Blood", a cursed string of rare blood red pearls sought by a gang led by the unknown X-1 that may have been smuggled into the country. Greg Sanders, in his civilian guise as an actor, is filming a western on George Pierce's ranch. Pierce is a wealthy rancher and nightclub owner. When Prince Hamil arrives at the ranch, he gives a horse each to Saunders, Pierce, Captain Reilly, Tex Collier and Betty Winslow. But an outlaw gang soon attacks, attempting to steal all five horses. It turns out that each horse has twenty of the rare pearls hidden in their shoes in secret compartments. Sanders soon learns that one of the prince's servants stole the diamonds from his master and smuggled them in using the horses with the intention of passing them on to X-1.

CAST:
Ralph Byrd ... Greg Sanders, aka The Vigilante
Ramsay Ames ... Betty Winslow
Lyle Talbot ... George Pierce
George Offerman Jr. ... Stuff
Robert Barron ... Prince Hamil (listed as Prince Hassan)
Hugh Prosser ... Capt. Reilly
Jack Ingram ... Silver, a.k.a. X-2
Eddie Parker ... Doc, a.k.a. X-3
Tiny Brauer ... Thorne, a.k.a. X-9 (as Bill Brauer)

CHAPTERS:
1. The Vigilante Rides Again
2. Mystery of the White Horses
3. Double Peril!
4. Desperate Flight
5. In the Gorilla's Cage
6. Battling the Unknown
7. Midnight Rendezvous
8. Blasted to Eternity
9. The Fatal Flood
10. Danger Ahead
11. X-1 Closes In
12. Danger Rides the Rails
13. The Trap That Failed
14. Closing In
15. The Secret of the Skyroom

RUNNING TIME: 285 MIN