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The Texas Rangers are about as famous a Police Agency as there ever was or is in this world; being that they are still going strong and have an origin that pre-dates both the Republic of and State of Texas. The other Police Organizations to be fictionalized as often in their league would be: the "Mounties" of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police/Northwest Mounted Police (now), Scotland Yard and the somewhat police-type agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (the F.B.I.), or as we say in the Police Racket, "the Bureau."* All these groups have had many fictionalized accounts of their exploits. But, next to the collective Radio Programs, TV Series and Theatrical Feature Films and Movie Serials featuring the USA's "Big City" P.D.'s (New York, L.A., Chicago, San Francisco, Mayberry, etc.), no one has more than the Texas Rangers. Their fame and legendary feats have long been written and committed to the page, the airwaves and the screen-be it silver or not.
Just a few examples, off the top of the figurative head; we have THE TALES OF Texas RANGERS (both the Radio Show with Joel McCrea as Ranger Jace Pearson and TV Series; featuring Willard Parker as Jace and Harry Lauter as partner, Clay Morgan.). The OTR (Old Time Radio) Radio Show and its Television version of THE LONE RANGER (1949-57) certainly comes to all of our minds as a good and widely known specimen. After all, just where did you think that the RANGER part of the name come from!? (Hey, man, did I really say, "Television version"?)** And that brings us to our "Review of the Day" guest, WALKER, Texas RANGER (1993-2001). As being a Cop Show, it fills its slot well; yet manages to cross-over into other Genre. Its seemingly easy to pigeon hole series manages to hit a lot of areas that most do not attempt.
For example, it looks like a Western, though a modern-day one. No, we don't mean the 10 gallon hats sported by the various Ranger members; for even a Dude like m'self knows that!*** But there is a spirit of camaraderie and free and easy occurrences that seem to beg for a "B" Western solution by a Juvenile Cowboy Hero and his sidekick.
In the Lead, of course, we have Martial Arts Legend, Chuck Norris, as Cordell "Cord" Walker. His partner on the job and closest of friends is Ranger Jimmy Trivette, portrayed by Clarence Gilyard, Jr. Together they are sort of a "Butch & Sundance" team, as their dialogues are fluent, pertinent, amusing and seem to be natural. Their screen relationship appears real, whether in either Official or Off Duty situations.
So we have little bittie sort of sidebars or subplot scenes involving the heroic pair of latter day Straight Shootin' Lawmen in applying some physical corrective measures. A typical story might have Walker and Trivette being in some Bar, often not being Duty Related and on their own time. They are then confronted by some slightly inebriated "Good Ol' Boys"; locals who think that they're both brave and bad-ass, due to their blood alcohol levels. The Salt and Pepper team (Jimmy Trivette being a Black Man) will always teach the punks a well needed lesson, without taking Police Action (like maybe arresting them, like they should!).
It is at times like this the twosome resembles The Lone Ranger and Tonto! Just think about it, if you will. We have similarities that may well be more than strictly coincidental. They're both teams of men from different backgrounds, racially anyhow. One of the individuals seems to outrank his partner, though not for the same reasons. In the LONE RANGER Saga, Tonto pledges his support as assistant after recognizing the nearly dead Ranger John Reed as one who had saved him (Tonto) years earlier. In WALKER, the rank is strictly one of a paramilitary rank and in official business.
In both instances, we see both men fighting side by side, being equally proficient as fighters and with equal dignity as men. Though both series are Westerns in one form or another, neither opted for the "Comical Sidekick" ploy, which was so common in years-gone-by, and not unheard of today.
NOTE: * Though it has virtually an unlimited budget, covering any and all expen$e$, and the use of possibly the finest in forensic sciences (Crime Lab), the FBI is not a Police Department. It lacks the complexity, the wide responsibility and so many widely divergent and on-going missions. The FBI is more like the Detective Division in being responsible for The Follow Up Investigation of a Criminal occurrence.
NOTE: ** In the Lone Ranger Origin Story, the Masked Man was the sole surviving Texas Ranger of 7 (?) who were massacred by the Butch Kavindish Gang.
NOTE: *** Native Texan and All-American Quarterback from Texas Christian University (TCU), 1937 NFL Rookie, "Slingin" Sammy Baugh was given a 10 Gallon Hat and Cowboy Boots to wear for his first Press Conference and Photo Ops by the Washington Redskins; even though he had never worn such things before in his life!
score 7/10
redryan64 23 January 2008
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1806219/ |
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11-4-2020 04:33:08