The Official Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas
Research Center: Texas Rangers on the Silver Screen: A List of Films

Texas Rangers on the Silver Screen:

A List of Films by Year

Few organizations have been featured in more Hollywood movies over a longer period of time than the Texas Rangers. The "men in the white hats" first appeared in theaters in 1910 and continue to do so in the 21st century. During 70+ of the last 100 years at least one movie was released featuring an actor as a Texas Ranger.

It may never be possible to present a complete list of Texas Ranger films because of the deterioration and destruction of early movies. The Film Foundation estimates that 80% of films made from 1897 to 1930 are now lost.

Films listed below are feature-length movies,"shorts" (such as early movie serials), or stand-alone made-for-TV movies. Individual television episodes are not listed.

Detailed information about each film on the list below is available from the Internet Movie Database (click the link). Please e-mail us if you know of a film we have missed, and we will add it to the list.

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TEXAS RANGER MOVIE TRIVIA

» 1943 was the high point with 17 known movies incorporating Texas Ranger characters.

» When Texas celebrated its Centennial in 1936, Hollywood responded with a movie featuring --- the Texas Rangers. Several popular Texas Ranger novels (especially Zane Grey novels) were made into movies over-and-over:

» Zane Grey's Lone Star Ranger was made in 1919 and re-made in 1923, 1930 and 1942.

» Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage premiered in 1918 and was re-made in 1925, 1931, 1941 and 1996.

» Grey's Last of the Duanes premiered in 1919 and was re-made in 1924, 1930 and 1941.

» Movies with the title of The Fighting Ranger were made in 1925, 1926, 1934 and 1948.

» Actors who have played Texas Rangers over the last century include John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, Glen Campbell, Tom Mix, Dylan McDermott, Willie Nelson, Tex Ritter, Chuck Norris, Gene Autry, the Our Gang kids, Bill Elliott, George O'Brien, Roy Rogers, Clayton Moore, Audie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Tim McCoy, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly McGillis, Richard Widmark, Sam Jones, William Holden and many others.

1910

  • The Ranger's Bride


1911

  • The Border Ranger


1912

  • The Ranger and His Horse

1914

  • The Ranger's Romance

1916

  • The Ranger of Lonesome
  • Gulch
  • Liberty

1918

  • The Ranger
  • Heart of the Southwest

1919

  • The Lone Star Ranger
  • Last of the Duanes
  • Rider of the Law, a.k.a. Jim of the Rangers

1920

  • The Unknown Ranger

1921

  • The Ranger and the Law
  • The Sky Ranger

1922

  • The Ranger's Reward
  • The Big Ranger
  • The Fighting Ranger

1923

  • The Lone Star Ranger
  • The Footlight Ranger
  • King's Creek Law

1924

  • The Whirlwind Ranger
  • Last of the Duanes


1925

  • The Fighting Ranger
  • Border Justice
  • Border Rangers
  • Ranger of the Big Pines
  • Ranger Bill
  • Rider of the Painted Horse
  • Riders of the Purple Sage
  • One Shot Ranger

1926

  • Daredevil's Reward
  • Ahead of the Law
  • The Fighting Ranger

1927

  • Outlaws of Red River
  • The Rambling Ranger

1928

  • The Ranger's Oath
  • Law of the Ranger
  • The Four-Footed Ranger
  • The Phantom Flyer

1929

  • Rio Rita

1930

  • Last of the Duanes
  • The Lone Star Ranger

1931

  • Border Law
  • The Cisco Kid
  • Lasca of the Rio Grande
  • The Texas Ranger
  • Riders of the Purple Sage
  • Alias: The Bad Man

1932

  • Come On, Danger
  • Riders of the Desert
  • Hello Trouble
  • The Texas Bad Man
  • The Devil Horse
  • Mystery Ranch
  • The Western Code

1933

  • King of the Arena
  • The Ranger's Code

1934

  • The Fighting Ranger
  • The Dude Ranger
  • Miracle Rider
  • Gun Justice

1935

  • Cyclone Ranger
  • Rough Riding Ranger
  • Miracle Rider
  • Sagebrush Troubadour

1936

  • Ride, Ranger, Ride
  • The Unknown Ranger
  • Drift Fence, a.k.a.
    Texas Desperadoes
  • Whistling Bullets
  • The Kid Ranger
  • I'm Much Obliged
  • The Texas Rangers
  • The Traitor
  • Fast Bullets
  • Desert Patrol
  • The Phantom Rider
  • The Gun Ranger
  • The Big Show
  • Without Honor

1937

  • Law of the Ranger
  • Reckless Ranger
  • Rio Grande Ranger
  • Galloping Dynamite
  • Ranger Courage
  • Guns of the Pecos
  • The Rangers Step In
  • Heart of the Rockies
  • Lawless Land
  • Borderland
  • Border Cafe

1938

  • The Renegade Ranger
  • Phantom Ranger
  • The Little Ranger
  • Desert Patrol
  • The Ranger's Round-Up
  • Come On, Rangers!
  • Man's Country
  • Code of the Rangers
  • The Lone Ranger
  • Billy the Kid Returns
  • Starlight Over Texas
  • Code of the Fearless

1939

  • Return of the Cisco Kid
  • The Lone Ranger Rides Again

1940

  • Buzzy Rides the Range
  • The Man from Tumbleweeds
  • Northwest Mounted Police
  • Two-fisted Rangers
  • Rangers of Fortune
  • Rocky Mountain Rangers
  • Texas Rangers Ride Again
  • The Ranger and the Lady
  • Three Men from Texas
  • Hi Yo Silver


1941

  • Dead or Alive
  • Desert Bandit
  • Dynamite Canyon
  • Desert Patrol
  • Dynamite Canyon
  • Last of the Duanes
  • Rawhide Rangers
  • Riders of the Purple Sage
  • Rollin' Home to Texas
  • Riders of the Badlands
  • Ridin' the Cherokee Trail
  • Saddlemates

1942

  • The Lone Star Ranger
  • Come On, Danger
  • Riders of the Northland
  • Bandit Ranger
  • Down Texas Way
  • Down Rio Grande Way
  • Rio Rita

1943

  • Thundering Trails
  • Border Buckaroos
  • West of Texas
  • Hail to the Rangers
  • Return of the Rangers
  • The Rangers Take Over
  • Beyond the Last Frontier
  • Fighting Valley
  • Bad Men of Thunder Gap
  • Death Valley
  • West of Texas
  • Rangers
  • Trail of Terror
  • Boss of Rawhide
  • Border Patrol
  • Idaho
  • Riders of the Deadline

1944

  • Gangster of the Frontier
  • Dead or Alive
  • Guns of the Law
  • Outlaw Roundup
  • Trail of Terror
  • Along the Navajo Trail
  • The Whispering Skull
  • Spook Town
  • Gunsmoke Mesa
  • Cyclone Prairie Rangers
  • Brand of the Devil
  • The Pinto Bandit
  • Spook Town

1945

  • Enemy of the Law
  • Frontier Fugitives
  • Flaming Bullets
  • Three in the Saddle
  • Marked for Murder
  • Lone Texas Ranger
  • bBandits of the Badlands
  • Both Barrels Blazing

1946

  • Roaring Rangers
  • Alias Billy the Kid

1947

  • Ridin' Down the Trail
  • Red Hot Rangers
  • Bandits of Dark Canyon
  • The Fabulous Texan

1948

  • The Gallant Legion
  • The Rangers Ride
  • The Fighting Ranger
  • The Fighting Mustang
  • The Tioga Kid
  • Whirlwind Raiders

1949

  • Riders of the Whistling Pines
  • Streets of Laredo
  • South of Rio
  • Ranger of Cherokee Strip
  • Masked Raiders
  • Crashing Thru
  • bandits of El Dorado

1950

  • Guns of Justice
  • Law of the Badlands
  • Colorado Junction
  • Border Rangers
  • Prairie Roundup
  • Holiday Rythm

1951

  • Ridin' the Outlaw Trail
  • My Outlaw Brother
  • The Texas Rangers:
    The Lone Wolf
  • Watchdogs of
    the Lone Star State
  • Texans Never Cry

1952

  • Night Stage to Galveston
  • The Legend of the Lone Ranger
  • Dead Man's Trail

1953

  • Winning of the West
  • Star of Texas
  • On Top of Old Smoky
  • The Lawless Breed

1955

  • Texas Rangers Ride Again
  • Buffalo Bill Jr. (TV Series)

1956

  • The Lone Ranger
  • The Searchers
  • Judge Roy Bean

1957

  • 26 Men (TV Serial)
  • Gun Duel in Durango

1958

  • The Lone Ranger and the
    Lost City of Gold

1959

  • Frontier Rangers
  • The Wonderful Country

1960

  • Seven Ways from Sundown

1961

  • The Last Rebel
  • Return of the Lone Ranger
  • The Comancheros

1965

  • Laredo

1966

  • Lonesome Ranger

1967

  • Bonnie & Clyde

1968

  • Three Guns for Texas
  • Texas Rangers and Us
  • The Other Side of Bonnie and Clyde

1969

  • The Great Bank Robbery
  • Backtrack
  • The Over-the-Hill Gang
  • True Grit
  • The Over-the-Hill-Gang
        Rides Again

1971

  • To Kill a Jackal

1972

  • Code of the Rangers

1973

  • The Three Musketeers of the West (Italian)

1974

  • The Sugarland Express
  • The Rangers (TV movie)

1976

  • The Town that Dreaded    Sundown
  • The Outlaw Josey Wales

1981

  • The Texas Rangers
        (TV movie)
  • The Legend of
         the Lone Ranger

1982

  • The Ballad of
         Gregorio Cortez

1983

  • Lone Wolf McQuade

1986

  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
  • Singapore Sling (R-rated)
  • The Aurora Encounter

1987

  • Extreme Prejudice
  • Phantom Soldiers

1988

  • Once Upon a Texas Train
        (TV Movie)


1989

  • Lonesome Dove
        (TV Miniseries)

1990

  • A Pair of Aces (TV Movie)

1991

  • Another Pair of Aces (TV Movie)

1992

  • Another Pair of Aces

1993

  • Walker, Texas Ranger
        (TV Movie)
  • A Perfect World
  • Return to Lonesome Dove    (TV miniseries)
  • Ranger: Muerte in Texas

1994

  • One Riot, One Ranger
  • Texas Payback
  • Texas (TV Miniseries)

1995

  • Ranger!
  • Streets of Laredo (TV Miniseries)

1996

  • Dead Man's Walk (TV miniseries)
  • Riders of the Purple Sage (TV movie)
  • From Dusk 'til Dawn
  • Last Man Standing
  • Lone Star

1997

  • Buffalo Soldiers

1998

  • Border Wars
  • The Newton Boys
  • Perfect Prey (TV Movie)

1999

  • From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money
  • Sons of Thunder (TV Series)

2001

  • Texas Rangers

2003

  • Kill Bill: Vol. 1

2004

  • Man of the House

 

2006

  • Renegade Gun

2007

  • No Country for Old Men
  • Comanche Moon
  • Grindhouse
  • Death Proof
  • Planet Terror
  • The Great Debaters
  • Ghost Rider

2008

  • Comanche Moon: Road to Lonesome Dove
  • Palo Pinto Gold

2009

  • Palo Pinto Gold
  • Luke and Lacy: the Texas Rangers
  • Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas

2010

  • True Grit (remake)

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The Official Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas