Product Description

1857 - Captain Miguel Sebiastian (Lawrence Dobkin) - Tiger of San Luis - and his men defend their land against the invading American troops led by Angus McKane (Jim Davis) but fall short of success. Three years later, with the war long over, the Mexican homesteaders are in still dire, poverty-stricken straits as McKane and his ruthless band of marauding raiders scourge the land.

Now there is trouble brewing in the newly founded McKaneville - Circuit Judge Ward (Louis Jean Heydt) and his son Marshall Young (Faron Young) arrive to find the town in an upheaval. McKane has effectively abolished law and order, and an endless number of property disputes are the inevitable result. McKane appears to have a legal title over the land previously owned by Miguel Sebastian, but the lawmen suspect foul play - not least of all because of McKane s murderously insane troubleshooter Pardee (Lee Van Cleef) . Pardee is dispatched to the rancher Scott (Harry Lauter) to warn him of the imminent investigation over the land grant. Johnson has had a burden of guilt over benefiting from an illegal land grab. Despite Purdee s threat to kill his lovely wife Julie (Arleen Whelan) if he doesn t cooperate, he comes clean with the lawmen. After being shot by McKane s gang while on his way to testify against the, and passes on a valuable piece of information. Gunfights and horseback chases galore ensue...

The action continues to Los Cresta, where Miguel Sebastian is found to be alive and able to crack McKane s game wide open. Attempt to stop Sebastian from reaching court are repeatedly foiled by the fast gun and steel nerves of Marshall Young. Left with no other recourse, McKane is forced to bribe his mercenary gang to fight to the finish. Will justice prevail, or avarice gain the upper hand?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78329 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-05-23
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 72 minutes

Review
In this western set in the Mexican controlled part of California, a villainous cavalry officer is trying to force the owner of a hacienda to give him his land when a courageous settler comes to the rescue. --Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

From the Actor
Born in Charlottesville, VA, Albert C. Gannaway was not a prolific director and film producer, but his name is inseparable from Westerns. Within the limitations of low budgets, he masterminded some of early Hollywood’s most memorable offerings in this genre, including The Badge of Marshall Brennan (1957), Plunderers of Painted Flats (1959), Man or Gun (1958) and the historical Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1957). In Raiders of Lost California (1957) he once again cast his all-time favorite actor Jim Davis and legendary Western baddie Lee Van Cleef - to great effect.

THE PLOT: 1857 - Captain Miguel Sebiastian (Lawrence Dobkin) - Tiger of San Luis - and his men defend their land against the invading American troops led by Angus McKane (Jim Davis) but fall short of success. Three years later, with the war long over, the Mexican homesteaders are in still dire, poverty-stricken straits as McKane and his ruthless band of marauding raiders scourge the land. Now there is trouble brewing in the newly founded McKaneville - Circuit Judge Ward (Louis Jean Heydt) and his son Marshall Young (Faron Young) arrive to find the town in an upheaval. McKane has effectively abolished law and order, and an endless number of property disputes are the inevitable result. McKane appears to have a legal title over the land previously owned by Miguel Sebastian, but the lawmen suspect foul play - not least of all because of McKane’s murderously insane troubleshooter Pardee (Lee Van Cleef) . Pardee is dispatched to the rancher Scott (Harry Lauter) to warn him of the imminent investigation over the land grant. Johnson has had a burden of guilt over benefiting from an illegal land grab. Despite Purdee’s threat to kill his lovely wife Julie (Arleen Whelan) if he doesn’t cooperate, he comes clean with the lawmen. After being shot by McKane’s gang while on his way to testify against the, and passes on a valuable piece of information. Gunfights and horseback chases galore ensue...

About the Actor
A2ZCDS is the world's largest and fastest growing innovative multi-media library. Through its vast and unique distribution network, the company provides historical and educational CDs and DVDs covering thousands of topics to every corner of the globe. The ceaseless research and polling process at A2ZCDS constantly identifies and responds to existing and emergent areas of interests. As a result of constant innovation, exemplary products and outstanding customer service, A2ZCDS is quickly becoming a household name. It numbers amongst the most trusted, efficient and user-friendly sources of educational and entertainment media on the market today.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Example of the B Western
Raiders of Old California has everything to love about a B Western. There's plenty of action, with hombres biting the dust by the score, and an over the top performance by Jim Davis as the chief outlaw. And it's chock-full of those errors that makes watching these films such a hoot. Even though the story is supposedly set in 1840s and 1850s California, the land grant being fought over is supposedly "from the Pecos to the Rio Grande and north to Santa Fe", placing the setting solidly in Texas and New Mexico. All the uniforms are post-Civil War, and the weapons are Colt .45s and Winchester repeaters, weapons developed in the 1870s. The guns of course never run out of bullets, and even the "wild" cattle are domestic Herefords. Even the Comanches are misplaced, since they never made California their home.

But what's not to like about a film that has more than enough ridin', fightin', and shootin', and Marty Robbins cast against type as a vicious killer.

Raiders is the B Western at its best.

Lee Van Cleef Vehicle
Almost everyone has seen The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, featuring Lee Van Cleef, but most people don't realize that in the 1950s he was legendary for his roles as bad guys in low budget westerns.

Most of those movies never made it cable or VHS so they have mostly been forgotten.

That's why I enjoyed seeing this Lee Van Cleef western vehicle to get a look at him several years before he becamse much more famous in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

It's a fun low budget western and worth watching.

Great fare, A2ZCDS - keep them coming
"What an absolutely charming and exciting feature film (Raiders of Old California) - but I would expect nothing less from a feature film starring Lee Van Cleef and Jim Davis. It's such a change from the usual stuff they used to grind out in Hollywood. This one has a REAL story, with REAL performances and breathtaking action. I can watch it endlessly. Great fare, A2ZCDS - keep them coming."