Harold’s Old Time Radio

Cisco Kid: “The Innocent Rustler” (October 14, 1952) – Podcast Recap

Episode Overview

This episode revives a classic Western tale from the golden age of radio—The Cisco Kid—focusing on "The Innocent Rustler." In this adventure, the Cisco Kid and his sidekick Pancho come to the aid of John Perry, a man recently released from prison after being framed for cattle rustling. The story explores themes of justice, redemption, and frontier law, set against a backdrop of betrayal and vengeance in the Old West.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Setting Up the Adventure & Introducing Characters

• [01:26] Narrator outlines the main conflict: John Perry returns to his land after serving time for a crime he didn’t commit. Old animosities flare up, especially due to Perry’s former neighbors, Ace Hansen and his foreman, Gil Tallman, who were responsible for his false conviction.
• The Cisco Kid and Pancho are introduced traveling to Silver City, craving adventure and embodying the spirit of roaming heroes.

2. Encounter with Violence

• [03:02] Cisco and Pancho stumble upon Ace and Gil violently confronting John Perry. Cisco intercedes:
  • Cisco Kid (03:23): “You are taking an unfair advantage.”
  • A brief but intense fight follows, ending with Cisco and Pancho rescuing Perry.

3. Revealing the Frame-Up

• [05:01] John Perry explains his plight:
  • John Perry (05:09): “What they don't know is that I was framed.”
  • He recounts how Ace and Gil planted evidence and manipulated the law to convict him.

4. Tensions Build in Silver City

• [06:17] Ace and Gil warn the sheriff that Perry, accompanied by "dangerous" friends (Cisco and Pancho), might cause trouble—setting up Perry as a scapegoat.
  • Ace also reveals intentions to marry Perry's daughter, Alice, and take over Perry's land.

5. Family Reunion & Doubt

• [07:50] Cisco and Pancho escort Perry home and meet his daughter, Alice.
  • Alice is torn between her father and Ace, whom she has found helpful in her father's absence.
  • John Perry (10:09): “Alice, you know why I was sent to jail. And you know it was Ace Hansen that framed me.”

6. Scheming and an Attempted Murder

• [11:48] Ace and Gil plot to permanently get rid of John Perry, seeing his return as a threat to their ambitions.

• [12:22] Perry confronts Ace and Gil, demanding they stay away from his daughter—only to be ambushed and restrained.

  • Ace Hansen (13:13): “With one end of a rope around your neck and the other end around the pommel of my saddle. We'll see how long you can keep running behind my horse.” (A chilling description of planned frontier justice.)

7. Cisco and Pancho to the Rescue

• [15:27] Sensing trouble, Cisco and Pancho race back to the Perry ranch.

• [16:08] Alice reveals her father went to confront Ace.

• The duo tracks Perry just as Ace and Gil nearly kill him by dragging him with a rope.

  • [17:51] Cisco Kid (17:53): "How you shot this, Cisco? My new rope."
  • [18:06] Cisco Kid (18:06): “I would like to give him a taste of his own medicine.”

8. The Showdown and Exposing the Villains

• [19:02] Ace and Gil try to twist the story when the sheriff arrives, accusing Cisco of violence.

• A clever ruse by Cisco fakes Perry’s death, tricking Ace and Gil into revealing incriminating details.

  • Cisco Kid (22:13): “Now, senora, it will cause you a little discomfort for a few minutes. The rope is again around your neck now, senor.”
  • John Perry (23:42): “Ace Hansen. Gil Tolman. I'll get justice if I have to follow you all the rest of it.” (Perry “comes back to life,” shocking the villains and the lawmen.)

9. Resolution and Justice Restored

• [24:27] The villains are arrested, Perry’s innocence becomes clear, and Alice’s trust is restored.

  • Cisco Kid (24:41): “Perhaps, Senorita Alice, you have learned something tonight of the ways of the world.”

• [25:23] Perry, now vindicated, discusses justice with Cisco and Pancho.

  • Cisco Kid (25:23): “They're going to the territorial prison. For a long time they were tried before a judge and jury and sentenced.”

• [25:48] Pancho (25:48): Jokes about the number 13 (the size of a judge and jury), adding a lighter postscript.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Action & Justice:

  • Cisco Kid (03:23): “You are taking an unfair advantage.”
  • Ace Hansen (13:13): “With one end of a rope around your neck and the other end around the pommel of my saddle. We'll see how long you can keep running behind my horse.”
  • Cisco Kid (22:13): “The rope is again around your neck now, senor.”
  • John Perry (23:42): “Ace Hansen. Gil Tolman. I'll get justice if I have to follow you all the rest of it.”

• On the Human Condition:

  • John Perry (05:46): “All I want is to live peaceable and get back my good name. Four years in prison is a long time to spend for something that you didn't do.”

• Lighthearted Finale:

  • Pancho (25:48): “No wonder so many people go to the jail.”
  • Cisco Kid (26:08): “Oh, Poncho.”

Key Timestamps

• [01:26] — Narrator sets up the story of John Perry’s wrongful conviction.
• [03:02] — Cisco and Pancho intervene in a beating.
• [05:01] — Perry reveals his frame-up.
• [12:22] — Perry confronts Ace and Gil at their ranch.
• [13:13] — Ace describes their plan to murder Perry.
• [15:27] — Cisco and Pancho realize Perry is in danger.
• [17:53] — Cisco and Pancho save Perry from being killed.
• [19:02] — Confrontation with the sheriff and tricking Ace and Gil.
• [23:42] — Perry “returns” to incriminate his would-be murderers.
• [25:23] — Epilogue on justice and the jury system.

Tone & Style Summary

This episode encapsulates the straightforward morality and adventurous spirit of golden-age radio westerns, leaning into dramatic showdowns, clear distinctions between right and wrong, and a sprinkle of humor at the end. The Cisco Kid is both charming and principled, while Pancho adds warmth and comic relief. Dialogue is authentic to the period, full of homespun wisdom, code-switching between Spanish and English, and the larger-than-life persona of the American West.

For Fans of Classic Radio:
This episode is a compact showcase of the high drama and moral clarity that made The Cisco Kid a favorite, with action, suspense, and the enduring theme of justice prevailing over deception.