The Durango Kid played by Charles Starrett, gained much fame. The first film in which he played his famous alter-ego character was known as The Durango Kid, which was released in 1940, but for some reason, Columbia did not see fit to continue with the series at that time. <\br> <\br> The character was revived in 1944 and lasted through 1952. Dub Taylor, as "Cannonball", worked with Charles Starrett until 1946. At that time, Smiley Burnette, who had been a very popular sidekick to Gene Autry, was brought in to replace Taylor. The Durango Kid films combined vigorous action sequences, often with speeded up camera work and spectacular stunts performed by Jock Mahoney. Each film featured a singing group, and many gave free rein to Burnette's singing and playing.