The Vigilantes Are Coming is a 1936 American Republic film serial directed by Ray Taylor and Mack V. Wright. It was the third of the sixty six serials made by Republic Pictures (and the third released in 1936).

This serial was filmed between 28 May and 17 June 1936 under the working title of The Vigilantes. It was released two months later, on 22 August 1936, under the final title. In the early 1950s the serial was re-edited into six 26½ minute episodes for television.

Plot
Following the discovery of gold in Mexican California in 1844, Russian Cossacks led by Count Ivan Raspinoff, in collusion with General Jason Burr, attempt to invade California and turn it into a Russian Colony with Burr as its dictator. In doing so they round up slaves to work the mines and General Burr has Don Loring’s brother and father murdered to acquire their ore-rich land.

When Don returns, having been away at the time with Salvation, Whipsaw and Captain John Fremont, he assumes the masked identity of The Eagle to stop them and get his revenge.

He is aided by a group of vigilantes assembled from the Californian ranchers, fighting both General Burr’s henchmen and Raspinoff’s Cossacks, while awaiting the arrival of Captain Fremont’s American troops before the colony becomes official.

Cast
Robert Livingston as Don Loring, the mild mannered church organist and the masked vigilante The Eagle
Kay Hughes as Doris Colton, John Colton’s daughter
Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams as “Salvation”, leader of the vigilantes
Raymond Hatton as “Whipsaw”, another Californian vigilante
Fred Kohler as General Jason Burr, conspirator with Count Raspinoff aiming to become supreme dictator of Russian California
Robert Warwick as Count Ivan Raspinoff, emissary of the Russian Tsar aiming to conquer Mexican California and claim its gold
William Farnum as Father Jose, the local priest
Bob Kortman as Boris Petroff, a Cossack
John Merton as Rance Talbot, one of General Burr’s henchman
Lloyd Ingraham as John Colton, Mining engineer held by General Burr
William Desmond as “Anderson”, Rancher/Vigilante
Yakima Canutt as “Barsam”, one of General Burr’s henchman
Tracy Layne as Clem Peters, Rancher/Vigilante
Bud Pope as “Ivan”, a Cossack
Steve Clemente as “Pedro”, one of General Burr’s henchman
Bud Osborne as “Harris”, one of General Burr’s henchman
Ray “Crash” Corrigan as Captain John Charles Fremont, US Army Captain