Phantom Rancher  Phantom Rancher is a 1940 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Ken Maynard. When Ken Mitchell inherits his late uncle's cattle ranch he finds the community hates him for trying to drive farmers off their land. He discovers that a respected member of the community named Collins is really behind the activity and may have had his uncle killed. The only way Ken can gain the community's trust and bring Collins and his gang to justice is appearing as a masked "Phantom Rancher" to dispense justice.