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Mason (John Wayne) and Benson (Gabby Hayes) have struck a rich
goldmine, but to keep its whereabouts a secret, they don't even settle a
claim on it until they have properly exploited it - much to the dismay of
locl assayers Harris (Lloyd Whitlock) and Cole (Yakima Canutt), who
already had their hands in stealing Benson's cattle when he was still a
farmer and who want to get their hands on his farm as well ... so they
make up plans to trick him out of everything.
More of that later though, first Benson is accused of attempting to
kill the local banker, a crime that was really committed by Al (Eddie
Parker), son of the local Sheriff (Earl Dwire), and it's only thanks to
Mason, who first beats a confession out of Al then hunts him down (riding
on a log through athe sewers like a witch on a broomstick) when he tries
to escape and brings him to justice, that Benson is ultimately found
innocent.
Then though, Harris and Cole shoot Benson out in the desert and leave
him for dead, but not only that, they also try to pin the crime on Mason.
What they however don't know is that Benson hasn't died at all and has
come back to his farm - and now that Mason has his preliminary hearing,
Benson turns up, disguised as a woman, and ultimately reveals Harris and
Cole to be the real culprits.
It all amounts to a chase by horse, Ford T model and train utility car,
at the end of which the baddies can be brought to justice.
Barbara Sheldon plays Benson's granddaughter and Mason's love interest,
but she has little to do other than looking pretty and marry her
sweetheart in the end ...
The Monogram Westerns John Wayne did with Robert N.Bradbury are
all pretty good, and this is without a doubt one of their best: Though the
budget was only slim and the plot was tried-and-true, Bradbury pulled no
stops at making this one as original and inventive as possible, inserting
comedy (like Yakima Canutt chasing a donkey or Gabby Hayes in drag) and
chase scenes that are not only top notch, they also transgress genre
limitations and make this film not just another production line Western
but a movie that manages to stand on its own (even if it's to this day
vastly underappreciated).
Highly recommended.
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