Ranger Bill Williams (Bill Cody) is working undercover.  First, he meets up with and goes to prison with rustler Dragon Morris (Ben Corbett).  After Bill finds out that Dragon’s boss is Chuck Adams (George Chesebro), Bill gets out of prison, tracks down Chuck, and then has a fake posse pursue him in order to prove his bona fides as an outlaw.  Chuck invites Bill to be a member of his gang.  However, Dragon has figured out that Bill’s a lawman and, when he escapes from prison, he tries blow Bill’s cover.

I know I make a lot of excuses for Poverty Row westerns.  I can’t do it with this one.  The Border Menace is really bad.  Produced by Aywon Film, one of the least success of the Poverty Row studios, nothing about The Border Menace works, not even the stock footage of the posse.  This is one slow movie, even with barely enough plot to fill out its 50-minute run time.  The acting is bad all around, except for veteran western baddie George Cheseboro and Bill Cody, who at least is likable as the hero.  Bill has a comedic sidekick but it’s not Fuzzy St. John or Gabby Hayes.  Instead, it’s Jimmy Aubrey as Polecat Pete.  Polecat Pete yells and sings.  I don’t think I’ve ever rooted for the comic relief to get caught in that crossfire before.

Bill Cody starred in a handful of B-westerns in the 30s.  He was a former stuntman and looked convincing on a horse.  He really wasn’t a bad actor but the main reason he found success was because he shared his name with “Wild Bill” Cody.  The two Codys were not related.