Having been away at agriculture school, Marvin Hayden (Tim Holt) returns home to discover that the ranch that he inherited from his father is about to be auctioned off due to unpaid back taxes.  It’s all a part of a scheme concocted by Sherriff Bagley (Harry Harvey), Trimble Carson (Harry Woods), and Johnny Blue (Tom Keene) to get control of the land so that they can make a financial killing when the railroad comes through.

(As in so many B-westerns, Thunder Mountain presents the railroad as something that will help build a lasting society while also bringing out the worst in greedy people.)

Even though Marvin refuses to carry his father’s guns, he’s still viewed as being a threat.  Because the Haydens have long feuded with the Jorth family, Carson murders Chick Jorth (Steve Brodie).  Marvin is arrested for the crime.  It falls to Marvin’s friends Chito (Richard Martin), Ginger (Virginia Owen), and Jim Gardner (Jason Robards, Sr., not to be mistaken for his son) to help Marvin break out of jail so that he can prove his innocence, save his ranch, and win the heart of feisty Ellie Jorth (Martha Hyer).

This was Tim Holt’s first starring role after he returned from serving in World War II and he makes the most of it.  Holt plays Marvin Hayden as being a haunted man, someone who has seen firsthand the results of violence and frontier feuds.  Unlike the heroes that Holt played before World War II, Marvin Hayden doesn’t want to carry a gun but, ultimately, circumstances don’t leave him with much choice.  This movie is a perfect example of why Holt’s films are held in such high regard by B-western fans.  The plot may not be anything special but Holt’s intelligent performance brings some unexpected shadings to the proceedings.  Holt gets good support from Martin, Owen, and Robards and there’s a lot of spark to his scenes with Martha Hyer.

Based on a Zane Grey novel and featuring a brisk, 60-minute running time, Thunder Mountain is one of the better B-westerns out there and a good showcase for Tim Holt.