Someone is holding up stages and making off with a fortune of gold bullion. The government decides to send in a gun packer. Jack Denton (Jack Randall), the son of a legendary lawman, is sent to investigate, along with his sidekick Pinkie (Ray Turner) and Rusty the Wonder Horse. Jack goes undercover, telling an elderly ex-con (Barlowe Borland) that he’s a former partner of his, which leads Jack to the leader of the robbers, Chance Moore (Charles King).
There are a lot of familiar faces in this western. Not only does Charles King play yet another villain but Glenn Strange shows up in his customary role as the town sheriff. Lloyd Ingraham, Forrest Taylor, Victor Adamson, George Hazel, Dave O’Brien, and Tex Palmer all have roles. It’s interesting that the same actors showed up in these movies and almost always seemed to be playing the same roles. The only thing that changed was the hero. In this case, it’s Jack Randall, who may not have been a great actor but who was a believable western hero. His sidekick here is Ray Turner, a black actor who began his career during the silent era and who had a long career in the westerns. While Turner plays a subordinate character, the role still avoids a lot (though not all) of the demeaning racial stereotypes that were very common in most films from the 1930s. Jack treats Pinky with respect and they’re clearly friends outside of work. That may not sound like a lot but it was a big deal for a 1938 Poverty Row western.
The real hero here is Rusty the Wonder Horse. Rusty’s best scene? Jack, needing to climb a mountain, calls for Rusty to drop his lariat. Jack grabs the rope and Rusty pulls him up. Rusty truly earns the right to be called a wonder horse.
Through the Shattered Lens 