Let's be realistic.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Director: LESLEY SELANDER. Original screenplay: Norman S. Hall. Photography: William Bradford. Film editor: Harry Keller. Art directors: Gano Chittenden, Russ Kimball. Music score: Joseph Dubin. Assistant director: Bart Carre. Sound recording: Vic Appel. RCA Sound System. Associate producer: Stephen Auer. Executive producer: Herbert J. Yates.Copyright 3 August 1944 by Republic Pictures Corp. U.S. release: 15 September 1944. No New York opening. No U.K. or Australian release. 6 reels. 55 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Government agent defeats mining swindle.COMMENT: To judge by the last half-hour, this is a very tame, talky western, produced on a miniscule budget. The action climax is most ineptly staged and directed with stunt players clutching their breasts and crumpling to the ground and a wagon chase contrived through dull panning shots intercut with obvious studio action against a process screen. Lane's Frank Redmond is a whistle-clean hero, Wally Vernon a dull comic sidekick (Throckmorton Snodgrass), Miss Stewart a reasonably attractive heroine, Miss Twinkle Watts a juvenile thrown in for the "pleasure" of the sub-teen age group for whom the movie was obviously intended (though we cannot see even 1944 kiddies sitting still for all the talk, talk, talk), plus Tom London as the heroine's too-eager-to-put-his-wrongs-right dad. In all, a waste of time except for the most rabid fans. Anyone who thinks Selander a notch above the usual run of "B" western hacks will change their minds should they see his Stagecoach to Monterey.