Outlaws' Paradise

Of all the old B-western heroes, Tim McCoy is among my favorites. Part of this is because in real life he was a bit of a hero--having been a Lt. Colonel in WWI, a Colonel by the end of WWII and was a champion trick shooter in real life. I guess I also like him because he wasn't the pretty- boy cowboy. However, I think the biggest reason is that he COULD act...especially in his 'Lightning' Bill Carson films. In several, he pretended to be a Mexican bandit--and it was a lot of fun seeing McCoy ham it up! So, when I discovered yet another Carson film I was thrilled....so it's a shame it was so ordinary. First, McCoy does NOT play the Mexican once again. Second, the film has a few clichés and poorly written parts that are sure to disappoint.

The film begins with a tough criminal about to leave prison and rejoin his old gang. However, Federal agent Bill Carson has a plan--to impersonate the guy and infiltrate the mob. How can he possibly do that? Well, he and the crook are physical doubles! What a silly cliché!!!! But, I must admit it was fun to watch McCoy playing both roles--and seeing him talk like a 1930s gangster was a hoot! Unfortunately, I knew EXACTLY what would eventually happen--and it did!!! This made the film extremely anticlimactic and the big twist came as absolutely no surprise whatsoever. Worth seeing but certainly among the least in the Carson series.