South of the Rio Grande

To be sure it's a formula western, involving the usual landgrabbing and skulduggery, but it packs a lot of complications into a mere 60 minutes. Most of this complexity comes from the machinations of slinky femme fatale Mona Maris, working for an unscrupulous oil magnate who is trying to force ranchers to sell their land to him to be used for oil development. She forces one young man to financial ruin and suicide. As it happens, he was the brother of the Rurale Sergeant who was assigned to track down the source of the "bandit" depredations on the ranchers. These bandits were, naturally, working for the oil man. She also seduces a young Rurale Corporal, protege of the Sergeant, and causes a rift between the two. It won't be a surprise to you that with Buck Jones on the job she is headed for trouble, but she spreads a lot of trouble of her own making before that happens.

Buck Jones is totally unconvincing as a Mexican, and the rest of the acting is at High School Senior Play level. Direction is pretty sloppy as well, but for all that it is a rather interesting little western. I give it a 6 out 10.