Boothill Brigade

Johnny Mack Brown plays Lon Cardigan a moral preaching cowboy who uses his wits and fists rather than six-guns to battle a land-grabbing villain who is exploiting homesteaders through frontmen. The storyline is heavy on moral epithets rather than action. Unfortunately, unlike some other western films, the script does not deal with the underlying conflict throughout the West between ranchers and homesteaders. Meanwhile, the alleged villain's pretty, young daughter is part of the equation with the usual predictable twists.

This film is one in a collection called Cowboy Heroes of the Silver Screen from Marathon Music and Video. The source print was a 16mm dupe in fair condition with missing frames. The transfer is slightly soft but not irritating. There are some sporadic wash marks but surface noise is minimal. The sound is very good.

This is low-budget fare without much redeeming quality. And, even Johnny Mack Brown cannot save the story.