Aces Wild

Harry Carey moseys into Durango, where he encounters Theodore Lorch and his henchmen. They've run across each other before. Lorch sets up a town with a safe, persuades the locals to put their valuables in it, then there's an explosion and the safe is cracked. Lorch has the same safe in town, and Carey tells him he's not going to get away with it this time.

Along the way, Harry succors Gertrude Messinger, whose father has just died with the papers to his mine in his safe; Phil Dunham, who's trying to get out a crusading weekly, which Lorch doesn't like; and Fred Toones, playing his 'Snowflake' character.

It's the last released movie in which Carey played "Cheyenne Harry", a character name he first used at Universal two decades earlier. Indications are that this was shot before GHOST TOWN and was meant to be released first. Harry says he's heading that way.

Why was this released later? I don't think it's as strong a movie as the other. There aren't as many incidents and the reasons given for Lorch not disposing of Harry are not particularly telling, nor is the acting as good, except for Carey, whose laconic character is as good as it ever was.

Carey didn't need the leads in B westerns any more. He had been in the movies since 1909. Like man veterans, his career faltered with the coming of sound, but a strong role in TRADER HORN made him popular again, and he spent the rest of his career in strong ensemble westerns and starring supporting roles in A pictures.