Desperadoes' Outpost

Allan "Rocky" Lane is one of those staid actors that is all business and usually not a lot of fun. He probably could be compared closer to Wild Bill Elliot than Roy Rogers, but I find him likable and this particular movie ranks pretty well if compared to his other endeavors as a western hero. I was pleasantly surprised at the entertainment value of this B-Western movie. The plot is unusual and the faces are very familiar. I particularly liked seeing Myron Healey in a role he didn't usually play.I don't believe in offering spoilers for any movies, so I'll just recommend this one to fans of the western genre and say - aside from the very short running time (under an hour) - it's a little gem I'm glad I didn't miss.

Rocky Lane is once again a government investigator sent to check on a mercury mine where reports of stolen quicksilver is reaching government ears. In fact the mine is under the supervision of Army Lieutenant Myron Healey because it is the time of the Spanish American War. Still even with Healey and soldiers there, the stuff is being siphoned off.

Someone is also trying to bankrupt Eddy Waller who runs the stagecoach line and has the mail contract. These outlaws are just interested in destroying his stagecoaches and leaving him destitute to force him off the property that he owns adjacent to the mine.

Perennial western villain Roy Barcroft does his thing in Desperadoes' Outpost and Lyle Talbot is on hand as a scurvy banker.

There is a method to the outlaw madness and the only clue I'll give you western fans is that mercury in its natural state is a liquid. Take it from there.

Nugget Clark has been having his stagecoaches wrecked and Federal Investigator Rocky Lane arrives to investigate. The foreman of a nearby mine is stealing part of the mercury output and selling it in Mexico. Nugget's house has a direct pipeline from the mine and they are trying to drive him into bankruptcy to obtain his ranch. Rocky is quickly aware that the Foremen is behind Nugget's holdups but they are also onto Rocky when he accidentally drops his badge during a fight.

With a Rocky Allan Lane western you know what you get: shootouts, chases and the villain one step ahead of the good guys. It's formula but a winning one. The mercury angle adds a certain interest. Roy Barcroft is the heavy again and Nuggett Clark is his usual loveable self. The finale packs a wallop with Lane falling to the ground while his guns blaze.