Two-Fisted Law

An American romance; A story about a rancher who sets out to expose a gang of crooked cattle dealers who swindled him out of his property rights. This is a B-film relying on fast pace and a plot that provides an excuse for many horse-riding sequences as distraction. Otherwise, it stutters along, suffering its trite dialogue. There is occasional stilted acting too. Tim McCoy in an oversized hat plays his part diplomatically and sympathetically, endearing the viewer. John Wayne provides a brief squeeze of zest as a youthful sidekick but otherwise hardly figures. Wheeler Oakman plays the rotter splendidly.

After losing his ranch to a crooked moneylender, Tim McCoy leaves town to become a silver miner, returning some time later with a plan to save a lady friend's ranch and possibly take back his own, only to become a murder suspect.

Although an enjoyable western with a determined performance by McCoy, this is mainly notable for a supporting role featuring John Wayne, who despite having a few starring turns, isn't given anything to do even though he's second billed!

Third billed Walter Brennan fares much better as a corrupt sheriff's deputy.

Though in the film John Wayne is second billed to star Tim McCoy he actually has very little to do. Wayne is in the unaccustomed role of sidekick.

Wayne and Wallace MacDonald are the last two ranch hands working for Tim McCoy. He's lost is ranch to crooked banker Wheeler Oakman, but being the good boss and friend he is to Wayne and MacDonald he finds them jobs with neighbor and sweetheart Alice Day.

That might be short term employment for Oakman has designs on the ranch and on Day. Those designs on Day ain't covered by the cowboy code.

McCoy goes off prospecting for a couple of years and no sooner is he back than he's framed for an express company holdup and killing resulting from same. The rest of the movie is McCoy's fight to prove his innocence and save Day from a fate worse than death.

Wheeler Oakman seems to be enjoying his role as villain, he's hamming it up in the best Snidely Whiplash tradition. And Day makes a perfect Little Nell.

Tim McCoy, a silent western star, seems to have made the transition to sound easily enough. He's a stern and upright hero who's bound and determined prove his innocence.

Note good performances by Tully Marshall as the father figure sheriff of the area who believes in McCoy and a young Walter Brennan as his less than scrupulous deputy.

My VHS of this film is 58 minutes and I note that the running time is 64 minutes. That might explain some gaps in the story and maybe it was John Wayne who got cut out.

This was the last Columbia movie that John Wayne ever appeared in. It seems as though Harry Cohn thought Wayne was putting the moves on a young starlet who rejected Cohn's advances even though Wayne wasn't involved. But after the Duke became a star and a legend, there wasn't enough money in the world that would get him to appear in a Columbia Studios film.

But realizing this is a B western, it's not the worst one I've ever seen although somehow I doubt we'll ever see a director's cut.

In 1932, the 25 year old John Wayne went down poverty row with the independent production companies. In this film, he developed his fist fight scenarios, adding a bit of humour to his acting as well as drawing out his romantic side.

This is actually quite a fast-paced little story - thing is, though, the plot has been more crochéd together rather than knitted; and the holes can be a bit annoying at times. The plot is pretty old hat; grasping landowner sets up the hero (Tim McCoy) who has to clear his name to get the ranch and the gal. It has been made on a shoestring, with lots of film run at double speed to accelerate the effects of the frequent horse chases. There are a few, limited, appearances from John Wayne as his amiable sidekick but Alice Day is just plain annoying as the feisty dame and McCoy has all the charisma of a beermat. I love all these 1930s Westerns, and this is no better/worse than many. Kills an hour.