Below the Border

In another film in their great western series, Buck Jones, Colonel Tim McCoy and Ray Hatton go undercover to solve a jewelry theft along the Mexican border. They each work covertly to rein in the dastardly thieves and restore order to the area.

Western film trios were popular during this era of film and this pairing was one of the best. Buck Jones and Tim McCoy were tough but personable on screen and ray Hatton was one of the best western character actors ever.

This film was above average, with good action, plot and casting. This one compares favorably with many of the better films of that other cowboy trio, the Three Mesquiteers. Enjoy !

It all starts when Buck Jones is riding in a stagecoach in the badlands with the lady voted the "prettiest white girl in Shanghai", Linda Brent and her aunt (Eva Puig). Ray Hatton is undercover as a janitor in a bar and Tim McCoy as a cattle buyer from Kansas. Dennis Moore is playing both sides of the fence but he's playing with fire with the likes of Ed Scully (Roy Barcroft) and Steve Slade (Charles King). No one plays a better sheriff than Jack Rockwell. A great Rough Rider scene when Tim stops a bully picking on Ray, "Well, some people are born to handle mops; some are not, as you seem to know so much about. Just pick up that mop and show him how". Our trio of stars work great together in this one. Makes you wish there were more movies in the Rough Rider series.

In this film our Rough Rider trio go below the border to investigate some cattle rustling. They end up checking into a jewelry robbery as well.

The Garcia ranch is being used by the foreman Dennis Moore to hide stolen cattle from rustling. Head villain and saloon owner Roy Barcroft has something on Moore which really isn't clear.

Raymond Hatton is more comic than usual in his undercover assignment as a swamper in Barcroft's saloon. Tim McCoy is a cattle buyer and Buck Jones is a fence for the jewels.

The guys work well together. Sad Buck Jones demise ended this series.