Three happy-go-lucky Western outlaws, fresh from robbing a stage, stumble on a particularly nasty land grab and break it up, and win the heart of the young girl living on the ranch. Circumstances intervene and two of the outlaws become Texas Rangers and the other becomes a notorious outlaw. Complications ensue, when our new rangers are called upon to arrest the notorious outlaw.
This is a perfectly decent Western, though the plot is extremely generic. The first half-hour or so, showing our three charming outlaws and our young heroine is thoroughly bland -- interesting only that McDonald Carey is really the lead in this portion of the movie, and he is a charming one at that. William Holden plays his role as "youthful sidekick" and Willam Bendix (!!) has the Gabby Hayes part.
As the movie goes along, something fairly unusual in a genre film happens. The characters grow and change. Holden becomes the stalwart hero torn between friendship and duty. William Bendix is forced to choose which of his two friends he will support. McDonald Carey goes from charming outlaw to charming black-hearted villain. All the actors pull it off well. The heroine -- who goes from feisty youngster to babe in cowboy boots, doesn't do so well This ain't John Ford. But it is a pleasant surprise once the plot get going.
