HANDS ACROSS THE ROCKIES

A novel plotline and excellent supporting performances elevate this B-grade western above the average range-war shoot ‘em up. Bill Elliott again portrays Wild Bill Hickok, a “peaceable man” who takes the side of a damsel in distress in a family feud. Comic sidekick Dub Taylor is along too as Cannonball, looking for justice for his recently murdered father. Both storylines come together when the killer is the same man who tries to blackmail said damsel (Mary Daily) into marrying him so she can’t testify as a witness against him. Most of the action takes place in the courtroom, but with some of the grimiest characters as villains and in bit parts (especially those on the jury), and a refreshingly action-oriented, rifle-packing Dub Taylor, this surprise entry in the series is sure to delight. Director Lambert Hillyer keeps a sure hand on the reins, and the pace stays quick. Newly remastered.