The Fighting Gringo (1939)

Directed by David Howard and written by Oliver Drake this George O’Brien B Western is a story about a land grab by some Texas “Gringos” from a Mexican land owner. In addition to its star the cast features other RKO regulars like Glenn Strange and Slim Whitaker who plays O’Brien’s trusted colleague Monty.

Famed gunfighter Wade Barton (O’Brien) and his gang of twelve happen upon a stagecoach that’s under assault from some bandits. After chasing them away Wade is captivated by the lovely senorita inside Anita del Campo (Lupita Tovar) and is later thanked more formerly by her father Don Aliso del Campo (Lucio Villegas) a major landowner in the area. What Wade and the del Campos don’t know is that John Courtney (LeRoy Mason) his right-hand man Ben Wallace (William Royle) and henchman Rance Potter (Strange) were responsible for the attempted stage robbery and have plotted to claim the del Campo’s property via some phony surveys.

But because Courtney is none-too-keen on Wallace’s plan to marry his sister Sandra (Mary Field) Ben seizes and opportunity to kill him and frame Don Aliso for the murder. With Potter backing him up the sheriff (Bill Cody) has no choice but to arrest the prominent Mexican who escapes with the assistance of his friend the town barber Pedro (Martin Garralaga). Wade doesn’t believe that del Campo is guilty so he decides to pretend to join forces with Wallace and Potter neither of whom is very smart. They’re tricked into revealing what really happened to Courtney Potter even confessing it to Wade in the presence of Potter. Wade uses the information to convince Sandra that she’s been duped then it’s a race to save Anita from Wallace and Potter who’d planned to use her as leverage once they’d realized that Wade was on to them.