Gun Law (1938)

George O’Brien plays Marshal Tom O’Malley in this B-Western directed by David Howard and written by Oliver Drake. He happens upon the notorious Raven (Edward Pawley) in the desert and discovers that he’s the target of the outlaw’s plans. But after getting the drop on the Marshal the Raven drinks some bad water and dies. After O’Malley is saved from a similar fate by a Parson and his daughter Ruth (Rita Oehmen) he decides to pretend to be the Raven in the town of Gunsight in order to uncover the source of the corruption there. With help from his singing Deputy Sam (Ray Whitley) whom he’d evidently to town earlier incognito the Marshal convinces “the man that (allegedly) runs Gunsight” Gold Nugget saloon owner Flash Arnold (Robert Gleckler) that he’s the Raven and that he’s already taken care of the Marshal sent to clean up the town. After consulting with the real behind-the-scenes power of Gunsight the Mayor (Paul Everton) who’s cleverly used the saloon owner to conceal his identity Arnold tells the Raven (really O’Malley) to pretend to be the Marshal. The Mayor and Arnold hope their phony Marshal will give them time to finish up their business and escape in a few days. Arnold has his henchman Pecos (Ward Bond) and Nevada (Francis McDonald) continue to try to rob a stagecoach a payroll and the bank but they’re outsmarted by the Marshal who’s honing in on and gathering the evidence to catch the real culprits. Even though the saloon owner and the Mayor eventually get wise to the Marshal they’re unable to forestall the inevitable.