Empty Holsters (1937)

Featuring Dick Foran as the "Singing Cowboy"- link with his trusty horse Smoke "the Wonder Horse". Also appearing in the film are the prolific if unknown "B"-movie stock players Emmett Vogan and Glenn Strange.

*** SPOILERS ***

Ace Cain (Vogan) owns everything in town except the bank which is owned by Jim Ware who also happens to have the prettiest daughter (and only woman in the film?) in town Judy. Ace wants her too and will stop at nothing to get both Ware’s bank and Judy. But Judy is in love with Clay Brent (Foran) who works with Tex (Strange) as a "cow puncher" for yet another man’s ranch. Very early in the story Tex is fired by the ranch foreman for playing a practical joke. Clay who is getting ready for a dance and a date with Judy stands up for his friend only to be assigned more work as well. At the dance Ace asks Judy for a dance but she tells him that she is saving the first dance for Clay. When Clay is late because of the extra work and Ace asks her again she agrees but stipulates it’s only until Clay arrives. When Clay does show a small scuffle ensues between Ace and Clay’s father (Tom Brower) but Ace backs down when Clay intercedes and draws first.

Infuriated Ace leaves and hatches a plan to get Clay out of the picture. He gets two of his flunkies to be passengers on the stage coach which he then robs killing the two men driving it. His two flunkies accuse Clay of the robbery and murders and Clay gets railroaded into a 10 year sentence. After 5 years of exemplary service Clay gets paroled. But when he returns to town he is told that he can’t carry a gun anymore (hence the film’s title). Clay soon discovers that Ace was behind the robbery for which he was framed and hatches a plan to get the Marshall involved. However Ace learns of Clay’s plan and turns it around such that Clay is locked up by the Marshall.

Conveniently for the past 5 years Tex has been working for Ace and pretending to be on the level all the while looking for an opportunity to clear Clay. He shows up in time to help Clay escape from jail and with the ranch hands get Ace and his gang before they can get out of town.