The Mysterious Desperado (1949)

If brawling is your thing this B movie Tim Holt Western (directed by Lesley Selander written by Norman Houston) is for you. The cast includes Tim’s regular sidekick Chito Jose Gonzalez Bustamante Rafferty (Richard Martin) Edward Norris as Chito’s cousin Ramon and Movita as his fiancée Luisa Frank Wilcox playing his typical bad guy role – this time as a Santo Domingo county California land administrator named Stevens Robert B. Williams plays his crooked clerk Whitaker William Tannen & Robert Livingston play henchmen Barton & Jordan respectively Kenneth MacDonald is Sheriff Anders Frank Lackteen is Pedro and Leander De Cordova plays the Padre at the Mission San Gabriel.

When Chito learns that his uncle has died leaving him a valuable estate in California he doesn’t want to go and claim it and he wonders what happened to his cousin Ramon who should have inherited the property. Tim convinces Chito to go by agreeing to go with him. After the men arrive in Santo Domingo it isn’t long before an attempt is made on Chito’s life by Barton and Jordan. Then they venture to a seemingly vacant Bustamante ranch where Ramon attacks them before learning who they are. It turns out that Chito’s uncle was murdered and his son Ramon has been accused of the crime. Since Ramon’s father didn’t approve of his engagement to Luisa Stevens was able to pin the rap on the son. As the county’s land administrator Stevens and his clerk have been selling off pieces of the vast Bustamante ranch and been pocketing the profits. Stevens wants both Ramon and Chito dead because there was no will and the ranch would fall under his control.

But Ramon has hidden in the hills and only Luisa who uses a signaling mirror from the mission where she lives knows how to contact him. When Barton and Jordan fail to kill Tim and Chito again both Barton and Chito are injured. Tim takes Chito to the mission and convinces Luisa to signal Ramon to meet him at the Bustamante hacienda. Unfortunately Pedro (at the mission) alerted the Sheriff. When the posse arrives to arrest him Ramon believes that Tim set him up. After Chito recovers he and Tim follow Jordan to the place where Barton is hidden. They take Barton prisoner while Jordan escapes. Then Tim rescues Ramon from a hanging rope and back at the ranch Chito forces Barton to spill the beans that Stevens murdered his uncle. At the same time Stevens and even more henchmen arrive and a shootout begins. Tim escapes to retrieve the Sheriff and his men who like the cavalry get to the hacienda in time to save the day. The movie ends after Ramon marries Luisa and Chito gets to kiss the bride before he and Tim ride off into the sunset.

Purchase this DVD collection now at