Coyote Trails

A thousand dollar reward is being offered to anyone who can shoot down the magnificent wild stallion known as Phantom, when settlers blame the horse for leading their ever-diminishing herds astray. Horse lover Tom Riley suspects that the rustlers have two legs, and manages to convince the ranchers to give him 24 hours to prove it. The real horse thieves catch wind of Tom's well-intentioned plan, and set out to make sure that he does not live long enough to uncover the evidence that would get them hung.

After driving a chariot in the silent version of Ben-Hur, Tom Tyler began appearing in western features and serials. The former weightlifting champion (said to have hoisted an astonishing 760 lbs.) possessed a natural athletic strength and grace that made him a fan favorite. In 1940, he terrified audiences as the monster Kharis, in The Mummy's Hand. A year later he reached the zenith of his popularity in the title role in The Adventures of Captain Marvel. In addition to his starring roles in "B" movies, he appeared in major studio film productions as Stagecoach, Drums Along The Mohawk, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, The Westerner and Red River.

• western