Desert Guns (DVD)

Suspected rustler Bob Enright is shot in a gunfight with Federal marshal Kirk Allenby, to whom he bears a remarkable resemblance. The seriously wounded fugitive persuades Allenby to assume his identity and look after his sister Roberta. Arriving at the Enright homestead, Kirk finds the girl engaged to marry duplicitous rancher Jeff Bagley who is not only the kingpin of the rustling operation, but also the man who framed her brother. The masquerading marshal must save Roberta and clear Bob's name before his true identity is discovered.

Desert Guns was the third of four mid-1930s "B" westerns starring silent-era matinee idol Conway Tearle. While he was most comfortable wearing evening clothes in drawing-room dramas, the four Poverty Row westerns he headlined provided him with strong stories revolving around offbeat situations, resulting in interesting films that belie their modest production values. - Ed Hulse

• western