Fightin' Thru

During the California gold rush days, Dan Barton and Tennessee Malden work their claim feverishly, eventually tapping a rich vein. In the boom town nearby, saloon owner Ace Brady and gambler Fox Tyson plot to swindle Tennessee out of his holdings. When their scheme goes awry, Fox fatally shoots the young miner and the conspirators hastily devise a new plan. Dan is framed for the the killing and forced to battle to clear his name.

Rodeo star and circus rider Ken Maynard, who entered motion pictures in 1923 and became a star the following year, was at the height of his popularity when this excellent feature was made. Fighting Thru was Ken's first all-talking Western and his first for Tiffany Productions, the aptly named jewel of Hollywood's Poverty Row. Above average production values are clearly in evidence, and Jack Natteford's tightly plotted script gives Ken ample opportunities to emote without stinting on exhibitions of rough-and-tumble action, especially the daredevil horsemanship that was Maynard's trademark.

• western