Reckless Buckaroo (1935) / Ambush Valley (1936) (DVD)

Marshal Bruce Manning is charged with keeping the peace between cattle ranchers and homesteaders who have invaded the farmers' property. The brother of Bruce's fiancee, Ann, is accused of killing one of the squatters. She begs the marshal to free him from jail, but Bruce, looking to prevent all-out war between the two sides, is reluctant to help. When Ann is kidnapped, Bruce will be forced to end the dispute once and for all, even if it costs him his life.

Ambush Valley star Bob Custer (1898-1974) started out as a real-life cowboy. Leaving the ranch to perform in rodeo shows, Custer moved to Hollywood in 1924 when he realized that acting would be more profitable (and less dangerous). Fascinated by Tinseltown, he even acted in non-Western parts using the name "Raymond Glenn". Tripped up by insecurities about his speaking voice, Custer made relatively few talkies before retiring from show business in 1938. Using his engineering degree, he found great success as a building inspector in Los Angeles.

PLUS: The Reckless Buckaroo (BW, 1935): Bill Carter discovers mortally wounded Sheriff Madden abandoned in the sweltering desert. The dying man appoints Bill sheriff, and urges him to track down the smugglers that killed him. But that promise will be hard to keep when the smugglers frame Bill for Madden's murder. Leading man Bill Cody started in silents, but successfully made the transition to sound features. Cody's films always saw him paired with a kid sidekick. In The Reckless Buckaroo's case, it is his actual son, Bill Cody, Jr. Directed by Harry Fraser.

• western