Rin Tin Tin - Law of the Wolf (DVD)

Framed for the murder of his brother, Carl Pearson, breaks out of prison and heads for his mountain lodge in Pine Valley. He intends to prove his innocence while retrieving hidden aircraft blueprints designed by his slain sibling. The real culprit, crooked businessman Roger Morgan, trails Pearson to the remote hideaway, where a young boy and his loyal dog, Rin Tin Tin, stop another miscarriage of justice.

This straightforward "B" melodrama was intended for juvenile Saturday-matinee audiences. Law of the Wolf employs extensive location shooting in and around California's picturesque Big Bear Lake to camouflage its Poverty Row production values. Perennial second-banana Dennis Moore relishes one of his few outings as a leading man, and fetching Luana Walters milks her underwritten ingenue role for all its worth. But the real star is Rin Tin Tin, Jr., whose daring feats include a thrilling last-reel chase and fight with veteran heavy Chesebro. - Ed Hulse

• western