Trailin' Trouble

Blackie Burke - "the meanest, cold-blooded killer since Billy the Kid" - is a wanted man, and a look-alike cowhand named Friendly Fields is mistaken for the deadly outlaw. Friendly's trouble begins after he arrives too late to prevent the villain from robbing a stagecoach, but just in time to be held up himself. The gunman demands they trade hats, and the tradeoff is enough to convince everyone in the territory (even the cattle rustlers!) that Friendly is a dangerous killer who is not to be trifled with. When a local water-rights dispute threatens to boil over into violence, Friendly finds that his fake reputation comes in real handy - until the real Blackie shows up.

Ken Maynard does double duty in Trailin' Trouble, playing both bad-guy Blackie Burke and good-hearted Friendly Fields. Maynard was the first of the screen's singing cowboys, and the trick-riding stunts he performed with his beautiful white horse, Tarzan, made him an audience favorite.

• western