Valley of Wanted Men (DVD)

Imprisoned for a bank robbery he didn't commit, Larry Doyle busts out of jail and embarks on a quest to prove his innocence. Along for the ride are two other convicts who actually were involved in the holdup. The two guilty cons want to get their hands on the missing cash and could care less about Doyle's redemption. Forging an uneasy alliance, the trio makes for Pleasant Valley, where they hope to confront Ralph Dexter, the crooked bank manager behind the robbery. Larry hopes to catch Dexter with the loot, but the Rangers are hot on his trail, and his partners are preparing to double-cross him. As the police and crooks close in, Doyle desperately turns to an old pal for help.

Boasting a cavalcade of well known character actors, Valley of Wanted Men features the usually villainous and extremely prolific LeRoy Mason (billed here as Roy Mason) playing the righteous Larry Doyle. Top billing, however, went to Frankie Darro, whose boyish looks and short stature got him work playing youthful roles in westerns and in serials, including the classic cliffhangers, Phantom Empire (1939) with Gene Autry, and Junior G-Men of the Air (1942) with the Dead End Kids.

• action
• adventure