This film begins with a cowboy by the name of "Texas Grant" (Tim McCoy) riding into the small town of Stampede, Arizona where he is mistaken by everybody there as a man named "Jim Rawlings" who owned the Diamond R Ranch about 5 years ago but was presumed dead. At first, Texas Grant doesn't know how to handle this news, but while talking to a bartender named "Hefty" (Vernon Dent) he is convinced to adopt the new name because it displeases some of the bad hombres in town. He then immediately realizes the depth of their hatred when, as soon as he walks out of the saloon, two men try to kill him. Fortunately, he is able to defend himself from their attack, and subsequently learns that both of these men work for a local cowboy by the name of "Utah Becker" (Wheeler Oakman) who is trying to acquire the Diamond R Ranch from Jim Rawlings' widow "Helen Rawlings" (Shirley Grey). Wanting to keep up the charade, he then rides out to the ranch, but after talking to Helen he is convinced to stay a little longer to help rid her of some of the rustlers who have been stealing her cattle. What he doesn't realize is just how badly Utah Becker wants the Diamond R Ranch--and the lengths he will go to in order to have it. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I was pleasantly surprised by just how entertaining this film turned out to be. Admittedly, it is an older film and doesn't have many of the refinements one would expect by today's standards. Even so, it had a good plot, plenty of action and some good performances by Tim McCoy, Wheeler Oakman and John Wayne (as the ranch hand "Steve Pickett"). That being said, I liked this rather obscure film and recommend it to those who might enjoy a movie of this sort. Above average.
Review of Texas Cyclone
