Frontier Uprising

In about as close to a swipe as possible from 1940's "Kit Carson" with Jon Hall, and no accident since George Bruce wrote both, frontier scout Jim Stockton agrees to lead a wagon trail to Mexico-owned California, but is not aware that Mexico has declared war on the U.S., or that General Torena has formed an alliance with Chief Taztay. While the audience is waiting for some actor they ever heard of to show up besides Jim Davis, Taztay attacks the wagon train but is driven off. Jim follows and encounters Mexican-army Lieutenant Ruiz and they duel sword (Ruiz) against firearm (Stockton) and Stockton wins while setting up the line in "The Enforcers" about a dummy who brings a knife to a gun fight. Good loser Ruiz tells Stockton about the war. The wagon train arrives at Monterey as General Torena's forces attack the garrison. Outnumbered, Commander Kimball agrees to let Stockton dynamite the fort rather than allow it to fall to the Mexicans. Turns out to be a good plan as the loud explosions demoralize the Mexican army troops and they scatter hasta la vista. Jim rewards himself for a job well done by marrying wagon train passenger Consuela. —Les Adams