The Prescott Kid

Tim McCoy is one of my favorite B-western stars, though I must admit that today he's pretty much forgotten. It's a shame, as his films were generally better than his contemporary's and he was not some pretty singing cowboy but a guy who really was an expert marksman and cowboy.

When the film begins, Tim is heading into a town when someone tries to 'drygulch' him (in other words, lying in wait and shooting a man as he passes). Fortunately, he manages to avoid the ambush...but WHO sent this goon to kill him and why?! Well, for a while folks in town incorrectly assume he's the new Marshal who's come to clean up the town...which, he isn't. But the real new Marshal (Joe Sawyer) is on the scene and he and Tim work to clean up the place!

In addition to Sawyer (who was excellent), the film also has Walter Brennan in a smaller role...but both provide some welcome support....better than McCoy often had when he worked for different studios, such as Monogram. This and an enjoyable script make this one worth seeing.

By the way, McCoy always fired his pistol oddly...sort of flipping the gun as he shot. While this may LOOK like he's an idiot who doesn't know how to shoot, in real life McCoy traveled for a while with a circus/wild west show as a trick shooter! Go figure!