When a Man's a Man

Happy-go-lucky easterner George O'Brien steps off a train to stretch his legs and ends up stranded in the middle of nowhere. On a whim, he takes a job at a local ranch and winds up in the middle of a water-rights dispute, as well as a love-triangle involving the foreman and the the ranch-owner's pretty daughter.

A very laid back B-western, When A Man's A Man features the often repeated theme of the eastern tenderfoot, who goes west, becomes a man, and gets the girl.

There's more melodrama and romance than action this time around. However, the characters are so appealing, with likable performances by O'Brien and leading lady Dorothy Wilson (who's quite charming), that it makes the film pretty compelling and well worth watching. Fans of shoot-em-up action-adventures might be disappointed though.

Things heat up considerably, making for a tense climax and a satisfying conclusion.