After its rather draggy introductory chapters, this serial improves tremendously once Francis Ford takes control. I presume Ford persuaded the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe to place their railroad at his disposal. These scenes in chapters 5 and 6 and chapters 13 through 15 are the best in the whole movie. Hero, Ben Wilson, seems a bit old for the part – and worse still, he's not particularly charismatic – but Neva Gerber is okay as the heroine, while Ruth Royce makes a wonderful villainess. Alas, the chief heavy is played by hammily eye-rolling Alan Garcia, who fortunately drops out of the action for the concluding chapters. His place is taken by Jess Cavin, a much more natural actor who even manages to make the transition from hero's good pal to Royce's suddenly stop-at-nothing accomplice reasonably convincing – even if he is her long-lost brother (but that's just another typical serial loose end). By Poverty Row standards, this is a very able production. It's good to find there are no economy chapters. In fact, some of the eps don't even waste time recapping chapter climaxes but get straight into immediate action.
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