West of Tombstone Reviews

A bandit attack on a stagecoach driven by Hayden leads the local people to renew the long-standing legend that Billy the Kid still lives. Scoffing at their renewal of the old story, deputy marshal Starrett opens the Kid's grave, only to find it empty. As he ruminates in the graveyard, a masked horseman takes a shot at Starrett. Later, Starrett recognizes the horse ridden by respectable middle-aged businessman DeMain as the mount of the phantom shootist. DeMain admits his old identity--he'd shot toward the marshal to divert him from the empty grave--but protests his innocence of any recent crimes. Starrett arrests Hayden--DeMain's son, unbeknownst to Starrett--for suspected complicity in the stagecoach robbery. Hoping to clear his son of the charges, DeMain buckles on his guns and goes after the real outlaws. Ambushed by the badmen, DeMain is surrounded by them and subjected to punishing gunfire. In the nick of time, Starrett releases Hayden, and the two rush to the rescue of Hayden's beleaguered father. The basic premise was ripped off for a later picture, Lash LaRue's SON OF BILLY THE KID (1949), a laughable premise considering just how ruthless the real-life William "Billy the Kid" Bonney was. Picturing him as a successful businessman is as ludicrous as it is humorous. Songs: "Midnight Blues," "Get Along Little Pony," and "We'll All Be Together."