"Arizona Gang Busters" is one of those weird B-westerns they made during the 1930s and 40s. Weird in that it's NOT set during the old west but in modern times. So, you'll see telephones, cars, airplanes....as well as folks riding horses and dressing like cowboys. To make it more strange, the subject matter is anything but what you'd expect in a western....it's about Axis spies along the Mexican border. But, because the USA was still officially neutral and there was an unconstitutional law that demanded studios NOT take sides in WWII, the country sending the spies is never mentioned...and none of these spies seemed the least bit German! But Americans were not dummies...they knew that this was what the film was implying.
To combat spies who are planning on creating their own army and possibly their own country along the border, agent Trigger Tim Rand (Tim McCoy) is sent undercover to investigate. Unfortunately, one of the gang members knows who Rand is...and he vows to 'take care of him' once and for all. And, all this takes place just in the first 15 minutes! What's next? See the film...and see Tim AND his new friend as they battle the baddies.
I should point out that the only way I found this film was from Alpha Video and the print they use is rather poor. There are some minor sound issues and the print is scratchy--with lines through the picture nearly all the time. I love Tim McCoy pictures, so I put up with this....you may choose not to.
So is the film any good? Well, it depends, in part, on what type of western hero you like. If you want a cowboy who sings (like Roy Rogers or Gene Autry), well, McCoy NEVER sings. If you want a romance, McCoy almost never romances anyone...not even his horse! And, if you want a fancy western with high production values....well, that eliminates most B-westerns! But for me, a McCoy fan, I was NOT particularly happy with the film. Much of it is because the baddies would have been far more interesting and fun to watch they been snarling Nazis instead of bland non-ehtnic types. Additionally, it's also not that interesting in spite of what you'd expect. Watchable but nothing more...sadly.
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