Under the Tonto Rim

Although three films with the title Under The Tonto Rim have been made, I'm not sure one or any of them bears resemblance to the Zane Grey novel with the same title. That being said, this film is a good Tim Holt B western and that's usually good enough for me.

Under The Tonto Rim finds Tim and Richard Martin as owners of a stagecoach line who get held up after they pick up Nan Leslie, hitchhiking across the desert. A good friend in young Jay Norris is killed and Holt and Martin are out for revenge, taking it upon themselves to bring in the notorious Tonto Rim gang responsible for this and other crimes too numerous to mention.

The plan they hatch for Tim to get into jail where one of the gang has been tried and convicted and is awaiting a hanging. Tim busts him out in the hopes he'll lead them to the gang and the mysterious leader.

Richard Martin as Chito Rafferty once again steals the picture. Martin has to pretend he's an Arizona Ranger in order to arrest Holt to get him in the jail. Of course it works so well that Martin is arrested for impersonating an Arizona Ranger and has some considerable stress about his own freedom and life itself.

Carol Forman as mistress to outlaw leader Tom Keene has a part of few words and much menace. You'll have to see Under The Tonto Rim to know what I'm talking about.

In fact I'd recommend seeing Under The Tonto Rim on general principles.