Donald Grayson

Russ Matthews, a theatrical agent who is not above pulling off a hoax or two or more to further the career of his clients (and himself), and a newspaper gossip-columnist, Carol Wilson, get involved with gangsters when one of Larry's radio-program future-predicting cons gets out of hand.

With the increasing popularity of Republic's sagebrush crooner Gene Autry, rival company Columbia found it necessary to add a musical element to this Charles Starrett Western released in early 1937. As Starrett himself was no singer, the studio hired Donald Grayson to warble Lonesome River, Out in the Cow Country and Pancho's Widow, all by Ned Washington and Sam H. Stept.

In an effort to compete with Republic's popular songfest Westerns, fours music numbers -- including Tumbling Tumbleweeds -- were added to The Old Wyoming Trail, an otherwise average Charles Starrett vehicle. No singer, Starrett left the vocalizing to his sidekick Donald Grayson and the popular Sons of the Pioneers. En route to purchase a herd of cattle, Bob Patterson (Starrett) and his sidekick Sandy (Grayson) get in the way of a scheme to defraud the local ranchers of their possessions.

Charles Starrett plays two-fisted frontiersman Dart Collins in this slick Columbia "B" western. Collins wants to find out who's behind a series of gold-shipment robberies. So does heroine Judy Garfield (Iris Meredith), whose stage transport business faces foreclosure if the holdups continue. It comes as no surprise that the crimes are being orchestrated by the very people who want to force Judy out of business.

June McCarthy has unwittingly aided an undercover Nazi naval officer with acquiring a "mother ship" for German submarines in the Atlantic.

Unable to pay her notes, Ann Bradford, owner of the Circle C, decides to auction off a half-interest in her ranch. Matt Stark, a crooked land dealer, holds Ann's notes. His efforts to buy the ranch have been refused and his instructs his henchman, Barlow, and his other henchmen to make certain that nobody bids on the ranch. Clint Buckley rides into town on the day of the auction, overhears Stark's instructions to his henchies, and decides to attend the sale. Barlow attempts to intimidate him, they fight, Buckley wins and his bid of $25,000 wins him a half-interest in the Circle C. But, Stark, isn't finished yet in his efforts to get the ranch, especially since a couple of his hirelings are on the Circle C payroll.

Basically this is a commercial for Hollywood's Lido Lounge and for MGM contract players. The Lido is a large watering hole; we visit one afternoon with an orchestra playing, all sorts of stars and would-be stars sitting at tables near the pool alongside paying customers, and bathing beauties parading and diving. The Lido's manager, Reggy Denny, introduces the stars in the audience. He's sometimes interrupted by someone who does a bit, sings a song, or otherwise entertains: most of these are novelty acts. By the end, everyone's having a swell time.

Tom Reynolds returns to find he is wanted for murder, his gun having been found at the scene. Tom suspects Munro and stages a fight to get a bullet from Monro's gun which he then sees matches the murder bullet. He gets his brother Steve to confess that he Monro forced him to rob the bank with his gun. But at Tom's trial, the bullets are ignored and when Steve fails to appear, Tom is found guilty.