AFI|Catalog

The Stranger from Pecos was the first film of the "Nevada McKenzie" series produced by Great Western Productions, a company that previously was associated with western star Buck Jones. A modern source includes Tom London, Carol Henry and George Morrell in the cast. For more information on the "Nevada McKenzie" series, consult the Series Index and see above entry for The Ghost Rider. ...

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The Stranger from Pecos was the first film of the "Nevada McKenzie" series produced by Great Western Productions, a company that previously was associated with western star Buck Jones. A modern source includes Tom London, Carol Henry and George Morrell in the cast. For more information on the "Nevada McKenzie" series, consult the Series Index and see above entry for The Ghost Rider.

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Release Date:

16 July 1943

Production Date:

began 22 Mar 1943

Copyright Info

Jack McKenzie, widely known as "Nevada," has given up vigilantism and joined the U.S. Marshals, on the advice of Sandy Hopkins, a marshal he encountered while bringing his parents' killers to justice. Nevada is commissioned to eradicate the robber barons who are stealing land from ranchers near the town of Blakewell and witnesses the robbery and murder of Bud Salem, who had been returning home with money from the sale of his cattle. Although Bud sent news of his arrival to his brother Bert, telegraph operator Pete brought the telegram to the crooked sheriff rather than to Bert, who would have forestalled the attack by meeting his brother. Nevada robs the money from Harmon, Bud's murderer, and later sees Harmon and his men fatally wound Bill Barstow, a former U.S. Marshal, and frame Bill's son Tom for Bud's murder. Before Bill dies, he tells Nevada and Sandy, who came to help Bill set up his new ranch, how he was shot. Sandy and Nevada decide to work together, and Sandy takes on a new identity in order to work undercover. Nevada reveals his mission to Clem Martin and his daughter Ruth, who run a diner and are friendly with Tom. Harmon's gang plans to let Tom escape from jail, hoping to incite a lynch mob, but Nevada helps Tom escape through a side door in the jail and tells him to hide at the Martins' diner, while he and Sandy act as a foil for the gang. Bert, meanwhile, is about to lose his ranch to the town banker, Jonathan Ward, because the money from the cattle sale was going to pay off ...

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Jack McKenzie, widely known as "Nevada," has given up vigilantism and joined the U.S. Marshals, on the advice of Sandy Hopkins, a marshal he encountered while bringing his parents' killers to justice. Nevada is commissioned to eradicate the robber barons who are stealing land from ranchers near the town of Blakewell and witnesses the robbery and murder of Bud Salem, who had been returning home with money from the sale of his cattle. Although Bud sent news of his arrival to his brother Bert, telegraph operator Pete brought the telegram to the crooked sheriff rather than to Bert, who would have forestalled the attack by meeting his brother. Nevada robs the money from Harmon, Bud's murderer, and later sees Harmon and his men fatally wound Bill Barstow, a former U.S. Marshal, and frame Bill's son Tom for Bud's murder. Before Bill dies, he tells Nevada and Sandy, who came to help Bill set up his new ranch, how he was shot. Sandy and Nevada decide to work together, and Sandy takes on a new identity in order to work undercover. Nevada reveals his mission to Clem Martin and his daughter Ruth, who run a diner and are friendly with Tom. Harmon's gang plans to let Tom escape from jail, hoping to incite a lynch mob, but Nevada helps Tom escape through a side door in the jail and tells him to hide at the Martins' diner, while he and Sandy act as a foil for the gang. Bert, meanwhile, is about to lose his ranch to the town banker, Jonathan Ward, because the money from the cattle sale was going to pay off his debt. In order to get the money back to Bert without raising suspicion, Sandy deals into a card game with the stolen money and purposely loses to Bert, who immediately pays Ward. Nevada gains Harmon's confidence and promises to turn over another marshal to him if he is cut in on the gang's deals. Clem mistakenly confides in Ward his knowledge that the sheriff is crooked, and that there is an undercover marshal in town. Ward, who is the secret leader of the outlaw gang, urges Clem to hide Tom at the line shack on his ranch. Ward then sends Harmon and his men after them, but Nevada chases the outlaws while Tom and Martin escape. Nevada later pretends to arrest Sandy and turn him over to Harmon, but after Ward reveals himself to be the mastermind behind the robberies, Jack and Sandy arrest the entire gang, and Clem is appointed to be the new town judge. Ruth and Tom become engaged, and Nevada and Sandy promise to return for the wedding. Nevada heads for Washington, D.C. to file a report on his first mission, and Sandy returns to Texas.

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