California Firebrand (1948)

Directed by Philip Ford in 1948 When cowboy Monte Hale Monte Hale returns home to investigate his uncles murder hes mistaken for a fierce outlaw and is hired by the towns corrupt mayor Lance Dawson Douglas Evans as the new sheriff But Monte secretly works to undermine Dawsons landgrabbing schemes Monte defends the feisty owner Lorna Gray of a gold mine that Dawson covets although she is suspicious of the cowpokes loyalties and demands that he prove himself