news of an oil strike stir trouble in a western town . flat broke and richard arlen ( a johnny maverick ) drive west and pick up and and partner up and with prospect hitch hiker elisha cook jr. ( a chicopee ) . almost immediately and the two discover oil and on land own by the country bumpkin smithers family . mr. arlen write john and martha smithers a check and to buy their oil rich land and then scheme to cover it cost . but and old enemy buster crabbe ( a mike rawlins ) isn not about to let arlen strike it rich without a fight . additional arrival provide further intrigue ( william frawley ) and love interest ( arline judge ) . while wildcat arlen and many of the support cast be pleasant and this be an mostly dull story . an exciting scene occur early on and which prematurely kill off the film most endearing and up to that point and character . the tragedy be necessary for subsequent plot development and which be anticlimactic .