Bill Elliott is Lt. Pete Devlin, and he’s just been assigned a difficult mission.
The cattlemen are at war with the homesteaders in Bush County, and they’ve brought in hired guns to protect their cattle range.
But cattle king Frank Bullitt (Richard Reeves) has been caught by the cavalry, along with three of his hired guns.
Devlin’s mission: Escort the prisoners to Fort Jeffrey where they’ll be tried.
And make sure they get there alive, because authorities want to question them about the activities of other cattlemen in the region.
Fellow ranchers are concerned about what Bullitt and the other prisoners might tell a court. So a rancher named Massey rounds up a mob to try to free the prisoners.
Devlin faces trouble from within as well. His small detail includes Sgt. Frick (Myron Healey), who’d rather shoot the prisoners than protect them.
And matters are complicated when the detail is joined by a settler’s wagon carrying pretty Della Watson (Phyllis Coates) and her grandmother.
Bill Elliott as Lt. Pete Devlin, meeting headstrong Della Watson in The Maverick (1952)
Myron Healy as Sgt. Frick, greeting two women during a dangerous mission in The Maverick (1952)
Review:
One of the better of Elliott’s low-budget B Westerns for Allied Artists.
That’s partly due to the unique plot. It’s partly because of strong performances by Myron Healey and Phyllis Coates in supporting roles.
Of course, sparks fly when Della and the lieutenant first meet. He doesn’t want to be bothered by having a woman along on the trip; she won’t take no for an answer.
And she winds up in hot water with Devlin when Bullitt feigns illness and she believes him. He nearly escapes, then winds up seriously wounded by Frick.
Healey and the lieutenant wind up at odds too, for completely different reasons. They include Frick’s romantic interest in Della.
Phyllis Coates as Della Watson, wary of approaching riders in The Maverick (1952)
Richard Reeves as Frank Bullitt, a cattle king arrested for crimes against homesteaders in The Maverick (1952)
Directed by:
Thomas Carr
Cast:
Bill Elliott … Lt. Pete Devlin
Myron Healey … Sgt. Frick
Phyllis Coates … Della Watson
Richard Reeves … Frank Bullitt
Terry Frost … Trooper Westman
Rand Brooks … Trooper Barnham
Russell Hicks … Col. Hook
Robert Bray … Cpl. Johnson
Florence Lake … Grandma Watson
Gregg Barton … George Fane
Denver Pyle … Bud Karnes
Robert J. Wilke … Massey
Gene Roth … Fred Nixon
Joel Allen … John Rowe
Runtime: 71 min.
Denver Pyle as Bud Karnes, one of the hired guns being marched to Fort Jeffrey for trial in The Maverick (1952)
Robert J. Wilke as Massey, leader of the cattlemen trying to free the prisoners in The Maverick (1952)
Memorable lines:
Lt. Pete Devlin, questioning his prisoners, and running down George Fane’s list of crimes: “You get around, don’t you?”
George Fane: “I got a good horse.”
Della Watson: “Does everything have to be done your way?”
Lt. Pete Devlin: “No. Just the right way.”
Lt. Pete Devlin, of former Sgt. Frick: “He’ll bear watching. I’ve seen men go sour like that before.”
Della Watson: “Perhaps he’s not entirely to blame.”
Lt. Devlin: “Meaning what?”
Della Watson: “Meaning, I’d go sour too if I was always being pushed around.”
Florence Lake as Grandma Watson, helping keep the prisoners in line in The Maverick (1952)
Phyllis Coates as Della Watson, fending off the advances of Sgt. Frick (Myron Healey) in The Maverick (1952)
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