Synopsis

       The year is 1935. It’s a cold, wintery day in the small town of Palo Pinto, Texas where two old geezers (Roy Clark) and (Mel Tillis) are playing dominoes in the local saloon. A reporter for the Frontier Times Magazine (Rodney Lay) walks in inquiring about a big gunfight that happened in the late 1800’s. A cowboy at the bar (Jay Novacek) tells the reporter to check with the old timers, "If anyone knows about the event, they do."

       As the old timers start telling the story, the movie dissolves into a gunfight with two Texas Rangers (Anthony Henslee and Steve Schmidt) who have pinned down a fugitive, Smilin’ Rob, and his gang. After subduing Smilin' Rob the older Ranger, Ira Landers, confides in the younger Ranger, Ben Crowder, that he needs to retire and take care of his son. In a deadly, calculated ambush arranged by the antagonist Shane Stocksteal (C. Glynn Praesel), a fellow Texas Ranger turned bad, Ira is massacred in a hail of bullets fired by a band of outlaws headed by a cold-blooded murderer (Buddy Strait).

       The story now focuses on Stocksteal who leaves the Rangers under suspicion of having something to do with Ira’s death. Stocksteal gets elected Sheriff of Palo Pinto and yields to the temptation of robbing and murdering an old miner who has struck gold just outside the town. Overcome by greed and lust, Stocksteal then kills another Ranger, Capt. John MacIntyre, who is investigating the miner’s death. Although mortally wounded, Capt. John manages to ride back to his farm where, before he dies, he gives his daughter Kayla (Joanna Goode) the incriminating papers needed to convict Stocksteal of the heinous murder.

       Unfortunately, Stocksteal’s men track down Capt. John’s whereabouts and kidnap the fleeing Kayla. However, during her abduction Kayla has the good judgment to dismount and send her horse running off in hopes of attracting help.

       While gathering firewood, Ira’s son Jake (Trent Willmon) notices the lone horse grazing in a nearby field. Jake, the protagonist, corrals the horse and finds papers in the saddlebag that lead him to believe Stocksteal killed Capt. John and kidnapped Kayla. At the advice of his grandpa (Bill Hart), Jake decides to solicit help from Ira’s former partner, Ben Crowder. Jake and Ben are momentarily distracted by a gripping bar fight with Smilin' Rob who has escaped incarceration, but they are soon on the way to Palo Pinto.

       Upon their arrival Jake and Ben face several of Stocksteal’s men (Robert Earl Keen, Kevin Fowler, Jason Allen, Todd Fritsch, Jarrod Birmingham, Derek Sholl, Rodney Hayden, and others) who, after a fierce gunfight, are dispatched. Shortly thereafter, Ben and Jake receive help from a blacksmith and a local merchant resulting in a very humorous sequence of events where Jake and Ben outwit the abductors and rescue Kayla. Jake and Ben then focus on Stocksteal who gets cornered and shoots Ben. As he is about to polish off the fallen Ranger, Stocksteal is caught off guard and killed by Kayla.

       Because of the significance of defeating Stocksteal and a large band of evil men, the Governor of Texas (Kinky Friedman) delivers a speech in Palo Pinto where Ben Crowder is promoted to Captain and Jake Landers is sworn in as the newest Texas Ranger. Jake’s destiny is rewarded as he is now free to follow in his father's footsteps; his first official duty is to track down Smilin' Rob who is on the loose again.
 

Published Articles:
American Cowboy April/May 2008 pg 17
Country Weekly April 21, 2008 pg 48