Set on the Mexican border in 1850, Bad Men of the Border was the first of seven Universal Westerns starring handsome Kirby Grant, a former singer from Montana who had earlier acted under the name Robert Stanton. The series, Universal's last attempt at competing with Republic Pictures' many streamlined B-Westerns, also featured the bucolic Fuzzy Knight as Grant's sidekick. Grant and Knight are undercover U.S. marshals tracking down a gang of counterfeiters. To their surprise, they are soon assisted by a beautiful Mexican dancehall performer, Dolores Mendoza (Armida), who proves to be an undercover agent as well, in her case for the Mexican rurales headed by Captain Garcia (Francis McDonald).
Pete Grant controls the town of Pecos and it's Mayor and Marshal. When Jimmy, Denny, and Lasses arrive they soon find themselves in trouble. Already suspected of murder, Jimmy and Denny catch two of the three men that rob the Express Office only to find themselves framed for the robbery. Posing as a woman, Lasses breaks them out and they head after the third man who is the one that can clear them.
Governor Price sends Sunset Carson to investigate a smuggling ring which is baffling the Border Patrol. Newspaper woman Ann Morton is working incognito in the saloon waiting for a break on ...
In this western, a young cowboy rides out to avenge his father's killer. Eventually, he finds the scoundrel, but by this time opts not to kill him for the cowboy has fallen in love with the outlaw's niece. Later, the killer ends up killed and the hero is blamed for the crime.
Duke Fergus falls for Ann 'Flaxen' Tarry in the Barbary Coast in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. He loses money to crooked gambler Boss Tito Morell, goes home, learns to gamble, and returns. After he makes a fortune, he opens his own place with Flaxen as the entertainer; but the 1906 quake destroys his place.
"Iron Mike" Haines (Tom Chatterton), a crooked sheriff, and "Hands" Weber (Roy Barcroft), the town blacksmith, are in cahoots and have been robbing stages, silver mines, etc., and framing innocent ranchers and cowhands with their deeds. They set out to rob the stage and frame Red Ryder (Bill Elliott as Wild Bill Elliott) for it, but the plan backfires and the sheriff is killed. The sheriff's son, Tommy (Jack McClendon), arrives home from college and is given his dad's job, not knowing he was a crook, and swears to get the man who killed him. Weber tells Tommy that Red killed his dad and Tommy sets out to get Red.
The outlaw gangs are robbing the railroads and the Rangers cannot follow them when they move to New Mexico. So Kip decides to take a vacation to New Mexico and, as the Durango Kid, bring Cass and his gang back to justice. But Cass and his gang are killed at the bank in a double cross and Kip must still find the loot. For this, he enlists the help of Tex and Grubstake, although Grubstake does not know it.
Gallant Cisco "kidnaps" murder suspect Ellen from the authorities, then sets about to prove her innocence, all with the cooperation of a sympathetic sheriff.
Burly Johnny Mack Brown once again plays undercover U.S. Marshal Nevada McKenzie in this overly complicated series oater from low-budget Monogram. This time, McKenzie, who goes under the alias of Roy Ferris, is waylaid by would-be stage robber Cy Manning (John Merton) en route to the Bar X Ranch.
Charley Gray is about to be released from the state penitentiary after serving a long term for the robbery of a government gold shipment. The gold was never recovered, so the Texas Ranger chief has Ranger Panhandle Perkins planted in the prison as Charley's cell-mate in the hopes Charley will tell him where the loot is buried. Charley has a map of the location but is afraid it may be discovered so, while Panhandle is asleep, he draws a copy of it on the sole of Panhandle's foot. Charley then destroys the map but intends to keep "Panhandle" close to him upon their release from prison. Charley makes Panhandle accompany him back to the town where the rest of the hold-up gang is holed up. They go to the saloon owned by Steve Martin, also a member of the hold-up gang, but Charley was the one who buried the loot before he was captured and Charley has no intentions of divulging the location of the gold. Written by Les Adams
After the Civil War, veteran Jim Christi (Allan Lane) returns to Texas, where he is unjustly accused of murder. In flashback, Mr. Christi relates the story of his father Corpus Christi Jim. After robbing a stage, Jim and partners Rocky and Steve decide to go straight and return the money. But the fourth member of the gang, Spade refuses and leaves. The two former partners soon find themselves on opposite sides of the law.
With the railroad coming to Red Rock, trouble is expected and Billy has been sent to help his friend Fuzzy who is the town's sheriff, judge, and barber. When the man that sent Billy is murdered and the railroad location map stolen, broken match sticks point to Vic Landreau. While Billy tries to find the missing map, Landreau suspects Billy is on to him and plans to have him killed.
Rancher Rusty Williams is away at agricultural college and leaves his spread in the hands of his older cousin Shorty. Shorty wants to do more than run a ranch, however -- he wants to prospect for gold, but he has no money. He recruits a pair of partners in the guise of two runaway vagrants and a pair of backers in two stranded singers. But then Rusty shows up, and his four somewhat bumbling hired hands manage to compound Larry and Curly's deep ineptitude, and Rusty wants them all out of his hair.
During the Austrian-Prussian war, Anna Marie is a dancer who is forced to flee her country after she is accused of being a spy. She ends up in a lawless western town in Arizona, where she uses her charms and dancing skills to transform herself into "Salome" during her dance routines.
A cavalry officer is framed for the murder of a fellow officer and cashiered out of the army. After he gets out of prison he vows to find the renegade who framed him and bring him to justice.
Dangerous Dan McGoo (Droopy) faces the wolf, a dangerous outlaw who is trying to steal his girl Lou, during the Alaska gold rush. Loosely based on "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" by Robert W. Service.