Bucking the Truth on AllMovie

Versatile silent screen comedian Milburn Morante directed this average Universal western starring Colorado-born Pete Morrison. Perhaps the studio's most authentic cowboy performer, Morrison never gained the popularity of Universal's top western hero, Hoot Gibson or the devoted following of Jack Hoxie. But he wasn't overly coy like Gibson or as bad an actor as Hoxie and it is surprising that he didn't do better. Bucking the Truth tells the usual western tale of a cowboy falsely accused of being an outlaw, who unravels a smuggling ring. Universal apparently believed in the film and surrounded Morrison with a top-notch supporting cast that included lovely Ione Reed as the usual damsel in distress, the always welcome "Slim" Whitaker as one of the bad guys, and a young cowboy from Montana, Curley Witzel, who was so convincing that the studio gave him a starring series of 2-reel westerns.