Every now and then, cowboy star Tom Mix would pull a clinker out of his ten-gallon hat, and this picture was one of them. Mix plays Tim, a goodhearted cowpuncher who, while riding down a trail, gets robbed of the money he was carrying for the Belgian Babies' Milk Fund. The bandits, it turns out, are from the rough, tough town of Tarantula. Tim hears the whole story from a minister (B. M. Turner) who has been run out of town for preaching the word of God. The bandits and thieves of Tarantula don't feel they need any religion, but Tim decides to give it to 'em anyhow. In the guise of a new preacher, he pulls into town and sets up a church, which is promptly destroyed. Undaunted, he persists in battling the bad men, and with the help of his ever-trusty horse, defeats the baddest of them all (Jack Curtis). And, of course, there's the girl (Kathleen Connors) to hold in the final frame. No Mix film was ever a complete loss, and this one featured some stellar riding tricks. The rest of it, however, is corny, even for 1919.
by Janiss Garza
synopsis
