AllMovie

A young cowboy turns vigilante after his father is killed in this fine silent Western filmed on location in blistering Southern Arizona. With revenge on his mind, Bob Haddington (Jack Holt) turns himself into Velantrie, the leader of a gang of outlaws. At a mission, he meets and falls for Val Hannon (Bebe Daniels), the daughter of John Hannon (Will R. Walling), a wealthy rancher. In a case of mistaken identity, Bob is accused of cattle rustling but discovers to his horror that the real culprit is his new girlfriend's father. Not only that, but Hannon, hiding under the nickname "Black Rustler," is also the villain who killed Bob's father. In an act of supreme sacrifice, the young man exchanges places with his father's killer and is about to be hanged when Val arrives with proof of his innocence. North of the Rio Grande was based on the 1921 novel Val of Paradise by Vingie E. Roe.