AllMovie

After a brief flurry of non-western actioners, George O'Brien returned to the West in Thunder Mountain. Based on a story by Zane Grey, the film casts O'Brien as Kai Emerson, whose claim on a gold strike is met with skepticism by heroine Sydney Blair (Barbara Fritchie). Despite damning evidence to the contrary, the girl remains convinced that the gold's rightful owner is villainous claim-jumper Rand Leavitt (Morgan Wallace). Ultimately, however, Leavitt tips his hand and Emerson is proven right, but not before a knock-down drag-out battle on the edge of a high cliff. Despite its potential, Thunder Mountain is rather skimpy in the action department, but this shortcoming would be corrected in subsequent O'Brien vehicles.