Hot Lead

What a likable cowboy teaming Holt and Martin made. Their chemistry is easy and amusing. I've got to hand it to Holt that, as the lead, he accepted a taller and handsomer sidekick, a definite departure from the matinée formula. The 60-minutes is pretty standard. The plot's more complicated than usual. Tim and Chito are trying to help rehabilitate ex-con Dave (Elliott), at the same time the baddies are trying to shanghai Dave's telegraphy skills in order to rob a gold shipment. Meanwhile leading lady Dixon holds down the farm, hoping Dave can stay out of jail. Filmed in the familiar San Fernando Valley, there's not much scenery to look at. Still, there's some good hard riding and a couple minor plot twists. Watch for two great TV stalwarts—Dehner and Wilke—as the bad guys. I hope there's a place in Hollywood heaven for their unsung like. Anyway, it's an undemanding hour, with some snappy exchanges between our two heroes.

A "6" on the Matinée Scale