The film is a Technicolor remake of King Vidor's black-and-white film The Texas Rangers (1936), which starred Fred MacMurray in Holden's role, Jack Oakie in William Bendix's, Lloyd Nolan in MacDonald Carey's role, and Jean Parker as the girl they rescue.

A trio of outlaws, Jim Dawkins (Holden), Lorn Reming (Carey), and Reuben "Wahoo" Jones (Bendix), rob a stage.

But when a young lady, Rannie Carter (Freeman), is menaced by rich and ruthless protection-racketeer Charley Calico (Alfonso Bedoya) after her uncle is killed, the robbers come to her rescue.

Calico is a worse villain, burning Pop's barn and causing the old man to have a fatal heart attack.

The film opened May 11, 1949 at the Paramount Theatre in New York City together with a stageshow featuring Peter Lorre, The Pied Pipers and the Victor Lombardo orchestra.