Plot has Bessie Eyton returning to Texas after two years away at school to join her ranch owner father Col. Ryan (George Fawcett) who nicknames her âTexasâ Ryan. The hard-riding gal becomes the idol of the ranch hands, especially Single-Shot Jack Parker (Tom Mix). At this juncture, itâs apparent Tomâs films, be it shorts or features, included strong comedy elements as well as he-man action. Here, a drunken Tom nearly burns down the town fooling around with fireworks on the 4th of July. In so doing, tom incurs the wrath of Sheriff Frank Campeau who is the secret rustler ally of Mexican bandit William Ryno who, coincidentally, also favorsâin a more lustful wayâTexas Ryanâs charms. Hoping for ransom money, Rynoâs gang kidnaps Texas but Tom rescues her. When Ryno and his rustlers strike back, Tom, in a raging storm, outwits them and captures Ryno. But he soon escapes, sending Tom on another chase into Mexico where Tom is captured by Rynoâs gang. As heâs about to be executed by the outlaws, the film takes an odd turn, having Texas, now realizing she loves Tom, simply pay a ransom for his release.
On October 12, 1940, while driving his 1937 Cord Sportsman through the Arizona
desert he took a turn too fast, a suitcase broke loose and struck him in the
head and his car plunged into a ravine. The ravine was later named "The Tom Mix
Wash" in his honor. A plaque at the location reads: "TOM MIX January 6, 1880 -
October 12, 1940 Whose spirit left his body on this spot and whose
characterization and portrayals in life served to better fix memories of the old
west in the minds of living men

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