The Man from Monterey

Capt. John Holmes (John Wayne) is sent to the California territory to persuade the Spanish landowners to register their holdings. Stumbling upon a scheme by shady businessman Don Pablo Gonzales (Francis Ford) to swindle them out of their homes, Holmes teams up with a local outlaw (Slim Whitaker) to protect them. This classic oater is one of several Westerns featuring Wayne's trusty sidekick Duke the Wonder Horse.