In Old California (1942 film)

Tom Craig, a pharmacist (John Wayne) arrives in Sacramento and gets into trouble with Britt Dawson (Albert Dekker) for carrying Lacey Miller (Binnie Barnes) across a mud puddle. Tom teams up with Kegs (Edgar Kennedy) and they are thrown off the river boat by Britt’s henchmen. Tom strikes up a deal with Binny to sell his pharmaceuticals in her store. Ellen Sanford (Helen Parrish) and Tom begin a romance. Tom and Kegs organize the settlers to stop Dawson’s land-grabbing gang. Tom proposes to Ellen as she leaves for San Francisco. Helga (Patsy McKeever) gun in hand, marches Keg off to get married. Whitey (Emmett Lynn), the town drunk drinks Tom’s elixir tonic which Dawson has poisoned and dies in Tom’s store. The townspeople take Tom out to hang who is saved when gold is discovered. Dawson shoots up Tom’s store, they fight and Tom ends up in jail.

Lacey leaves Britt for the gold miners who are suffering from typhoid fever. Tom leaves Ellen, loads up medicine and with the townspeople depart for the gold fields. Britt and his brother Joe (Dick Purcell) plan to ambush the townspeople to steal the medicine. Joe shoots Britt and attacks the townspeople but Britt who is only wounded shoots Joe. Tom and the townspeople make it to the miners camp thus saving them. Britt admits to poisoning Tom's elixir and dies. Back in town Tom and Lacey reunite.

• John Wayne as Tom Craig
• Binnie Barnes as Lacey Miller
• Albert Dekker as Britt Dawson
• Helen Parrish as Ellen Sanford
• Patsy Kelly as Helga
• Edgar Kennedy as Kegs McKeever
• Dick Purcell as Joe Dawson
• Harry Shannon as Mr. Carlin
• Charles Halton as Mr. Hayes
• Emmett Lynn as Whitey
• Robert McKenzie as Mr. Bates (as Bob McKenzie)
• Milton Kibbee as Ezra Tompkins (as Milt Kibbee)
• Paul Sutton as Chick – Dawson's stooge
• Anne O'Neal as Mrs. Tompkins

• John Wayne filmography

• In Old California at IMDb
• Review at The New York Times (subscription required)