Sierra Baron (1958)

Set in 1848 California (not yet a state), a Spanish rancher (Rick Jason) protects his land grant from Yankee landgrabbers. A Texas gunfighter (Brian Keith) is hired by a real estate agent (Steve Brodie) to kill the rancher but when the gunman falls in love with the rancher's sister (Rita Gam), he switches sides. Based on the novel by Thomas W. Blackburn and directed by James B. Clark (ONE FOOT IN HELL). A decent B western that played as a second feature during most of its initial release. The original source material got good book reviews so one would think it would have gotten a bigger budgeted production with a stronger cast and director. But what we ended up with is just a notch above the routine TV westerns that proliferated on television sets at the time. Filmed in Mexico which stands in for old California. With Mala Powers, Lewis Allan and Fernando Wagner.