Helen Mowery (The Fighting Frontiersman)

Although seemingly interchangeable with a host of other Columbia starlets, blonde Helen Mowery, of Casper, WY (born 1923), had apprenticed at the famed Pasadena Playhouse and her saloon belle in the Durango Kid Western The Fighting Frontiersman (Columbia, 1946) reflects that. Mowery's Dixie King, while pretending to do the bidding of her nasty boss, Robert Filmer, to con a confession out of poor old Emmett Lynn as to the whereabouts of a cache of Santa Ana gold, actually aligns herself with Charles Starrett and his alter ego, the Durango Kid. She becomes an integral part of the plot in this above-average B-Western, a rare enough occurrence in a series entry, and delivers a forceful performance. In fact, Mowery's interaction with the delightful Lynn remains a highlight of the show.