Gentleman Tim Madigan (Tim McCoy) is a dapper card shark who plays for big money in cowboy saloons from Nevada to California. Despite his big black hat and bow tie, "Gentleman" Tim never wears a gun. In one high stakes game, Jose Hernandez, the son of a respected Mexican rancher, loses a bundle until Madigan exposes the opponent as a card cheat and returns the boy's money. Later, the crooked player is found murdered. The local sheriff suspects that Jose is the killer but also keeps a close eye on Tim. While fighting to avoid arrest, Madigan struggles to save the Hernandez ranch from the creditors.
Tim McCoy was a superstar of cowboy films In the '20s and '30s, appearing in scores of early Westerns for MGM and smaller studios. He was an expert horseman, roper and a sharpshooter, renowned for his fast draw. After serving as an officer in World War II he returned to Hollywood to star in The Rough Riders film series with Buck Jones and Raymond Hatton.