Destry Rides Again has inspired several films of some distinction and even a successful Broadway musical. As a result, the name of Destry is more widely known than that of any other created by Faust, with the exception of Dr. Kildare. However, none of the film versions is wholly satisfactory, and only the first showed much fidelity to the story Faust actually published.

The 1932 film version starred Tom Mix in his last feature film. Mix had risen to fame in a silent version of The Untamed (1920) and, with his use of trick riding and shooting skills, he had often seemed the ideal incarnation of the Max Brand hero on the silent screen. Regrettably, Mix was aging and clearly past the prime of his film career in the 1932 sound film, and his voice was revealed to be somewhat highpitched and squeaky. Because of the inadequacy of Mix in this...