
Eddie Dean (Eddie Dean) and his partner Soapy Jones (Roscoe Ates), under government orders, proceed to the ranch of J.C. Morgan (Shirley Patterson to buy cavalry remounts for the Army. At the ranch, they find out that J.C. is a girl. The nearby town of Dow City is under the control of a lawless trio headed by Trigger (Lee Roberts, Clem Kensington (Foxy Callahan) and Joe Morino (Dennis Moore). A member of the gang is Tucson Brown (Lee Bennett), one of J.C.'s trusted hands. When Eddie decides to buy the horses, Tucson steals the herd to prevent the sale. Soldiers, sent to investigate, are brutally murdered. The aroused townspeople elect Tennessee (William Fawcett, J.C.'s foreman, as sheriff. When the outlaws murder Tennessee, Eddie and Soapy, along with the reformed Tucson, swing into action.
Directed by Robert Emmett Tansey, Driftin' River leans on a strong ensemble — Eddie Dean, Roscoe Ates, Shirley Patterson — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about western titles of 1946.
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