bkoganbing A really horrific example of Hollywood racism prevents Hidden Valley Outlaws from being a top Wild Bill Elliott western. Fred Toone was cast in this film using his 'Snowflake' character and sad to say he was integrally written into the plot. It's probably why this Elliott film is little seen today.Because otherwise this was a pretty good western with a really crafty villain played by Roy Barcroft who is a bottom feeding shyster attorney in this film double crossing his clients.Who are the honest ranchers in Hidden Valley and who are fighting claim jumping in the name of a 'Head Rights' disputed claim. This was an act to benefit veterans of the Civil War, presumably Union veterans who were given the rights to a quarter section of territory if unoccupied and unclaimed. These rights were bartered like money though and the claims weren't always on unoccupied land.Which brings Wild Bill Elliott and sidekick Gabby Hayes into the picture. When Barcroft cons them by use of an itinerant actor Earle Hodgins in on his schemes that turns out to be a big mistake. You don't rile a peaceable man.Hidden Valley Outlaws is for a B western an intricately plotted item. But it also involves using the Toone character who is a family retainer as part of Barcroft's schemes. The gullibility and slowittedness of the Snowflake persona is really quite degrading.Still Hidden Valley Outlaws does have some originality going for it and it wouldn't rate as high as it does with me if it hadn't.