After an opening scene that sets up the mystery of Marshal Duke Donovan (Kix Brooks) and his involvement in an Old West bank robbery, the film employs a lengthy flashback to tell that story and eventually reveal the identity of some ambiguous characters. Tried and found guilty of robbery and murder, the former lawman is sentenced to life at Yuma prison instead of death by hanging, in deference to his career as a law officer up till then. When he learns that gang leader Levi Hardin (Luke Massy) plans to kill his wife, Donovan relies on the connections he made in prison to formulate an escape with fellow convict, Cyrus Parker (Ernie Hudson). When Donovan does find his wife, she'd already been badly hurt by Hardin and dies shortly after. The expected confrontation eventually occurs, and I had to laugh during the shootout between Hardin's gang and Donovan's bunch, which now included the deputy sheriff (Ronnie Gene Blevins) who was sent out after him following the escape from Yuma. In order to gain a handful more ammunition, Hardin shot his partner Walker! No loyalty there, right?

The picture tries to throw a viewer a curve early on when reporter Jesse Helms (Andrew W. Walker) seeks out the only surviving witness to the Donovan shootout with Hardin, and the reveal shouldn't come as a big surprise. Suggesting that Seymour Redfield might have been deputy Tom Sullivan who was rumored to have killed Donovan and then disappeared, it's Donovan himself who breaks the silence on his real identity. You have to hand it to the reporter for agreeing to keep that secret until Donovan does die; he's going to lose his job over it!

This is one where we knew the twist before the story got started. The story is told as a flashback aka "Little Big Man" but not as good. Marshall Duke Donovan takes part in a 1892 Arizona bank robbery that goes bad. People are killed. He claims he was coerced, that his wife was threatened. His sentenced is reduced to life in prison. The question remains, "Is Kix a cereal killer?"

Duke in prison. Duke finds out bad guys after his wife. Duke breaks out, goes after bad guys. Prison sheriff and deputies go after Duke. You can figure out the rest from the title.

That is pretty much it. Dark Canyon wasn't very dark, nor was it much of a canyon. The acting was bad. Kix Brooks was pitiful. In the saloon scene when he has his gun pointed at the girl and delivers his lines, I was laughing at the scene. It was that bad.

6 stars for the great sound track, also provided by Kix.

Also released under the title "Dark Canyon"

But who was the genius who cast Kix Brooks in the lead role of Duke Donovan?

Whoever it was needs a clue: Kix Brooks is a terrible actor. I have no training but am pretty sure I could do better. I mean please, it was painful.