Officially a Charles Starrett western, Riders of the Badlands divides its running time fairly evenly between Starrett and second-billed Russell Hayden. The plot concerns a Texas Ranger named Collins and his lookalike, notorious outlaw Langdon. When his wife is killed by Langdon's minions, Barton vows to avenge her death.

Pete Pepper is a shy, timid circus performer who is scared to death of horses, but rides like a whirlwind when he has been hypnotized by "Ollie" Finch. Pete is entered as a competitor in a wild-west cross-country obstacle race...and has to ride without being hypnotized.

The boys are a dentist and his assistant traveling to the Old West to open a new practice. Once in town, they buy a business--only to wake up the next day and see that the entire population of this bustling town had left for the California gold fields early that morning! Then, they discover an evil plot to sell out these settlers to some hostile Indians, so they spring to the rescue.

A man (Jack Holt) wins his best friend's wife (Fay Wray) and seems to be plotting to ruin the man's oil business.