Sugarfoot Based upon the Warner Bros Western “The Boy from Oklahoma”, released in 1954, “Sugarfoot” (also known as “Tenderfoot” over here in the UK) debuted on the ABC channel in September 1957. Will Hutchins appeared as the lead character Tom … Read more
A few years back I wrote an article on my favourite John Wayne films I saw as a snot-nosed kid. I thought it was time to revisit those halcyon days of childhood again but this time consider the TV Westerns … Read more
Having previously highlighted some of the Westerns I saw as a child in the 1950s I figured it was time to revisit those halcyon days and take a look at some of the other cowboy movies from that era. There’s … Read more
As I said quite a while back when tackling the subject of John Wayne’s male co-stars, “I’m sure you’re all going to have your own opinion on who did or didn’t make it onto this list. It’s given me food … Read more
Welcome to the first of three, possibly four part article on what I hope will be a definitive list of the numerous co-stars of JW who were also known for their singing careers. Edit: Possibly 5 part This will also … Read more
I’ve never been that keen on John Wayne doing ‘funny’. To me, he’s just not cut out to be either a clown or the butt of someone else’s joke but Duke obviously didn’t mind, seeing as he appeared in a … Read more
Psycho Cowboys Part I We’re all familiar with the usual suspects when it comes to back-shooting murderin’ dry-gulch killers such as Lee Marvin and Bruce Dern as featured in the Westerns of John Wayne. I thought maybe we’d wander off … Read more
Welcome to part one of our two-part article on the best of John Wayne’s pre-stardom Westerns. Having spent quite a lot of time reviewing the films John Wayne appeared in before stardom beckoned with “Stagecoach” I thought I’d go back … Read more
Director John Sturges began his career in 1946, helming a number of popular film noirs in the early years with titles such as “Shadowed” and “The Sign of the Ram”. Despite his eventual recognition as a director of Westerns, he … Read more
Having spent numerous hours watching all of the films featured in this three-part article on a series of seven movies known as the ‘Ranown’ cycle, I’ve decided to reference a well-informed essay by film critic Richard T. Jameson in the … Read more
Sergio Leone only directed eight films in his short but impressive career. His first two movies were examples of the popular sword and sandal Italian movies of the late 1950s / early 1960s, Leone credited as an assistant director on … Read more
In 1935 John Wayne made the first of eight appearances as Stony Brooke in the ongoing Three Mesquiteers five-reelers for Republic Studios. Wayne took over the role from Bob Livingston who played the character in all but one of the … Read more
After having played daredevil pilots in “Shadow of the Eagle” and “The Hurricane Express” it’s a change of pace for John Wayne in “The Three Musketeers”, the final entry in the trio of serials he appeared in for Mascot Pictures … Read more
The Hurricane Express Reviewed – Episodes One to Three I’m going to cover three episodes at a time for the second of the three serials John Wayne appeared in for Mascot in the early 1930s, The Hurrican Express. As stunt … Read more
Shadow of the Eagle Part I – Episodes 1 to 3 I remember with great affection the serials I saw as a kid in the 1950s at the Saturday morning picture shows. It was with this in mind that I … Read more
One of the very first, if not the first, article I wrote for Mostly Westerns concerned the John Wayne films I remembered seeing as a kid. Having written more movie reviews than I can count over the last few years … Read more
Despite a claim by at least one reviewer that they actually watched the film back in 2004, it would appear that “Adventure’s End” is now considered to be missing in action, along with “The Oregon Trail”, which was released a … Read more
Idol of the Crowds (1936) Universal Dir: Arthur Lubin, b/w, 60mCast: John Wayne, Sheila Bromley, Billy Burrud, Russell Hopton, Huntley Gordon, Charles Brokaw In a world where characters with names such as Swifty, Hank and Spike shout insults at each … Read more
I Cover the War! (1936) Universal, Dir: Arthur Lubin b/w, 65m Cast: John Wayne, Gwen Gaze, Don Barclay, Charles Brokaw, James Bush, Pat Somerset “I Cover the War!” is a contemporary comedy stroke melodrama featuring John Wayne and Don Barclay … Read more
In this, the third of the six films John Wayne starred in for Universal in the mid-1930s, he plays school bus driver Biff Smith who sings “Merrily we roll along” with the youngsters, the cynic in me anticipating that something … Read more