John Wayne Movie Reviews From The 1930s To The 1970s | Mostly Westerns
The Trail Beyond (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 54mCast: John Wayne, Verna Hillie, Noah Beery SR., Noah Beery Jr., Robert Frazer, Iris Lancaster. Another Lone Star production, based on a story rather than a production-belt script, by James Oliver Curwood, and filmed in and around the stunning location of Mammoth Lakes in … Read more
The Lawless Frontier (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 50mCast: John Wayne, Sheila Terry, Jack Rockwell, George Hayes, Buffalo Bill Jr., Yakima Canutt This entry in the Lone Star series is a bit more dramatic than others, the opening sequence in which John Wayne, as John Tobin, finds his murdered parents highly reminiscent … Read more
The Star Packer (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 54m Cast: John Wayne, Verna Hillie, George Hayes, Yakima Canutt, Billy Franey, Ed Parker Another Lone Star production. Same costume and horse for John Wayne, so nothing changed there. Then surprise surprise. Yakima Canutt isn’t a baddie this time. He’s a Native American called … Read more
Blue Steel (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 54mCast: John Wayne, Eleanor Hunt, George Hayes, Edward Peil, Yakima Canutt, Lafe McKee Someone’s goofed. George “Gabby” Hayes has been made the sheriff. On top of that the Gabby persona is now really starting to kick in – big time. His mouth seems to be … Read more
Randy Rides Alone (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Harry Fraser, b/w, 54m Cast: John Wayne, Alberta Vaughn, George Hayes, Yakima Canutt, Earl Dwire, Arthur Ortego Compared to the previous Lone Star offerings, this has quite an eerie opening scene with Wayne, as Randy Roberts, entering a saloon full of dead people. A pianola plays in the … Read more
The Man From Utah (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 54m Cast: John Wayne, Polly Anne Young, Anita Compilo, George Hayes, Edward Peil, Yakima Canutt Maybe it’s because I overindulged just a tad too much during the Xmas holiday but the minute Duke hove into view on horseback strumming a geetar and miming … Read more
Another 1930s western movie where John Wayne as Jerry Mason, comes back from college. College? What did he study? Riding shotgun? “Gabby” Hayes plays a character called “Grandy” Benson. The Lucky Texan (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 54m Cast: John Wayne, Barbara Sheldon, Lloyd Whitlock, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Yakima Canutt, Eddie Parker … Read more
Although I wasn’t expecting too much from yet another of John Wayne’s early period oaters, I have to say that on occasion something comes along that really makes you sit up and take notice. West of the Divide (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 54m Cast: John Wayne, Virginia Faire Brown, George Hayes, … Read more
John Wayne Movie Western Reviews – Sagebrush Trail By my reckoning 1933 was one of the most prolific in John Wayne’s career with twelve of his films being released, Sagebrush Trail the fifth and last Western he starred in for that year. I actually started watching a colourised version of this film, which also appeared … Read more
Here is another review of a 1930’s western with John Wayne as a “singing” Sandy Saunders. This time it’s… Riders of Destiny (1933) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 54m Cast: John Wayne, Cecilia Parker, Forrest Taylor, George Hayes, Al St. John, Heinie Conklin There’s some good news and some bad news. The good … Read more