If you’re a fan who likes to watch as John Wayne mimes along to someone else’s singing voice, then this one is for you. Westward Ho (1935) Republic, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 60mCast: John Wayne, Sheila Mannors, Frank McGlynn Jr., James Farley, Jack Curtis, Yakima Canutt Looks like Duke’s gone and jumped ship and … Read more
John Wayne revisits old territory as an undercover agent called John Wyatt required to infiltrate a counterfeiting gang who work under the guise of a travelling medicine show. Paradise Canyon (1935) Lone Star, Dir: Carl L. Pierson, b/w, 52mCast: John Wayne, Marion Burns, Reed Howes, Earl Hodgins, Gino Corrado, Yakima Canutt The only difference between … Read more
Barely five minutes into the film and stranger-in-town John Mason, played by John Wayne, is already engaged in a bout of fisticuffs with one of the locals, Ben McClure, played by Reed Howes. The Dawn Rider (1935) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 53mCast: John Wayne, Marion Burns, Denny Meadows, Reed Howes, Joe DeGrasse, … Read more
The Desert Trail (1935) Lone Star, Dir: Cullen Lewis, b/w, 54mCast: John Wayne, Mary Kornman, Paul Fix, Eddy Chandler, Carmen LaRoux, Lafe McKee The opening sequence in this film is actually quite entertaining. Wayne, as rodeo rider John Scott, is travelling with his gambling friend, Kansas Charlie, played by Eddy Chandler, to Rattlesnake Gulch and … Read more
Rainbow Valley (1935) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 52mCast: John Wayne, Lucille Brown, George Hayes, Leroy Mason, Lloyd Ingraham, Buffalo Bill Jr. On the way to Rainbow Valley JW, as John Martin, encounters the proper “Gabby”, the one we all know and love and in full ‘old-timer’ mode, who asks him for some … Read more
Texas Terror (1935) Lone Star, Dir: Robert N. Bradbury, b/w, 51mCast: John Wayne, Lucille Brown, Leroy Mason, Fern Emmett, George Hayes, Buffalo Bill Jr. When the film starts, John Wayne as John Higgins is – unusually – the local sheriff so we just know he’s going to be due for a fall early on in … Read more
‘Neath the Arizona Skies (1934) Lone Star, Dir: Harry Fraser, b/w, 53mCast: John Wayne, Sheila Terry, Shirley Jane Rickert, Jack Rockwell, Buffalo Bill Jr., Yakima Canutt “‘Neath the Arizona Skies” is the last of the nine Westerns John Wayne starred in for the year of 1934. It’s not quite up there with the twelve films … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
Another John Wayne cowboy movie review of the 1930’s This time… The Telegraph Trail 1933 Warner Bros, Dir: Tenny Wright, b/w, 54m Cast: John Wayne, Frank McHugh, Marceline Day, Otis Harlan, Albert J. Smith, Yakima Cannutt Upon firing up this movie on my PC I was somewhat surprised to note that everyone was talking in … 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
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
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
Remember that line in Jaws? “That’s one bad hat, Larry”. Well, I thought Somewhere in Sonora was bad but The Man from Monterey is even worse, in fact, it’s so bad I don’t quite really know where to begin. The Man From Monterey (1933) Warner Bros, Dir: Mack V. Wright, b/w, 57m Cast: John Wayne, … Read more
In a continuing quest to find and review every cowboy western movie John Wayne ever made in the 1930s we present this little nugget from 1932. Haunted Gold: Warner Bros, Dir: Mack V. Wright, b/w, 57m Cast: John Wayne, Sheila Terry, Harry Woods, Erville Alderson, Otto Hoffman, Blue Washington Welcome to another John Wayne / … Read more
John Wayne Western Movies of the 1930s – Somewhere in Sonora As these John Wayne western movie reviews are an ongoing work-in-progress. I’m hoping at some point that someone decided Leon Schlesinger wasn’t really a good fit as a producer for these early 1930s JW cowboy vehicles. Let’s hope we get to the end of that … Read more