Very Cool!!!

The Worst Film Ever

Instant Favorite.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

. . . during the first twelve months of a self-appointed American Taliban censoring EVERY line of dialog and image BEFORE normal people could watch (all under the Thumb of the most extensive ring of THOUSANDS of child sex predators that has ever stalked U.S. Innocents!), more than half of many movies are left out, including much of RANDY RIDES ALONE. Only the most Gifted Reconstructionists are able to exercise their intellect and fill in the gaps at this late date, so here goes: "Sally Rogers" is the Madame of "The Half Way House," a bordello MORE isolated than Nevada's infamous Mustang Ranch, where so many of Today's NBA players hang out. Since FDR's banking laws did not cater to the Criminal Class as do Today's, Ms. Rogers must keep her $30,000 cash profits (about one and a half Trumps, adjusted for inflation) made off her working girls on the Half Way House premises. When rival crime-lord "Marvin Black" rubs out Sally's bouncer and several of her regular johns, she turns to John Wayne to save the local Hen House. However, Wayne wants Sally all for himself, so he arranges to have Marvin blown up with the Half Way House.

Above average fare from the Lone Star crew of worthies-- Hayes, Canutt, Dwire, and of course Wayne. Lindsley Parsons did several scripts for Wayne and Lone Star, but this one's arguably his best. Wayne's an undercover agent on the trail of an outlaw gang whose latest robbery ends in a massacre of saloon patrons and staff. The opening is a grabber as the camera surveys the corpse strewn floor, while a player piano bangs away in the background, eyes peer from holes in a painting, and a secret panel opens. The outlaw gang has a neat hideout in a hollow behind a waterfall. Their digs even includes, of all things, its own jail where the leading lady ends up! Some good hard riding, including (alas!) a trip-wire spill that looks dramatic, but I wonder if the horse survived. Canutt comes up with usual spectacular stunt as Wayne takes a fall from a ladder high up a rock face. Can't help but notice that Alberta Vaughn looks much too young to stack up as an adult leading lady, but manages okay in the acting department. The movie's unusual for rare use of a miniature as a special effect. It's pretty well done and money well spent since the ending makes unexpectedly good use of it. All in all, it's good clean fun, as they used to say.

There were many 'spooky' westerns made in the 30s and early 40s, and although this has a strong beginning, it isn't one. Randy Bowers (John Wayne) stopping at a 'Halfway House' saloon, finds it to be full of dead bodies, the bartender's corpse draped over the bar holding a gun, eyes watching Randy from behind holes cut through eyes in a picture, and a player piano playing "The Loveliest Night of the Year." It was the result of a robbery by the Marvin Black gang, to get Ed Rogers' $30,000. Randy is an investigator who "works alone," who wastes little time in getting arrested, escaping (with Ed's daughter Sally's help) and literally landing in the midst of the Black gang's hideout behind a waterfall. It all moves along fairly quickly. Only one too many chases after Randy slow it down.We even get George Hayes, clean shaven and playing two parts-- Marvin Black, the vilest villain, as well as the Good Citizen, Matt the Mute, who communicates via handwritten messages. Having him play two opposite roles was a good idea, but the writing down of messages thing gets old real fast, even for him, as he finally gives up doing it near the end saying to Sally, "Ah, I'm fed up with this!" You can find George playing a vile, vile, double crossing villain in the serial "The Lost City" (1934).I think this is the only 'Lone Star' film in which the title relates to, or is mentioned in the film! Sally offers her hand to Randy and says, "He's not alone anymore!" Then cut to their arms around each other as they look out facing a lake. Sally's running off with Randy seems too abrupt and not sufficiently prepared for. Too much time spent on horseback escaping the sheriff.Not that bad considering everything, but not that great either. I'd really give it a 4 and a half.

Another Wayne/Canutt/Hayes Lone Star entry, mostly enjoyable with the usual few tedious scenes thrown in. How any 52 minute movie can have tedious stretches is down to the love interest and various characters having to walk from one location to another. Riding is much more exciting after all!It has a good start, with Wayne entering a saloon only to be greeted with a blood-bath, or was it just a good night previous? Chin-bald Hayes plays 2 characters, one the top baddie and the other a good-guy mute who has to write his words down on scraps of paper - more tedium. The key moment in RRA is after the heroine has said no to him as the good guy he starts to scribble an answer down to try to change her mind. Then he and the scriptwriter realise it won't do any good with only 5 minutes left so he petulantly blurts out "I'm fed up with this" and becomes his True Evil Self to her.Some nice outdoor photography, nice print, nice scenes of the skinny Duke ambling around Alone before he's suddenly smitten with love. He improved his fight techniques in the coming years!