From my favorite movies..

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This film has not aged like some films of this genre from the 1930s. The plot to this films would give many modern western plot developers a run for their money. Would advise that this film should be watched when you have the odd hour to spare and are interested in watching a john Wayne classic. The plot is based around John Brant who has been sentenced for a murder he did not commit. After a wonderful chase scene introduction John Brant meets up with "Jones". Looking at this film I have now observed two versions. Once version contains a rather overdubbed and irritating slapstick music during the egg scene. Luckily the version that I have rated 8/10 contains no slapstick music and can be found on the internet.

I enjoyed seeing a very young John Wayne, before he had developed his signature speech, moves, etc. Sure, it was pure B Western schlock, but I had to check here before knowing for sure he was in this movie, it does not look like him at all. A must-see for all fans of John Wayne and westerns. The one thing I liked most about this movie is that even amongst the so-called "bad guys" in black hats, it half-heartedly explored the reasons why some guys joined these gangs-bad raps, wrongful imprisonment, bad choices that left them nowhere else to go and so on, so that even some of the villains elicited sympathy. The only jarring note was the blatant 30s flapper hairstyle and exaggerated eye makeup of the main female character, they didn't even make an attempt to make her look like a storekeepers daughter in the late 1800s.

Many of these 30s low budget westerns start with the "hero wrongly accused of a crime" premise, finally discovering, catching up with and gunning down the real killer; but this one is clearly not only the best 'Lone Star' western, but is, in fact, an enjoyable, well made film, with themes, photography, locations, and stunt work you won't find in hundreds of other 'oaters.' You'll find at least four different versions out, from the discount b/w (the VINA and who knows how many other $2.00 single film DVD copies; the Platinum "Great American Western" Volume 35 version -- which at least has three other westerns on one DVD) to the new colorized versions, including the excellent digitally restored 23-minute Sterling version with a new, modernized soundtrack -- which just zooms by). There's a reason for all this -- it's a landmark film! Basically, the theme is not far from the mythic: the good guy (John Wayne) befriends the man who put him in prison (Lane Chandler with equal screen time), and helps him redeem himself. You get underwater photography of John Wayne escaping the sheriff; the zoom in shot of the Sheriff beside the wanted posters of Conlon and Brant, fading into a shot of them facing each other; the extensive location shots of Bronson Canyon and the Bronson 'Cave,' which has been seen in dozens of serial, western, horror and SF films (including the 1956 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers') that show all three entrances, as well as how to get up to the Canyon; the unbelievable stunt work by Yakima Canutt, including leaping up on a hitching post and over a horse to land on another horse, flying and running horse mounts; and the great acting of John Wayne -- I'm not kidding! Kudos to the director and screen writer!A great introduction to, and high watermark of, 1930s westerns!

If my count is correct, this is the eleventh Lone Star Film starring John Wayne that I've seen, and it may be the best of the bunch. Not that it doesn't have it's share of gaffs, but it was entertaining and had some humor to lighten the load. Perhaps it was Armand Schaefer's directing hand that accounts for my preference over the ones done by Robert North Bradbury and Harry Fraser. With no pun intended, this could have been an episode of "Alias Smith and Jones". Wayne's character is John Brant, escaped from prison for a murder he didn't commit; while making his getaway from the sheriff, he uses the old breathe through a reed trick to remain underwater. When he surfaces to find an outlaw waiting, he hesitates giving his name, whereby "Bob Jones" begins calling him "John Smith". Lane Chandler shares virtually equal screen time with Wayne in this oater, as the outlaw who committed the crime for which Wayne's character is being hunted. Yakima Canutt is on hand as the outlaw gang leader, and his stunt work in the film is interesting to watch. The most daring one (as Brant) is when he's covered by a pile of brush and is positioned to grab the underside of a stagecoach to get on board, while the horses have to carefully straddle him in his prone position. For me, that was a sit up and take notice scene, one that cries out for a "how they made this movie" follow up.Other scenes weren't half as daring, in fact there were two flying horse mounts that almost missed, but with a low budget production that didn't believe in do-overs, they stayed in the film. However there's a great sequence when (again as Brant) Yak jumps a hitching post and one horse to land on another horse. It's a good thing the horses cooperated.Since I mentioned the use of humor earlier, I'll note a particular scene when Smith and Jones go shopping at the general store, where they both eye up the pretty Sally Blake (Nancy Shubert) for the first time. With a handful of packages each, they manage to break each other's sack of eggs creating a mess. I guess that's why they came up with egg cartons.If you're paying attention, you'll note that when "Smith" gets dressed up to pay a visit to Sally, he removes his old shirt to put on a new one. In the story line, he was shot some two weeks earlier in the left shoulder, but that area shows no sign of damage at all. Could Wayne have been that quick a healer? In the same scene, and the only time I've ever seen it done, Wayne's character dabs his fingers into the grease of a frying pan to slick back his hair - where's the Vitalis when you need it!For anyone who's a fan and seen a handful of Wayne's Lone Star films, you'll know how this one ends. Not so much that Smith's name is cleared and the outlaws are brought to justice, but in the fact that John Wayne's character gets the girl. It happens virtually every time, and this one fades on Smith/Brant and Sally in a smooch behind his ten gallon hat.