Reviews (2)

Sturdy Grade B Western from Republic.
Here we have a rip roarin' Saturday matinee "shoot 'em up" with plenty of black-hearted villains and blazing six-guns. Crooks control the law in Santa Fe Junction. The Three Mesquiteers ride into town to see justice served. When a respected local citizen and his young daughter are ambushed, Stony (John Wayne) is framed for the murder. The bad guys incite a lynch mob to take matters in their own hands. Can Tucson and Lullaby (Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune), held captive at the outlaw stronghold, escape in time? Will the beautiful Nancy Carson, rendered unconscious as she tries to unlock Stony's cell, survive the fire set by the angry lynch mob? Will the real killers be brought to justice? Never fear, the distant thunder of drumming hoofbeats are the honest cowboys and ranchers, who ride down the same section of trail and around the same rocky corner at least three times, as they race to the final showdown.

Before he made the big time in John Ford's "Stagecoach," John Wayne was a familiar face in Grade B Westerns. The Three Mesquiteers was a popular series of the '30s and '40s, based on characters created by Western novelist William Colt MacDonald. Over time, different actors played the roles of the three saddle pals. This typical example from Republic studios includes cliff-hanging Western adventure and light humor. The emphasis is on hard-riding action rather than the intrusive musical numbers that plagued some other Grade B Westerns. Old-fashioned, light weight fun. ;-)

The Three Mesquiteers Do it Again! Santa Fe Stampede
John Wayne and his friends, Ray Crash Corrigan, And Max Terhune are very good in this film. My rating of four stars is given, based on the type of movie. Certainly, this movie could not stand up to movies of today, but it stands up well to others of it's day. The story line is very good. It is packed with excitement. It seems that the bad guys have all their ducks in a row and Stoney Brook(John Wayne) will be destroyed by the angry mob, but you will have to watch the movie to find out what happens in the end. I recommend that you see Santa Fe Stampede. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The last of John Wayne's early westerns for Lone Star
"Paradise Canyon" is the last of the sixteen B Westerns that a young John Wayne made for poverty row studio Monogram's Lone Star division between 1933 and 1935. Directed by Carl Pierson, the first of three cheap Westerns the long time film editor directed, you need to know right from the start that they did not save the best for last in this series despite the promise of the tagline: "The fight at Robber's Roost...It Teems With Action!" But Wayne did well enough to move on after this one to Republic Pictures, where eventually he would encounter John Ford, make "Stagecoach," and become the iconic actor of the American western film genre.

Once again John Wayne is playing an undercover good guy, this time named John Wyatt who joins the medicine show of Doc Carter (Earle Hodgins) as a sharpshooter in an effort to find some counterfeiters along the Mexican border in Arizona (It it just me or does counterfeiting sound overly ambitious for the Wild West? How many opportunities are there to find change for a fake $100, $20 or whatever in these towns?). Wyatt is suspicious of the Doc but it turns out the bad guy is really Curly Joe Gale (legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt), who is not only the counterfeiter but also found time in his criminal past to frame Curly Joe (it is a decidedly small world in these Westerns). This is helpful because Wyatt has taken a liking to Doc's daughter, Linda (Marion Burns), billed as Princess Natasha in Wyatt's shooting act.

If you have been following the Lone Star series there are really few surprises here in terms of the plot. If you can frame one person for counterfeiting you can frame another person. The twist on this one is that the Duke's character has to cross the border to pursue Curly Joe and rescue Doc and Linda. Not surprisingly, our hero has as many problems with law enforcement south of the border as he does on this side. Then there is the question of why a story about counterfeiting with a canyon in the title ends up having the climax in an old mine. "Paradise Canyon" also has the diversion of Perry Murdock and Gordon Clifford singing as the Texas Two, but that is not really enough to get this one up to the level of being an average Lone Star oater. I would not recommend that a John Wayne fan endure all sixteen of these early efforts, but the first dozen or so did have not only the Duke and Canutt but George "Gabby" Hayes, which always helps.

Good for what ails you
Paradise Canyon isn't one of John Wayne's more memorable early westerns, but it is something of a hoot to watch. In this film, Wayne plays a lawman who goes to work undercover with a traveling medicine show in an effort to catch a gang of counterfeiters along the Mexican border. The good doctor, whose fabulous Indian elixir is 90% alcohol, served time for counterfeiting a few years earlier when his "partner" turned states' evidence and set him up for the fall, so Wayne's character starts his investigation there. Yakima Canutt plays the bad guy, and Marion Burns fills the role of Dr. Carter's daughter. There's not as much riding, shooting, and fisticuffs as you normally find in these old Lone Star Productions films, but Paradise Canyon does feature a vintage medicine show with singing, sharp-shooting, and ardent hawking of Dr. Carter's Indian Remedy, good for anything that ails you. There's plenty here for John Wayne fans to enjoy, but Paradise Canyon is by no means his best early picture. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An early John Wayne B Western without a happy ending
"The Dawn Rider" is the penultimate B Western in the series of sixteen that a young John Wayne starred in for Lone Star/Monogram studio between 1933 and 1935. Wayne plays John Mason who comes home in time to see his father (Joe DeGrasse) gunned down by bad guys. Mason gives chase and manages to gun down three of them before being wounded himself. Mason ends up being cared for by Alice Gordon (Marion Burns), who, in the small world that these B Westerns represents, turns out to be the the girl friend of the local bad guy, Ben (Reed Howes), but also the sister of the man who shot Mason's father, Rudd Gordon (Dennis Moore, aka Denny Meadows). This is going to make a happy ending difficult and director Robert N. Bradbury does not really try, which is interesting in itself given this series.

Legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt is back after an absence of a couple of films, although he does not get too do any thing particularly special this time around in terms of the stunts. Canutt plays the saloon keeper when he is not doubling for Wayne or another actor in the action sequences. George "Gabby" Hayes is still absent and the comic relief comes from Nelson McDowell as Batest the undertaker, who complains the town is too healthy and if something does not happen soon he is going to have to vamoose. Of course Mason and Gordon's gang take care of that.

All of these Lone Star Westerns are in poor shape. The sound is always scratchy and the picture blurred at times. But then these oaters were made for $10,000 in five days, so we are talking the production values of a poverty row studio. But for fans of the Duke it is interesting to back and see what he was like when he was learning his craft. Just think of these little movies, all of which run under an hour, as representing John Wayne in grade school, and do not expect the title to have anything to really do with the character or plot.

A cut above most early John Wayne westerns
Dawn Rider (1935) is one of my favorite early John Wayne westerns. While it does fit the mold of all the Lone Star Productions vehicles featuring The Duke amidst a cast of regulars such as Yakima Canutt, it rises a cut above the rest through its rather involved plot, a less than completely happy ending, and some great scenes such as the final showdown in which The Duke saunters down the street in impressive "this town ain't big enough for the both of us" fashion. Wayne plays John Mason, who arrives home just in time to see his father murdered during a robbery - but not before he gets acquainted with local tough guy Ben (Reed Howes). Both men go at it pretty good only to become best of friends by the time the fight is over. When his dad is killed, Mason goes after the gang of thugs, taking out a few of them but sustaining two gunshot wounds of his own. Ben's sweetie nurses him back to health, but as luck would have it, her own brother is the man Mason is looking for. As if this isn't complicated enough, Ben starts to believe that Mason is after his girl, placing an unsuspecting Mason up to his neck in trouble later on. Most of these early westerns have a happy ending all the way around, but Dawn Rider does not, and this fact really makes this film stand out in my mind. Packed with action, great performances, and some magnificently staged gunfights, Dawn Rider is a movie every fan of old westerns can enjoy - especially if you also happen to be a big John Wayne fan.

Young DUKE in Forgettable Western...
While The DUKE is as DUKE-ish as ever, unfortunately this film is one of the fogettable westerns he was relegated to making between the 1930 epic "The Big Trail" and the 1939 groundbreaker, "Stagecoach".

Predictable and not very unique or stylish, "The Dawn Rider" tells the tale of a young man trying to avenge his father's death. The man responsible is the brother of The DUKE's new best friend's sweetheart, who secretly pines for The DUKE.

Naturally, DUKE can't get the girl because his best pal wants her, and he can't take revenge on the bad brother without hurting the girl.

The story sounds more interesting that it really is. Nothing in the story is fully or clearly developed, and ham is the order of the day for the supporting players.

On the plus side, DUKE regular Yakima Canutt is also on hand,
and the DUKE himself is as rugged, honest, and charming as ever in this 1935 effort.

In great (though critically poor) scene, DUKE is and his soon-to-be pal are fighting things out. They throw away their guns to settle things "the old fashioned way." When DUKE knocks down his opponent, the man lands near a discarded gun. He refuses to pick it up, prefering to fight fair instead. The DUKE shows obvious liking for the fair play, and the two become friends.

Some great corny western banter preceeds the fight, with DUKE telling the man "Looks like you're the joker in this deck!"

While not a memorable western, this DVD shows a young DUKE in action. The disc is inexpensive, so if nothing else, DUKE fans can enjoy 55 minutes of young DUKE for a low price.

Early "Duke"
I used to watch these old John Wayne movies (1930s) on Saturday mornings on tv when I was a kid. I picked up 7 of them on VHS when I saw them in the store. If you're a fan of these early westerns then "The Dawn Rider" will definitely satisfy you. It's great to watch an early John Wayne beginning to define himself as the king of the westerns. Some pretty good stunts too. Enjoy!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The last of John Wayne's early westerns for Lone Star
"Paradise Canyon" is the last of the sixteen B Westerns that a young John Wayne made for poverty row studio Monogram's Lone Star division between 1933 and 1935. Directed by Carl Pierson, the first of three cheap Westerns the long time film editor directed, you need to know right from the start that they did not save the best for last in this series despite the promise of the tagline: "The fight at Robber's Roost...It Teems With Action!" But Wayne did well enough to move on after this one to Republic Pictures, where eventually he would encounter John Ford, make "Stagecoach," and become the iconic actor of the American western film genre.

Once again John Wayne is playing an undercover good guy, this time named John Wyatt who joins the medicine show of Doc Carter (Earle Hodgins) as a sharpshooter in an effort to find some counterfeiters along the Mexican border in Arizona (It it just me or does counterfeiting sound overly ambitious for the Wild West? How many opportunities are there to find change for a fake $100, $20 or whatever in these towns?). Wyatt is suspicious of the Doc but it turns out the bad guy is really Curly Joe Gale (legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt), who is not only the counterfeiter but also found time in his criminal past to frame Curly Joe (it is a decidedly small world in these Westerns). This is helpful because Wyatt has taken a liking to Doc's daughter, Linda (Marion Burns), billed as Princess Natasha in Wyatt's shooting act.

If you have been following the Lone Star series there are really few surprises here in terms of the plot. If you can frame one person for counterfeiting you can frame another person. The twist on this one is that the Duke's character has to cross the border to pursue Curly Joe and rescue Doc and Linda. Not surprisingly, our hero has as many problems with law enforcement south of the border as he does on this side. Then there is the question of why a story about counterfeiting with a canyon in the title ends up having the climax in an old mine. "Paradise Canyon" also has the diversion of Perry Murdock and Gordon Clifford singing as the Texas Two, but that is not really enough to get this one up to the level of being an average Lone Star oater. I would not recommend that a John Wayne fan endure all sixteen of these early efforts, but the first dozen or so did have not only the Duke and Canutt but George "Gabby" Hayes, which always helps.

Good for what ails you
Paradise Canyon isn't one of John Wayne's more memorable early westerns, but it is something of a hoot to watch. In this film, Wayne plays a lawman who goes to work undercover with a traveling medicine show in an effort to catch a gang of counterfeiters along the Mexican border. The good doctor, whose fabulous Indian elixir is 90% alcohol, served time for counterfeiting a few years earlier when his "partner" turned states' evidence and set him up for the fall, so Wayne's character starts his investigation there. Yakima Canutt plays the bad guy, and Marion Burns fills the role of Dr. Carter's daughter. There's not as much riding, shooting, and fisticuffs as you normally find in these old Lone Star Productions films, but Paradise Canyon does feature a vintage medicine show with singing, sharp-shooting, and ardent hawking of Dr. Carter's Indian Remedy, good for anything that ails you. There's plenty here for John Wayne fans to enjoy, but Paradise Canyon is by no means his best early picture. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Westward Ho (2 1/2 Stars)
The older surviving brother of a wagon train ambush, seeks revenge on the leader of the gang responsible for the murder of his parents and the kidnapping of his younger brother. Years later, he is the leader of a group of 'vigilantes' who oppose lawlessness and unknowingly confronts his 'long-loss-brother' who has since learned the tricks-of-the-trade from the outlaws. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

John Wayne and Eddy Chandler team up for some Western fun
I had to double check to make sure that "The Desert Trail" was still part of the series of sixteen B Westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933 and 1935. These films were made for $10,000 each in five days, with Wayne making $2,500 and the plots were pretty repetitive. Wayne plays an undercover lawman who the bad guys think is one of them, there are sequences involving exciting stunt work by the legendary Yakima Canutt, and the good guys win. But "The Desert Trail," made in 1935 is a bit different because it has much more intentional comedy than we have seen in the series. Maybe it was because Canutt was not involved, but there is also the fact that for the first time in the series George "Gabby" Hayes is not involved and the director was Lewis D. Collins instead of Robert N. Bradbury. The result is one of the more atypical of the young Duke's Lone Star efforts.

Wayne plays John Scott, a rodeo star and his best buddy is the gambler, Kansas Charlie (Eddy Chandler). The pair are framed for a robbery-murder in Rattlesnake Gulch by bad guy Pete (Al Ferguson) and have to flee to Poker City. There they take the names John Jones and the Rev. Harry Smith and once again get fingered by Pete. Fortunately Pete's accomplice, Jim (Paul Fix) has a bit of a conscience and helps out the boys and then things proceed as expected. If you want to get excited about John Wayne being a rodeo star, forget it, because it is all stock footage. The plot is nothing special, but Wayne and Chandler have some fun with what is going on and that makes this an above average Wayne film for the period. Mary Kornman as Anne and Carmen LaRoux as Juanita LaRoux provide the love interests for the boys. "The Desert Trail" is one of the better ones in this series, but keep in mind that it is not a typical example of what the young Duke was doing at this early point in his career.

The Duke does comedy in this entertaining early western
1935's The Desert Trail offers something of a change of pace for John Wayne in his early acting career. This time around, in the role of John Scott alias John Jones, he's not exactly a good guy, but he's not exactly a bad guy either. What's more, he and his pal Kansas Charlie alias Rev. Harry Smith (Eddy Chandler) are a comic team of sorts. Their antics certainly made me laugh on several occasions. The two like to needle each other pretty good, and they are constantly trying to spark the same girl wherever they go. In times of trouble, they are known to get in minor catfights which invariably feature Charlie missing Scott by a mile, then having his foot stomped by his friend. This time, their attempts to outdo one another land them in hot water, accused of a murder and robbery they didn't commit. They trail the real criminal to Poker Flats and assume new identities, but they face the daunting task of clearing their names before the wrong hand of the law manages to nab them. There is one short scene of rodeo action taken from stock footage seen in many other early westerns from Lone Star Productions, but other than that this is an entertaining western featuring a comedic side of John Wayne that was fairly unusual at the time of the film's release in 1935. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

John Wayne and Eddy Chandler team up for some Western fun
I had to double check to make sure that "The Desert Trail" was still part of the series of sixteen B Westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933 and 1935. These films were made for $10,000 each in five days, with Wayne making $2,500 and the plots were pretty repetitive. Wayne plays an undercover lawman who the bad guys think is one of them, there are sequences involving exciting stunt work by the legendary Yakima Canutt, and the good guys win. But "The Desert Trail," made in 1935 is a bit different because it has much more intentional comedy than we have seen in the series. Maybe it was because Canutt was not involved, but there is also the fact that for the first time in the series George "Gabby" Hayes is not involved and the director was Lewis D. Collins instead of Robert N. Bradbury. The result is one of the more atypical of the young Duke's Lone Star efforts.

Wayne plays John Scott, a rodeo star and his best buddy is the gambler, Kansas Charlie (Eddy Chandler). The pair are framed for a robbery-murder in Rattlesnake Gulch by bad guy Pete (Al Ferguson) and have to flee to Poker City. There they take the names John Jones and the Rev. Harry Smith and once again get fingered by Pete. Fortunately Pete's accomplice, Jim (Paul Fix) has a bit of a conscience and helps out the boys and then things proceed as expected. If you want to get excited about John Wayne being a rodeo star, forget it, because it is all stock footage. The plot is nothing special, but Wayne and Chandler have some fun with what is going on and that makes this an above average Wayne film for the period. Mary Kornman as Anne and Carmen LaRoux as Juanita LaRoux provide the love interests for the boys. "The Desert Trail" is one of the better ones in this series, but keep in mind that it is not a typical example of what the young Duke was doing at this early point in his career.

The Duke does comedy in this entertaining early western
1935's The Desert Trail offers something of a change of pace for John Wayne in his early acting career. This time around, in the role of John Scott alias John Jones, he's not exactly a good guy, but he's not exactly a bad guy either. What's more, he and his pal Kansas Charlie alias Rev. Harry Smith (Eddy Chandler) are a comic team of sorts. Their antics certainly made me laugh on several occasions. The two like to needle each other pretty good, and they are constantly trying to spark the same girl wherever they go. In times of trouble, they are known to get in minor catfights which invariably feature Charlie missing Scott by a mile, then having his foot stomped by his friend. This time, their attempts to outdo one another land them in hot water, accused of a murder and robbery they didn't commit. They trail the real criminal to Poker Flats and assume new identities, but they face the daunting task of clearing their names before the wrong hand of the law manages to nab them. There is one short scene of rodeo action taken from stock footage seen in many other early westerns from Lone Star Productions, but other than that this is an entertaining western featuring a comedic side of John Wayne that was fairly unusual at the time of the film's release in 1935. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Early B-Western.
"Lawless Range" is one of the early B-Pictures, from Republic Pictures, with John Wayne. The fourth western he did with the company. Released in 1935, lasting 50 odd minutes in total. The film was directed by Robert Bradbury, and co-stars Sheila Bromley, Frank McGlynn Jr, along with a load of others.

The story is somewhat of a simple one, but acceptable for a B-Picture. John Wayne plays John Middleton. He is a would-be rodeo competition winner, but his dad recieves a letter from an old friend, who says he is in some sort of trouble. John rides off out into the Valley to investigate the situation. He gets into trouble there stragiht away, when he is thought to be a thief, and nearly gets thrown into jail. He then finds out the old friend has disappeared, and been gone now for a few days. A lawman explains to John about the mysterious things that have been going on in the valley. He asks John to go out and see what is going on, and this follows into a whole load of action, gun-fights. Always entertaining.

This is one of those movies where John Wayne is singing (of course, his voice was dubbed). I think this is definately an enjoyable little movie, especially for a B-Picture. The acting could have of course been better, because it is a little below average, but I shouldn't be comparing it to big pictures. John Wayne fans should enjoy this one. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The last of John Wayne's early westerns for Lone Star
"Paradise Canyon" is the last of the sixteen B Westerns that a young John Wayne made for poverty row studio Monogram's Lone Star division between 1933 and 1935. Directed by Carl Pierson, the first of three cheap Westerns the long time film editor directed, you need to know right from the start that they did not save the best for last in this series despite the promise of the tagline: "The fight at Robber's Roost...It Teems With Action!" But Wayne did well enough to move on after this one to Republic Pictures, where eventually he would encounter John Ford, make "Stagecoach," and become the iconic actor of the American western film genre.

Once again John Wayne is playing an undercover good guy, this time named John Wyatt who joins the medicine show of Doc Carter (Earle Hodgins) as a sharpshooter in an effort to find some counterfeiters along the Mexican border in Arizona (It it just me or does counterfeiting sound overly ambitious for the Wild West? How many opportunities are there to find change for a fake $100, $20 or whatever in these towns?). Wyatt is suspicious of the Doc but it turns out the bad guy is really Curly Joe Gale (legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt), who is not only the counterfeiter but also found time in his criminal past to frame Curly Joe (it is a decidedly small world in these Westerns). This is helpful because Wyatt has taken a liking to Doc's daughter, Linda (Marion Burns), billed as Princess Natasha in Wyatt's shooting act.

If you have been following the Lone Star series there are really few surprises here in terms of the plot. If you can frame one person for counterfeiting you can frame another person. The twist on this one is that the Duke's character has to cross the border to pursue Curly Joe and rescue Doc and Linda. Not surprisingly, our hero has as many problems with law enforcement south of the border as he does on this side. Then there is the question of why a story about counterfeiting with a canyon in the title ends up having the climax in an old mine. "Paradise Canyon" also has the diversion of Perry Murdock and Gordon Clifford singing as the Texas Two, but that is not really enough to get this one up to the level of being an average Lone Star oater. I would not recommend that a John Wayne fan endure all sixteen of these early efforts, but the first dozen or so did have not only the Duke and Canutt but George "Gabby" Hayes, which always helps.

Good for what ails you
Paradise Canyon isn't one of John Wayne's more memorable early westerns, but it is something of a hoot to watch. In this film, Wayne plays a lawman who goes to work undercover with a traveling medicine show in an effort to catch a gang of counterfeiters along the Mexican border. The good doctor, whose fabulous Indian elixir is 90% alcohol, served time for counterfeiting a few years earlier when his "partner" turned states' evidence and set him up for the fall, so Wayne's character starts his investigation there. Yakima Canutt plays the bad guy, and Marion Burns fills the role of Dr. Carter's daughter. There's not as much riding, shooting, and fisticuffs as you normally find in these old Lone Star Productions films, but Paradise Canyon does feature a vintage medicine show with singing, sharp-shooting, and ardent hawking of Dr. Carter's Indian Remedy, good for anything that ails you. There's plenty here for John Wayne fans to enjoy, but Paradise Canyon is by no means his best early picture. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The last of John Wayne's early westerns for Lone Star
"Paradise Canyon" is the last of the sixteen B Westerns that a young John Wayne made for poverty row studio Monogram's Lone Star division between 1933 and 1935. Directed by Carl Pierson, the first of three cheap Westerns the long time film editor directed, you need to know right from the start that they did not save the best for last in this series despite the promise of the tagline: "The fight at Robber's Roost...It Teems With Action!" But Wayne did well enough to move on after this one to Republic Pictures, where eventually he would encounter John Ford, make "Stagecoach," and become the iconic actor of the American western film genre.

Once again John Wayne is playing an undercover good guy, this time named John Wyatt who joins the medicine show of Doc Carter (Earle Hodgins) as a sharpshooter in an effort to find some counterfeiters along the Mexican border in Arizona (It it just me or does counterfeiting sound overly ambitious for the Wild West? How many opportunities are there to find change for a fake $100, $20 or whatever in these towns?). Wyatt is suspicious of the Doc but it turns out the bad guy is really Curly Joe Gale (legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt), who is not only the counterfeiter but also found time in his criminal past to frame Curly Joe (it is a decidedly small world in these Westerns). This is helpful because Wyatt has taken a liking to Doc's daughter, Linda (Marion Burns), billed as Princess Natasha in Wyatt's shooting act.

If you have been following the Lone Star series there are really few surprises here in terms of the plot. If you can frame one person for counterfeiting you can frame another person. The twist on this one is that the Duke's character has to cross the border to pursue Curly Joe and rescue Doc and Linda. Not surprisingly, our hero has as many problems with law enforcement south of the border as he does on this side. Then there is the question of why a story about counterfeiting with a canyon in the title ends up having the climax in an old mine. "Paradise Canyon" also has the diversion of Perry Murdock and Gordon Clifford singing as the Texas Two, but that is not really enough to get this one up to the level of being an average Lone Star oater. I would not recommend that a John Wayne fan endure all sixteen of these early efforts, but the first dozen or so did have not only the Duke and Canutt but George "Gabby" Hayes, which always helps.

Good for what ails you
Paradise Canyon isn't one of John Wayne's more memorable early westerns, but it is something of a hoot to watch. In this film, Wayne plays a lawman who goes to work undercover with a traveling medicine show in an effort to catch a gang of counterfeiters along the Mexican border. The good doctor, whose fabulous Indian elixir is 90% alcohol, served time for counterfeiting a few years earlier when his "partner" turned states' evidence and set him up for the fall, so Wayne's character starts his investigation there. Yakima Canutt plays the bad guy, and Marion Burns fills the role of Dr. Carter's daughter. There's not as much riding, shooting, and fisticuffs as you normally find in these old Lone Star Productions films, but Paradise Canyon does feature a vintage medicine show with singing, sharp-shooting, and ardent hawking of Dr. Carter's Indian Remedy, good for anything that ails you. There's plenty here for John Wayne fans to enjoy, but Paradise Canyon is by no means his best early picture. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

John Wayne and Eddy Chandler team up for some Western fun
I had to double check to make sure that "The Desert Trail" was still part of the series of sixteen B Westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933 and 1935. These films were made for $10,000 each in five days, with Wayne making $2,500 and the plots were pretty repetitive. Wayne plays an undercover lawman who the bad guys think is one of them, there are sequences involving exciting stunt work by the legendary Yakima Canutt, and the good guys win. But "The Desert Trail," made in 1935 is a bit different because it has much more intentional comedy than we have seen in the series. Maybe it was because Canutt was not involved, but there is also the fact that for the first time in the series George "Gabby" Hayes is not involved and the director was Lewis D. Collins instead of Robert N. Bradbury. The result is one of the more atypical of the young Duke's Lone Star efforts.

Wayne plays John Scott, a rodeo star and his best buddy is the gambler, Kansas Charlie (Eddy Chandler). The pair are framed for a robbery-murder in Rattlesnake Gulch by bad guy Pete (Al Ferguson) and have to flee to Poker City. There they take the names John Jones and the Rev. Harry Smith and once again get fingered by Pete. Fortunately Pete's accomplice, Jim (Paul Fix) has a bit of a conscience and helps out the boys and then things proceed as expected. If you want to get excited about John Wayne being a rodeo star, forget it, because it is all stock footage. The plot is nothing special, but Wayne and Chandler have some fun with what is going on and that makes this an above average Wayne film for the period. Mary Kornman as Anne and Carmen LaRoux as Juanita LaRoux provide the love interests for the boys. "The Desert Trail" is one of the better ones in this series, but keep in mind that it is not a typical example of what the young Duke was doing at this early point in his career.

The Duke does comedy in this entertaining early western
1935's The Desert Trail offers something of a change of pace for John Wayne in his early acting career. This time around, in the role of John Scott alias John Jones, he's not exactly a good guy, but he's not exactly a bad guy either. What's more, he and his pal Kansas Charlie alias Rev. Harry Smith (Eddy Chandler) are a comic team of sorts. Their antics certainly made me laugh on several occasions. The two like to needle each other pretty good, and they are constantly trying to spark the same girl wherever they go. In times of trouble, they are known to get in minor catfights which invariably feature Charlie missing Scott by a mile, then having his foot stomped by his friend. This time, their attempts to outdo one another land them in hot water, accused of a murder and robbery they didn't commit. They trail the real criminal to Poker Flats and assume new identities, but they face the daunting task of clearing their names before the wrong hand of the law manages to nab them. There is one short scene of rodeo action taken from stock footage seen in many other early westerns from Lone Star Productions, but other than that this is an entertaining western featuring a comedic side of John Wayne that was fairly unusual at the time of the film's release in 1935. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

John Wayne and Eddy Chandler team up for some Western fun
I had to double check to make sure that "The Desert Trail" was still part of the series of sixteen B Westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933 and 1935. These films were made for $10,000 each in five days, with Wayne making $2,500 and the plots were pretty repetitive. Wayne plays an undercover lawman who the bad guys think is one of them, there are sequences involving exciting stunt work by the legendary Yakima Canutt, and the good guys win. But "The Desert Trail," made in 1935 is a bit different because it has much more intentional comedy than we have seen in the series. Maybe it was because Canutt was not involved, but there is also the fact that for the first time in the series George "Gabby" Hayes is not involved and the director was Lewis D. Collins instead of Robert N. Bradbury. The result is one of the more atypical of the young Duke's Lone Star efforts.

Wayne plays John Scott, a rodeo star and his best buddy is the gambler, Kansas Charlie (Eddy Chandler). The pair are framed for a robbery-murder in Rattlesnake Gulch by bad guy Pete (Al Ferguson) and have to flee to Poker City. There they take the names John Jones and the Rev. Harry Smith and once again get fingered by Pete. Fortunately Pete's accomplice, Jim (Paul Fix) has a bit of a conscience and helps out the boys and then things proceed as expected. If you want to get excited about John Wayne being a rodeo star, forget it, because it is all stock footage. The plot is nothing special, but Wayne and Chandler have some fun with what is going on and that makes this an above average Wayne film for the period. Mary Kornman as Anne and Carmen LaRoux as Juanita LaRoux provide the love interests for the boys. "The Desert Trail" is one of the better ones in this series, but keep in mind that it is not a typical example of what the young Duke was doing at this early point in his career.

The Duke does comedy in this entertaining early western
1935's The Desert Trail offers something of a change of pace for John Wayne in his early acting career. This time around, in the role of John Scott alias John Jones, he's not exactly a good guy, but he's not exactly a bad guy either. What's more, he and his pal Kansas Charlie alias Rev. Harry Smith (Eddy Chandler) are a comic team of sorts. Their antics certainly made me laugh on several occasions. The two like to needle each other pretty good, and they are constantly trying to spark the same girl wherever they go. In times of trouble, they are known to get in minor catfights which invariably feature Charlie missing Scott by a mile, then having his foot stomped by his friend. This time, their attempts to outdo one another land them in hot water, accused of a murder and robbery they didn't commit. They trail the real criminal to Poker Flats and assume new identities, but they face the daunting task of clearing their names before the wrong hand of the law manages to nab them. There is one short scene of rodeo action taken from stock footage seen in many other early westerns from Lone Star Productions, but other than that this is an entertaining western featuring a comedic side of John Wayne that was fairly unusual at the time of the film's release in 1935. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An early John Wayne B Western without a happy ending
"The Dawn Rider" is the penultimate B Western in the series of sixteen that a young John Wayne starred in for Lone Star/Monogram studio between 1933 and 1935. Wayne plays John Mason who comes home in time to see his father (Joe DeGrasse) gunned down by bad guys. Mason gives chase and manages to gun down three of them before being wounded himself. Mason ends up being cared for by Alice Gordon (Marion Burns), who, in the small world that these B Westerns represents, turns out to be the the girl friend of the local bad guy, Ben (Reed Howes), but also the sister of the man who shot Mason's father, Rudd Gordon (Dennis Moore, aka Denny Meadows). This is going to make a happy ending difficult and director Robert N. Bradbury does not really try, which is interesting in itself given this series.

Legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt is back after an absence of a couple of films, although he does not get too do any thing particularly special this time around in terms of the stunts. Canutt plays the saloon keeper when he is not doubling for Wayne or another actor in the action sequences. George "Gabby" Hayes is still absent and the comic relief comes from Nelson McDowell as Batest the undertaker, who complains the town is too healthy and if something does not happen soon he is going to have to vamoose. Of course Mason and Gordon's gang take care of that.

All of these Lone Star Westerns are in poor shape. The sound is always scratchy and the picture blurred at times. But then these oaters were made for $10,000 in five days, so we are talking the production values of a poverty row studio. But for fans of the Duke it is interesting to back and see what he was like when he was learning his craft. Just think of these little movies, all of which run under an hour, as representing John Wayne in grade school, and do not expect the title to have anything to really do with the character or plot.

A cut above most early John Wayne westerns
Dawn Rider (1935) is one of my favorite early John Wayne westerns. While it does fit the mold of all the Lone Star Productions vehicles featuring The Duke amidst a cast of regulars such as Yakima Canutt, it rises a cut above the rest through its rather involved plot, a less than completely happy ending, and some great scenes such as the final showdown in which The Duke saunters down the street in impressive "this town ain't big enough for the both of us" fashion. Wayne plays John Mason, who arrives home just in time to see his father murdered during a robbery - but not before he gets acquainted with local tough guy Ben (Reed Howes). Both men go at it pretty good only to become best of friends by the time the fight is over. When his dad is killed, Mason goes after the gang of thugs, taking out a few of them but sustaining two gunshot wounds of his own. Ben's sweetie nurses him back to health, but as luck would have it, her own brother is the man Mason is looking for. As if this isn't complicated enough, Ben starts to believe that Mason is after his girl, placing an unsuspecting Mason up to his neck in trouble later on. Most of these early westerns have a happy ending all the way around, but Dawn Rider does not, and this fact really makes this film stand out in my mind. Packed with action, great performances, and some magnificently staged gunfights, Dawn Rider is a movie every fan of old westerns can enjoy - especially if you also happen to be a big John Wayne fan.

Young DUKE in Forgettable Western...
While The DUKE is as DUKE-ish as ever, unfortunately this film is one of the fogettable westerns he was relegated to making between the 1930 epic "The Big Trail" and the 1939 groundbreaker, "Stagecoach".

Predictable and not very unique or stylish, "The Dawn Rider" tells the tale of a young man trying to avenge his father's death. The man responsible is the brother of The DUKE's new best friend's sweetheart, who secretly pines for The DUKE.

Naturally, DUKE can't get the girl because his best pal wants her, and he can't take revenge on the bad brother without hurting the girl.

The story sounds more interesting that it really is. Nothing in the story is fully or clearly developed, and ham is the order of the day for the supporting players.

On the plus side, DUKE regular Yakima Canutt is also on hand,
and the DUKE himself is as rugged, honest, and charming as ever in this 1935 effort.

In great (though critically poor) scene, DUKE is and his soon-to-be pal are fighting things out. They throw away their guns to settle things "the old fashioned way." When DUKE knocks down his opponent, the man lands near a discarded gun. He refuses to pick it up, prefering to fight fair instead. The DUKE shows obvious liking for the fair play, and the two become friends.

Some great corny western banter preceeds the fight, with DUKE telling the man "Looks like you're the joker in this deck!"

While not a memorable western, this DVD shows a young DUKE in action. The disc is inexpensive, so if nothing else, DUKE fans can enjoy 55 minutes of young DUKE for a low price.

Early "Duke"
I used to watch these old John Wayne movies (1930s) on Saturday mornings on tv when I was a kid. I picked up 7 of them on VHS when I saw them in the store. If you're a fan of these early westerns then "The Dawn Rider" will definitely satisfy you. It's great to watch an early John Wayne beginning to define himself as the king of the westerns. Some pretty good stunts too. Enjoy!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An early John Wayne B Western without a happy ending
"The Dawn Rider" is the penultimate B Western in the series of sixteen that a young John Wayne starred in for Lone Star/Monogram studio between 1933 and 1935. Wayne plays John Mason who comes home in time to see his father (Joe DeGrasse) gunned down by bad guys. Mason gives chase and manages to gun down three of them before being wounded himself. Mason ends up being cared for by Alice Gordon (Marion Burns), who, in the small world that these B Westerns represents, turns out to be the the girl friend of the local bad guy, Ben (Reed Howes), but also the sister of the man who shot Mason's father, Rudd Gordon (Dennis Moore, aka Denny Meadows). This is going to make a happy ending difficult and director Robert N. Bradbury does not really try, which is interesting in itself given this series.

Legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt is back after an absence of a couple of films, although he does not get too do any thing particularly special this time around in terms of the stunts. Canutt plays the saloon keeper when he is not doubling for Wayne or another actor in the action sequences. George "Gabby" Hayes is still absent and the comic relief comes from Nelson McDowell as Batest the undertaker, who complains the town is too healthy and if something does not happen soon he is going to have to vamoose. Of course Mason and Gordon's gang take care of that.

All of these Lone Star Westerns are in poor shape. The sound is always scratchy and the picture blurred at times. But then these oaters were made for $10,000 in five days, so we are talking the production values of a poverty row studio. But for fans of the Duke it is interesting to back and see what he was like when he was learning his craft. Just think of these little movies, all of which run under an hour, as representing John Wayne in grade school, and do not expect the title to have anything to really do with the character or plot.

A cut above most early John Wayne westerns
Dawn Rider (1935) is one of my favorite early John Wayne westerns. While it does fit the mold of all the Lone Star Productions vehicles featuring The Duke amidst a cast of regulars such as Yakima Canutt, it rises a cut above the rest through its rather involved plot, a less than completely happy ending, and some great scenes such as the final showdown in which The Duke saunters down the street in impressive "this town ain't big enough for the both of us" fashion. Wayne plays John Mason, who arrives home just in time to see his father murdered during a robbery - but not before he gets acquainted with local tough guy Ben (Reed Howes). Both men go at it pretty good only to become best of friends by the time the fight is over. When his dad is killed, Mason goes after the gang of thugs, taking out a few of them but sustaining two gunshot wounds of his own. Ben's sweetie nurses him back to health, but as luck would have it, her own brother is the man Mason is looking for. As if this isn't complicated enough, Ben starts to believe that Mason is after his girl, placing an unsuspecting Mason up to his neck in trouble later on. Most of these early westerns have a happy ending all the way around, but Dawn Rider does not, and this fact really makes this film stand out in my mind. Packed with action, great performances, and some magnificently staged gunfights, Dawn Rider is a movie every fan of old westerns can enjoy - especially if you also happen to be a big John Wayne fan.

Young DUKE in Forgettable Western...
While The DUKE is as DUKE-ish as ever, unfortunately this film is one of the fogettable westerns he was relegated to making between the 1930 epic "The Big Trail" and the 1939 groundbreaker, "Stagecoach".

Predictable and not very unique or stylish, "The Dawn Rider" tells the tale of a young man trying to avenge his father's death. The man responsible is the brother of The DUKE's new best friend's sweetheart, who secretly pines for The DUKE.

Naturally, DUKE can't get the girl because his best pal wants her, and he can't take revenge on the bad brother without hurting the girl.

The story sounds more interesting that it really is. Nothing in the story is fully or clearly developed, and ham is the order of the day for the supporting players.

On the plus side, DUKE regular Yakima Canutt is also on hand,
and the DUKE himself is as rugged, honest, and charming as ever in this 1935 effort.

In great (though critically poor) scene, DUKE is and his soon-to-be pal are fighting things out. They throw away their guns to settle things "the old fashioned way." When DUKE knocks down his opponent, the man lands near a discarded gun. He refuses to pick it up, prefering to fight fair instead. The DUKE shows obvious liking for the fair play, and the two become friends.

Some great corny western banter preceeds the fight, with DUKE telling the man "Looks like you're the joker in this deck!"

While not a memorable western, this DVD shows a young DUKE in action. The disc is inexpensive, so if nothing else, DUKE fans can enjoy 55 minutes of young DUKE for a low price.

Early "Duke"
I used to watch these old John Wayne movies (1930s) on Saturday mornings on tv when I was a kid. I picked up 7 of them on VHS when I saw them in the store. If you're a fan of these early westerns then "The Dawn Rider" will definitely satisfy you. It's great to watch an early John Wayne beginning to define himself as the king of the westerns. Some pretty good stunts too. Enjoy!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An early John Wayne B Western without a happy ending
"The Dawn Rider" is the penultimate B Western in the series of sixteen that a young John Wayne starred in for Lone Star/Monogram studio between 1933 and 1935. Wayne plays John Mason who comes home in time to see his father (Joe DeGrasse) gunned down by bad guys. Mason gives chase and manages to gun down three of them before being wounded himself. Mason ends up being cared for by Alice Gordon (Marion Burns), who, in the small world that these B Westerns represents, turns out to be the the girl friend of the local bad guy, Ben (Reed Howes), but also the sister of the man who shot Mason's father, Rudd Gordon (Dennis Moore, aka Denny Meadows). This is going to make a happy ending difficult and director Robert N. Bradbury does not really try, which is interesting in itself given this series.

Legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt is back after an absence of a couple of films, although he does not get too do any thing particularly special this time around in terms of the stunts. Canutt plays the saloon keeper when he is not doubling for Wayne or another actor in the action sequences. George "Gabby" Hayes is still absent and the comic relief comes from Nelson McDowell as Batest the undertaker, who complains the town is too healthy and if something does not happen soon he is going to have to vamoose. Of course Mason and Gordon's gang take care of that.

All of these Lone Star Westerns are in poor shape. The sound is always scratchy and the picture blurred at times. But then these oaters were made for $10,000 in five days, so we are talking the production values of a poverty row studio. But for fans of the Duke it is interesting to back and see what he was like when he was learning his craft. Just think of these little movies, all of which run under an hour, as representing John Wayne in grade school, and do not expect the title to have anything to really do with the character or plot.

A cut above most early John Wayne westerns
Dawn Rider (1935) is one of my favorite early John Wayne westerns. While it does fit the mold of all the Lone Star Productions vehicles featuring The Duke amidst a cast of regulars such as Yakima Canutt, it rises a cut above the rest through its rather involved plot, a less than completely happy ending, and some great scenes such as the final showdown in which The Duke saunters down the street in impressive "this town ain't big enough for the both of us" fashion. Wayne plays John Mason, who arrives home just in time to see his father murdered during a robbery - but not before he gets acquainted with local tough guy Ben (Reed Howes). Both men go at it pretty good only to become best of friends by the time the fight is over. When his dad is killed, Mason goes after the gang of thugs, taking out a few of them but sustaining two gunshot wounds of his own. Ben's sweetie nurses him back to health, but as luck would have it, her own brother is the man Mason is looking for. As if this isn't complicated enough, Ben starts to believe that Mason is after his girl, placing an unsuspecting Mason up to his neck in trouble later on. Most of these early westerns have a happy ending all the way around, but Dawn Rider does not, and this fact really makes this film stand out in my mind. Packed with action, great performances, and some magnificently staged gunfights, Dawn Rider is a movie every fan of old westerns can enjoy - especially if you also happen to be a big John Wayne fan.

Young DUKE in Forgettable Western...
While The DUKE is as DUKE-ish as ever, unfortunately this film is one of the fogettable westerns he was relegated to making between the 1930 epic "The Big Trail" and the 1939 groundbreaker, "Stagecoach".

Predictable and not very unique or stylish, "The Dawn Rider" tells the tale of a young man trying to avenge his father's death. The man responsible is the brother of The DUKE's new best friend's sweetheart, who secretly pines for The DUKE.

Naturally, DUKE can't get the girl because his best pal wants her, and he can't take revenge on the bad brother without hurting the girl.

The story sounds more interesting that it really is. Nothing in the story is fully or clearly developed, and ham is the order of the day for the supporting players.

On the plus side, DUKE regular Yakima Canutt is also on hand,
and the DUKE himself is as rugged, honest, and charming as ever in this 1935 effort.

In great (though critically poor) scene, DUKE is and his soon-to-be pal are fighting things out. They throw away their guns to settle things "the old fashioned way." When DUKE knocks down his opponent, the man lands near a discarded gun. He refuses to pick it up, prefering to fight fair instead. The DUKE shows obvious liking for the fair play, and the two become friends.

Some great corny western banter preceeds the fight, with DUKE telling the man "Looks like you're the joker in this deck!"

While not a memorable western, this DVD shows a young DUKE in action. The disc is inexpensive, so if nothing else, DUKE fans can enjoy 55 minutes of young DUKE for a low price.

Early "Duke"
I used to watch these old John Wayne movies (1930s) on Saturday mornings on tv when I was a kid. I picked up 7 of them on VHS when I saw them in the store. If you're a fan of these early westerns then "The Dawn Rider" will definitely satisfy you. It's great to watch an early John Wayne beginning to define himself as the king of the westerns. Some pretty good stunts too. Enjoy!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Above Average Oater...
Johnny Mack Brown plays Billy Donovan, an ammunition salesman and trick shooter (and he-man hero) who stumbles on the mystery of the "Desert Phantom". The Phantom is intent on driving Jean Halloran and her stepfather off their ranch, and has killed all of the ranch hands, cattle, and relatives who offer Jean support. Among the suspects is the evil Salizar and his gang, and as it turns out, Donovan has an old score to settle with him.

There are many low-budget westerns that were made in the 1930's, and most look pretty dry today. But "Desert Phantom" (1936) has a few things going for it that keep the movie from lacking all interest.

First, the mystery surrounding the "Phantom" is handled pretty well, and although you know he will be revealed as a cast member, his identity remains almost a mystery right up to the end. Only the most passing of cliche hints is offered to the audience early on.

Ted Adams's Salizar is suitably menacing, although the character degenerates into a bit of silliness when he decides to marry Jean (given the nature of Donovan's grudge, this element does not seem all that plausible). Also on hand is Nelson McDowell in a fine comedic turn as "Doc" Simpson, the town horse doctor.

The print used by Alpha Video is clearly from an inferior video source, with some serious kerning and other video errors. But for the price, and to have one of these old films to screen, one can probably not argue too much.

A remake of 1932's "Night Rider". ... Read more