Reviews (2)

Romance and drama come together in this beautiful story!
This movie is a favorite classic! All the actors do a superb job at bringing together everything a good movie needs... suspense, romance... drama... good versus the evil businessmen... and it makes you feel good to watch it. I'm an electronics teacher and show this to my high school students who love the movie! (It is not easy to inspire kids these days!!!) I've seen it over 20 times now showing it to all my students, and still love watching it!

"WATSON, I NEED YOU"...
Those were the very first words spoken (and successfully received by another party) via telephone by Alexander Graham Bell, the Scotsman who invented the telephone. The tale begins in 1875. Young Alex Bell is shown eating cheese and apples while trying to send speech over copper wires. No one thinks much of this idea except the deaf daughter of one of his grudging sponsors (the deaf girl is Loretta Young). Folks were inclined to call it a toy and they kept away from it; Bell himself tended to distust it. When Bell wants an ambulance, he sends a friend out to call one. "This thing will never work" he lamented. But it did of course, and soon the Western Union was trying to claim the patent...Don Ameche does rather well here, playing Bell with surprising conviction. Henry Fonda is fine as the sensible Mr. Watson as is Charles Coburn as the methodical Mr. Hubbard. The most moving scene in the entire film is when a mute boy, who had never spoken before, enunciates the word "father" (sob!). The direction by Irving Cummings is piously sincere. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Corny, but it's also got something else...
As a fan of old movies, this was one I was going to end up seeing sooner or later. When it comes to the silent era, I prefer the slapstick, and I tend to avoid the more dramatic films. But who can ignore the legend that is Rudolph Valentino? This being the first Valentino film I'd ever seen, my expectations were pretty high, given his reputation, and I must say that I was a little disappointed. I personally don't see him as someone to commit suicide over upon his death, as some women did in 1926. Instead, I thought he was kind of effeminate. And, as a woman, I did find the storyline a little revolting - a woman falling in love with her kidnapper? But, as with any classic film, you have to look at the times in which it was made. The locations and costuming are exotic, definitely designed to transport the viewer into another time and place. And I'm sure that women were attracted to "dangerous men" even then, and the storyline is the kind that psychologically lets a woman off the hook, in terms of 1920's standards of guilt and morality (rape fantasy, anyone?). The actor's, and especially Valentino's, expressions were over-the-top, as they are in any silent-era film (probably why I prefer silent comedies-the overdone expressions fit better when they are played for laughs). But there's something else: even though I thought him effeminate, Valentino does certainly have a magnetism, a charisma about him. And the idea that a man would be so passionate about a woman that he would be driven to carry her off across the God-forsaken desert...well, I guess that plays pretty well, too. To be sure, some of it was unintentially funny and over-romanticized by today's standards. But I did find it much easier to swallow than the overblown morality plays of D.W. Griffith or the stuffed-with-substance films of Murnau. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who is interested in exploring silent films or cinematic history in general.

White sands and dark eyes
Only Valentino could get away with kidnaping a woman, forcing her into his tent and having her fall madly in love with him in the end. Valentino gives an iconic performance and this is a movie where his character is in ownership of the movie, it is, his film. The Shiek has gorgeous cinematography, the horses carrying riders with long wispy clothes in the wind, traveling along the white desert terrain. The peephole views through the camera, as if you are looking through a pair of binoculars like any other desert lurker of the time, makes you, the viewer, a voyeur character of the film. The romantic wardrobe that drapes the leading lady within her capture tent is also a beautiful commentary of fashion of the time. Often times with silent movies the music that is composed 1 to 5 decades later tends not to mesh, but this time it is not intrusive and in fact remains impactful in it's own right. The Shiek is a beautiful piece of moving art, mythic, ethereal, and historically interesting, not just for silent movie buffs but for everyone.

Final footnote
During the 1920s, women who had seen the Sheik started running all over Arabia looking for Arabs to capture them. The real Arabs and British told them to please stay home: the real sheiks were not interested.

great romantic film!
For great romance and passion, "The Sheik," really has it. It's a great film. It's a silent film and is great. In my opinion it's one of the best. Rudolph Valentino is great as the desert lover.

It is just a story!
I love Rudolph Valentino. He possessed a spirit that I find
rare in anyone. As for "The Shiek", it is just a fantasy story.
There are pros and cons about the depiction of Arab people and
the treatment of women, but to me it is just a story about a women who finds love with a domineering man in a strange, and unusual place. The things that made her hate him turned to love in the end.The way Valentino related to women in movies he could not be anything but a real man. All men were kind of finely drawn in these silent movies. Compared to the book however, this movie is clean ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The best of Bela Lugoi's Poverty Row films for Monogram
Actually "The Invisible Ghost" does refer to a character in this 1941 film, but then the only thing that matters is Bela Lugosi's name on the title card. Lugosi plays Charles Kessler, who we meet having dinner with his wife on their wedding anniversary; the only problem is that according to daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young), her mother was killed in a car accident several years earlier as she was about to run off with her husband's best friend. But Kessler still worships his wife and on their anniversary he convinces himself he is having dinner with his beloved. Sounds plausible enough, but the truth is that Mrs. Kessler (Betty Compson) survived the auto accident and is being kept in the gardener's shed by the caretaker, Jules (Ernie Adams), who keeps assuring the poor woman that she will be taken to her husband and daughter "soon." Meanwhile, there have been a series of strange murders in the neighborhood and when the maid is struck down the suspicion falls on Virginia's beau (John McGuire). But, of course, that is not close enough to home to really ruin the rest of Virginia's life and sooner or later the local cops will figure out the truth of what is going on here.

"The Invisible Ghost" is the best of the nine Poverty Row productions Lugosi made for Monogram after his fall from grace at Universal Studios. The problems in the script (you can usually find the body in a car crash for starters) are compensated for by the work of director Joe Lewis, who shows a lot of cinematic flair for a B-film director making a quickie (e.g., filming the fireplace during the exposition). This film is rather face paced and gets a lot in for only 64-minutes. The other advantage it has is that Lugosi's performance is better than the plot; I mean, come on, you know who the murderer is before the movie begins, and it is just a question of waiting for all the pieces to be forced into place by the time the film ends. This is not a suspense film, but more one about atmosphere and mood. The insane wife, befuddled daughter and falsely accused beau are all above average performances as well; if you were just listening to them you would not know this was a low-budget horror film. There are times when I think this is Lugosi's best performance, but I am probably more comfortable claiming it is one in which he plays his most sympathetic character. But if you do not have a strong stomach for stupid plots, then you would want to pass this one bye.

Bela Lugosi's best poverty row film for Monogram
Actually "The Invisible Ghost" does refer to a character in this 1941 film, but then the only thing that matters is Bela Lugosi's name on the title card. Lugosi plays Charles Kessler, who we meet having dinner with his wife on their wedding anniversary; the only problem is that according to daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young), her mother was killed in a car accident several years earlier as she was about to run off with her husband's best friend. But Kessler still worships his wife and on their anniversary he convinces himself he is having dinner with his beloved. Sounds plausible enough, but the truth is that Mrs. Kessler (Betty Compson) survived the auto accident and is being kept in the gardener's shed by the caretaker, Jules (Ernie Adams), who keeps assuring the poor woman that she will be taken to her husband and daughter "soon." Meanwhile, there have been a series of strange murders in the neighborhood and when the maid is struck down the suspicion falls on Virginia's beau (John McGuire). But, of course, that is not close enough to home to really ruin the rest of Virginia's life and sooner or later the local cops will figure out the truth of what is going on here.

"The Invisible Ghost" is the best of the nine Poverty Row productions Lugosi made for Monogram after his fall from grace at Universal Studios. The problems in the script (you can usually find the body in a car crash for starters) are compensated for by the work of director Joe Lewis, who shows a lot of cinematic flair for a B-film director making a quickie (e.g., filming the fireplace during the exposition). This film is rather face paced and gets a lot in for only 64-minutes. The other advantage it has is that Lugosi's performance is better than the plot; I mean, come on, you know who the murderer is before the movie begins, and it is just a question of waiting for all the pieces to be forced into place by the time the film ends. This is not a suspense film, but more one about atmosphere and mood. The insane wife, befuddled daughter and falsely accused beau are all above average performances as well; if you were just listening to them you would not know this was a low-budget horror film. There are times when I think this is Lugosi's best performance, but I am probably more comfortable claiming it is one in which he plays his most sympathetic character. But if you do not have a strong stomach for stupid plots, then you would want to pass this one bye.

INVISIBLE GHOST
Although not technically or artistically superior, Invisible Ghost is a winner for Lugosi fans. He plays Charles Kessler, who employs a butler, a maid, a cook and a gardener. There is a series of murders which cannot be solved. Controlled by his estranged wife, who is in a lost world herself (hidden below a storage room by the gardener), Kessler commits the murders in a trance with no memory of them in his normal state. Lugosi is very pleasant and unknowing of what is happening to him/others. This film is very satisfying to Lugosi fans but may be boring to general classic horror fans. [Favorite scene: Lugosi's talk with his new cook]

A peculiarity from Poverty Row.
The oddities of this Monogram semi-horror film begin with the title! The "ghost" in question is NOT invisible, and is not really a ghost. Also, the shadow of an ape appears on the main title card. (Don't ask me, I'm only the reviewer.) The various plot twists contain no supernatural or science fiction elements, and yet are even less plausible than those of other Monogram horrors. The director, Joseph Lewis, displays almost none of the talent he showed in his later films. Only the presence of Bela Lugosi makes this one worthwhile. The role of "Dr. Kessler" is a Jekyll/Hyde character, so Lugosi is playing a normal, likeable guy during most of his screen time, which makes this one of his more unusual roles. Also, Clarence Muse is good as the butler.

Surreal, bizarre Monogram masterpiece...
The title almost gives it away. "The Invisible Ghost." What other kind of ghost IS there? While there are some genuinely creepy moments in this black and white thriller, the plot is so hare-brained you'll need multiple viewings just to absorb the details. Let's see; Bela Lugosi believes his wife died in a car accident, but his gardener (!) actually has her stowed in the back barn. When wifey staggers out in the rain and "haunts" Lugosi, he falls into a trance and murders whoever's handy, then "wakes up" remembering nothing. Throw in a cigar chomping (and utterly ineffectual) police detective, the poor fellow who's unjustly convicted of the murders and sent to the electric chair (!), the casual way Lugosi and friends react to multiple homicides, and a psycho-therapist who suggests Lugosi's murderous trance is, in fact, a fairly common psychiatric disorder, and you've got one of the more whacked movies in cinema history. I loved it! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Great John Wayne Double Feature !!!!
John Wayne has been one of Hollywood's greatest american icons for the past nine decades and even after his death in 1979,his legacy of films and memorable characters live on !!! Madacy's "Hollywood Classics" DVD showcases two of his early shoot-em ups.First,the Duke's 1934 B-Western THE MAN FROM UTAH,which is the main spotlight feature of the DVD,features Wayne as a sheriff who ends up with some vicious cowboys who kills some of his rodeo competors and to track them down,justice style.OK early effort by Wayne,but not one of the Duke's best works until his later years.The second film featured on this disc is considered by many fans and critics as one of Wayne's best films of the '40's,the 1947 film ANGEL & THE BADMAN in which he rescues a quaker girl from tough hoodlums.These two films are well-worth checking out,however,like many of Madacy's DVD's,there are a few complications.First off,THE MAN FROM UTAH's print quality is average 1930's,but the source used here on the DVD looks as if it was copied from VHS,but there are no video artifacts throughout the entire 55-minute film AND be aware that this version contains some modern stock music placed in certain scenes which at times can be a bit annoying,but it's only for a couple of seconds.ANGEL AND THE BADMAN's print quality,compared to some of the versions that I've seen,looks terrific with no sound drop-outs and video artifacts whatsoever.The only problem is that even though the box states that it's a full-length film,there is about ten minutes worth of footage cut from this DVD in order to fit two movies on one disc,but who cares! Ten minutes of scenes cut isn't going to kill you !!! All in all,this is a good DVD which also contains bloopers,newsreels,and trivia which I thought was kind of cool and all those can be found in many of the "Hollywood Classics" titles from Madacy.If you wish to see ANGEL AND THE BADMAN without ten minutes of footage cut,then don't buy this.But if you want to see early John Wayne at his best,then this is the DVD for you !!! You be the judge !!!

An early B Western where John Wayne joins the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An early B-Western with John Wayne trying out the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An unusual but enjoyable early John Wayne western
I quite enjoyed The Man From Utah (1934), but it is a rather peculiar old western. John Wayne plays John Weston, a stranger who rides into town, saves the local marshal's life in the aftermath of a bank robbery, and soon finds himself entering a rodeo as an undercover detective of sorts. It seems that the rodeo organizer's boys keep winning all the prize money at each event, while outsider entrants who have a chance to win keep getting "snakebit," literally. It's up to The Duke to infiltrate the gang, figure out how they operate, and save the day. There is a good bit of rodeo action, but a significant portion of it comes from stock footage used in a good number of other early films; this is clearly a mark against The Man From Utah, but it is an understandable way to make a cheap movie back in depression-marked 1934. If you haven't seen the footage elsewhere, it won't matter at all to you. What really distinguishes this film is the music. The movie opens with John Wayne riding into town strumming a guitar and singing; I believe this is stock footage of someone other than The Duke, though. What really got me, though, was the insertion at times, usually during a chase scene, of unusually prominent music consisting mainly of organs and horns (at least, that's what it sounded like to me). I suppose this was done to add tension or excitement to important parts of the film, but the sound of quasi-classical music coming from out of nowhere during an old western really struck me as quite odd. The Man From Utah does have its problems, but it still features John Wayne playing the hero as only he can; this and the presence of the always entertaining Gabby Hayes make this an entertaining old western that all fans of The Duke should enjoy.

Quite the Hero
John Wayne is quite the hero in this short, old western. An enjoyable video showing him in his beginning years of acting. He even sings in this one. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Great John Wayne Double Feature !!!!
John Wayne has been one of Hollywood's greatest american icons for the past nine decades and even after his death in 1979,his legacy of films and memorable characters live on !!! Madacy's "Hollywood Classics" DVD showcases two of his early shoot-em ups.First,the Duke's 1934 B-Western THE MAN FROM UTAH,which is the main spotlight feature of the DVD,features Wayne as a sheriff who ends up with some vicious cowboys who kills some of his rodeo competors and to track them down,justice style.OK early effort by Wayne,but not one of the Duke's best works until his later years.The second film featured on this disc is considered by many fans and critics as one of Wayne's best films of the '40's,the 1947 film ANGEL & THE BADMAN in which he rescues a quaker girl from tough hoodlums.These two films are well-worth checking out,however,like many of Madacy's DVD's,there are a few complications.First off,THE MAN FROM UTAH's print quality is average 1930's,but the source used here on the DVD looks as if it was copied from VHS,but there are no video artifacts throughout the entire 55-minute film AND be aware that this version contains some modern stock music placed in certain scenes which at times can be a bit annoying,but it's only for a couple of seconds.ANGEL AND THE BADMAN's print quality,compared to some of the versions that I've seen,looks terrific with no sound drop-outs and video artifacts whatsoever.The only problem is that even though the box states that it's a full-length film,there is about ten minutes worth of footage cut from this DVD in order to fit two movies on one disc,but who cares! Ten minutes of scenes cut isn't going to kill you !!! All in all,this is a good DVD which also contains bloopers,newsreels,and trivia which I thought was kind of cool and all those can be found in many of the "Hollywood Classics" titles from Madacy.If you wish to see ANGEL AND THE BADMAN without ten minutes of footage cut,then don't buy this.But if you want to see early John Wayne at his best,then this is the DVD for you !!! You be the judge !!!

An early B Western where John Wayne joins the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An early B-Western with John Wayne trying out the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An unusual but enjoyable early John Wayne western
I quite enjoyed The Man From Utah (1934), but it is a rather peculiar old western. John Wayne plays John Weston, a stranger who rides into town, saves the local marshal's life in the aftermath of a bank robbery, and soon finds himself entering a rodeo as an undercover detective of sorts. It seems that the rodeo organizer's boys keep winning all the prize money at each event, while outsider entrants who have a chance to win keep getting "snakebit," literally. It's up to The Duke to infiltrate the gang, figure out how they operate, and save the day. There is a good bit of rodeo action, but a significant portion of it comes from stock footage used in a good number of other early films; this is clearly a mark against The Man From Utah, but it is an understandable way to make a cheap movie back in depression-marked 1934. If you haven't seen the footage elsewhere, it won't matter at all to you. What really distinguishes this film is the music. The movie opens with John Wayne riding into town strumming a guitar and singing; I believe this is stock footage of someone other than The Duke, though. What really got me, though, was the insertion at times, usually during a chase scene, of unusually prominent music consisting mainly of organs and horns (at least, that's what it sounded like to me). I suppose this was done to add tension or excitement to important parts of the film, but the sound of quasi-classical music coming from out of nowhere during an old western really struck me as quite odd. The Man From Utah does have its problems, but it still features John Wayne playing the hero as only he can; this and the presence of the always entertaining Gabby Hayes make this an entertaining old western that all fans of The Duke should enjoy.

Quite the Hero
John Wayne is quite the hero in this short, old western. An enjoyable video showing him in his beginning years of acting. He even sings in this one. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Great John Wayne Double Feature !!!!
John Wayne has been one of Hollywood's greatest american icons for the past nine decades and even after his death in 1979,his legacy of films and memorable characters live on !!! Madacy's "Hollywood Classics" DVD showcases two of his early shoot-em ups.First,the Duke's 1934 B-Western THE MAN FROM UTAH,which is the main spotlight feature of the DVD,features Wayne as a sheriff who ends up with some vicious cowboys who kills some of his rodeo competors and to track them down,justice style.OK early effort by Wayne,but not one of the Duke's best works until his later years.The second film featured on this disc is considered by many fans and critics as one of Wayne's best films of the '40's,the 1947 film ANGEL & THE BADMAN in which he rescues a quaker girl from tough hoodlums.These two films are well-worth checking out,however,like many of Madacy's DVD's,there are a few complications.First off,THE MAN FROM UTAH's print quality is average 1930's,but the source used here on the DVD looks as if it was copied from VHS,but there are no video artifacts throughout the entire 55-minute film AND be aware that this version contains some modern stock music placed in certain scenes which at times can be a bit annoying,but it's only for a couple of seconds.ANGEL AND THE BADMAN's print quality,compared to some of the versions that I've seen,looks terrific with no sound drop-outs and video artifacts whatsoever.The only problem is that even though the box states that it's a full-length film,there is about ten minutes worth of footage cut from this DVD in order to fit two movies on one disc,but who cares! Ten minutes of scenes cut isn't going to kill you !!! All in all,this is a good DVD which also contains bloopers,newsreels,and trivia which I thought was kind of cool and all those can be found in many of the "Hollywood Classics" titles from Madacy.If you wish to see ANGEL AND THE BADMAN without ten minutes of footage cut,then don't buy this.But if you want to see early John Wayne at his best,then this is the DVD for you !!! You be the judge !!!

An early B Western where John Wayne joins the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An early B-Western with John Wayne trying out the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An unusual but enjoyable early John Wayne western
I quite enjoyed The Man From Utah (1934), but it is a rather peculiar old western. John Wayne plays John Weston, a stranger who rides into town, saves the local marshal's life in the aftermath of a bank robbery, and soon finds himself entering a rodeo as an undercover detective of sorts. It seems that the rodeo organizer's boys keep winning all the prize money at each event, while outsider entrants who have a chance to win keep getting "snakebit," literally. It's up to The Duke to infiltrate the gang, figure out how they operate, and save the day. There is a good bit of rodeo action, but a significant portion of it comes from stock footage used in a good number of other early films; this is clearly a mark against The Man From Utah, but it is an understandable way to make a cheap movie back in depression-marked 1934. If you haven't seen the footage elsewhere, it won't matter at all to you. What really distinguishes this film is the music. The movie opens with John Wayne riding into town strumming a guitar and singing; I believe this is stock footage of someone other than The Duke, though. What really got me, though, was the insertion at times, usually during a chase scene, of unusually prominent music consisting mainly of organs and horns (at least, that's what it sounded like to me). I suppose this was done to add tension or excitement to important parts of the film, but the sound of quasi-classical music coming from out of nowhere during an old western really struck me as quite odd. The Man From Utah does have its problems, but it still features John Wayne playing the hero as only he can; this and the presence of the always entertaining Gabby Hayes make this an entertaining old western that all fans of The Duke should enjoy.

Quite the Hero
John Wayne is quite the hero in this short, old western. An enjoyable video showing him in his beginning years of acting. He even sings in this one. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Great John Wayne Double Feature !!!!
John Wayne has been one of Hollywood's greatest american icons for the past nine decades and even after his death in 1979,his legacy of films and memorable characters live on !!! Madacy's "Hollywood Classics" DVD showcases two of his early shoot-em ups.First,the Duke's 1934 B-Western THE MAN FROM UTAH,which is the main spotlight feature of the DVD,features Wayne as a sheriff who ends up with some vicious cowboys who kills some of his rodeo competors and to track them down,justice style.OK early effort by Wayne,but not one of the Duke's best works until his later years.The second film featured on this disc is considered by many fans and critics as one of Wayne's best films of the '40's,the 1947 film ANGEL & THE BADMAN in which he rescues a quaker girl from tough hoodlums.These two films are well-worth checking out,however,like many of Madacy's DVD's,there are a few complications.First off,THE MAN FROM UTAH's print quality is average 1930's,but the source used here on the DVD looks as if it was copied from VHS,but there are no video artifacts throughout the entire 55-minute film AND be aware that this version contains some modern stock music placed in certain scenes which at times can be a bit annoying,but it's only for a couple of seconds.ANGEL AND THE BADMAN's print quality,compared to some of the versions that I've seen,looks terrific with no sound drop-outs and video artifacts whatsoever.The only problem is that even though the box states that it's a full-length film,there is about ten minutes worth of footage cut from this DVD in order to fit two movies on one disc,but who cares! Ten minutes of scenes cut isn't going to kill you !!! All in all,this is a good DVD which also contains bloopers,newsreels,and trivia which I thought was kind of cool and all those can be found in many of the "Hollywood Classics" titles from Madacy.If you wish to see ANGEL AND THE BADMAN without ten minutes of footage cut,then don't buy this.But if you want to see early John Wayne at his best,then this is the DVD for you !!! You be the judge !!!

An early B Western where John Wayne joins the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An early B-Western with John Wayne trying out the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An unusual but enjoyable early John Wayne western
I quite enjoyed The Man From Utah (1934), but it is a rather peculiar old western. John Wayne plays John Weston, a stranger who rides into town, saves the local marshal's life in the aftermath of a bank robbery, and soon finds himself entering a rodeo as an undercover detective of sorts. It seems that the rodeo organizer's boys keep winning all the prize money at each event, while outsider entrants who have a chance to win keep getting "snakebit," literally. It's up to The Duke to infiltrate the gang, figure out how they operate, and save the day. There is a good bit of rodeo action, but a significant portion of it comes from stock footage used in a good number of other early films; this is clearly a mark against The Man From Utah, but it is an understandable way to make a cheap movie back in depression-marked 1934. If you haven't seen the footage elsewhere, it won't matter at all to you. What really distinguishes this film is the music. The movie opens with John Wayne riding into town strumming a guitar and singing; I believe this is stock footage of someone other than The Duke, though. What really got me, though, was the insertion at times, usually during a chase scene, of unusually prominent music consisting mainly of organs and horns (at least, that's what it sounded like to me). I suppose this was done to add tension or excitement to important parts of the film, but the sound of quasi-classical music coming from out of nowhere during an old western really struck me as quite odd. The Man From Utah does have its problems, but it still features John Wayne playing the hero as only he can; this and the presence of the always entertaining Gabby Hayes make this an entertaining old western that all fans of The Duke should enjoy.

Quite the Hero
John Wayne is quite the hero in this short, old western. An enjoyable video showing him in his beginning years of acting. He even sings in this one. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Great John Wayne Double Feature !!!!
John Wayne has been one of Hollywood's greatest american icons for the past nine decades and even after his death in 1979,his legacy of films and memorable characters live on !!! Madacy's "Hollywood Classics" DVD showcases two of his early shoot-em ups.First,the Duke's 1934 B-Western THE MAN FROM UTAH,which is the main spotlight feature of the DVD,features Wayne as a sheriff who ends up with some vicious cowboys who kills some of his rodeo competors and to track them down,justice style.OK early effort by Wayne,but not one of the Duke's best works until his later years.The second film featured on this disc is considered by many fans and critics as one of Wayne's best films of the '40's,the 1947 film ANGEL & THE BADMAN in which he rescues a quaker girl from tough hoodlums.These two films are well-worth checking out,however,like many of Madacy's DVD's,there are a few complications.First off,THE MAN FROM UTAH's print quality is average 1930's,but the source used here on the DVD looks as if it was copied from VHS,but there are no video artifacts throughout the entire 55-minute film AND be aware that this version contains some modern stock music placed in certain scenes which at times can be a bit annoying,but it's only for a couple of seconds.ANGEL AND THE BADMAN's print quality,compared to some of the versions that I've seen,looks terrific with no sound drop-outs and video artifacts whatsoever.The only problem is that even though the box states that it's a full-length film,there is about ten minutes worth of footage cut from this DVD in order to fit two movies on one disc,but who cares! Ten minutes of scenes cut isn't going to kill you !!! All in all,this is a good DVD which also contains bloopers,newsreels,and trivia which I thought was kind of cool and all those can be found in many of the "Hollywood Classics" titles from Madacy.If you wish to see ANGEL AND THE BADMAN without ten minutes of footage cut,then don't buy this.But if you want to see early John Wayne at his best,then this is the DVD for you !!! You be the judge !!!

An early B Western where John Wayne joins the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An early B-Western with John Wayne trying out the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An unusual but enjoyable early John Wayne western
I quite enjoyed The Man From Utah (1934), but it is a rather peculiar old western. John Wayne plays John Weston, a stranger who rides into town, saves the local marshal's life in the aftermath of a bank robbery, and soon finds himself entering a rodeo as an undercover detective of sorts. It seems that the rodeo organizer's boys keep winning all the prize money at each event, while outsider entrants who have a chance to win keep getting "snakebit," literally. It's up to The Duke to infiltrate the gang, figure out how they operate, and save the day. There is a good bit of rodeo action, but a significant portion of it comes from stock footage used in a good number of other early films; this is clearly a mark against The Man From Utah, but it is an understandable way to make a cheap movie back in depression-marked 1934. If you haven't seen the footage elsewhere, it won't matter at all to you. What really distinguishes this film is the music. The movie opens with John Wayne riding into town strumming a guitar and singing; I believe this is stock footage of someone other than The Duke, though. What really got me, though, was the insertion at times, usually during a chase scene, of unusually prominent music consisting mainly of organs and horns (at least, that's what it sounded like to me). I suppose this was done to add tension or excitement to important parts of the film, but the sound of quasi-classical music coming from out of nowhere during an old western really struck me as quite odd. The Man From Utah does have its problems, but it still features John Wayne playing the hero as only he can; this and the presence of the always entertaining Gabby Hayes make this an entertaining old western that all fans of The Duke should enjoy.

Quite the Hero
John Wayne is quite the hero in this short, old western. An enjoyable video showing him in his beginning years of acting. He even sings in this one. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Great John Wayne Double Feature !!!!
John Wayne has been one of Hollywood's greatest american icons for the past nine decades and even after his death in 1979,his legacy of films and memorable characters live on !!! Madacy's "Hollywood Classics" DVD showcases two of his early shoot-em ups.First,the Duke's 1934 B-Western THE MAN FROM UTAH,which is the main spotlight feature of the DVD,features Wayne as a sheriff who ends up with some vicious cowboys who kills some of his rodeo competors and to track them down,justice style.OK early effort by Wayne,but not one of the Duke's best works until his later years.The second film featured on this disc is considered by many fans and critics as one of Wayne's best films of the '40's,the 1947 film ANGEL & THE BADMAN in which he rescues a quaker girl from tough hoodlums.These two films are well-worth checking out,however,like many of Madacy's DVD's,there are a few complications.First off,THE MAN FROM UTAH's print quality is average 1930's,but the source used here on the DVD looks as if it was copied from VHS,but there are no video artifacts throughout the entire 55-minute film AND be aware that this version contains some modern stock music placed in certain scenes which at times can be a bit annoying,but it's only for a couple of seconds.ANGEL AND THE BADMAN's print quality,compared to some of the versions that I've seen,looks terrific with no sound drop-outs and video artifacts whatsoever.The only problem is that even though the box states that it's a full-length film,there is about ten minutes worth of footage cut from this DVD in order to fit two movies on one disc,but who cares! Ten minutes of scenes cut isn't going to kill you !!! All in all,this is a good DVD which also contains bloopers,newsreels,and trivia which I thought was kind of cool and all those can be found in many of the "Hollywood Classics" titles from Madacy.If you wish to see ANGEL AND THE BADMAN without ten minutes of footage cut,then don't buy this.But if you want to see early John Wayne at his best,then this is the DVD for you !!! You be the judge !!!

An early B Western where John Wayne joins the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An early B-Western with John Wayne trying out the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An unusual but enjoyable early John Wayne western
I quite enjoyed The Man From Utah (1934), but it is a rather peculiar old western. John Wayne plays John Weston, a stranger who rides into town, saves the local marshal's life in the aftermath of a bank robbery, and soon finds himself entering a rodeo as an undercover detective of sorts. It seems that the rodeo organizer's boys keep winning all the prize money at each event, while outsider entrants who have a chance to win keep getting "snakebit," literally. It's up to The Duke to infiltrate the gang, figure out how they operate, and save the day. There is a good bit of rodeo action, but a significant portion of it comes from stock footage used in a good number of other early films; this is clearly a mark against The Man From Utah, but it is an understandable way to make a cheap movie back in depression-marked 1934. If you haven't seen the footage elsewhere, it won't matter at all to you. What really distinguishes this film is the music. The movie opens with John Wayne riding into town strumming a guitar and singing; I believe this is stock footage of someone other than The Duke, though. What really got me, though, was the insertion at times, usually during a chase scene, of unusually prominent music consisting mainly of organs and horns (at least, that's what it sounded like to me). I suppose this was done to add tension or excitement to important parts of the film, but the sound of quasi-classical music coming from out of nowhere during an old western really struck me as quite odd. The Man From Utah does have its problems, but it still features John Wayne playing the hero as only he can; this and the presence of the always entertaining Gabby Hayes make this an entertaining old western that all fans of The Duke should enjoy.

Quite the Hero
John Wayne is quite the hero in this short, old western. An enjoyable video showing him in his beginning years of acting. He even sings in this one. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Great John Wayne Double Feature !!!!
John Wayne has been one of Hollywood's greatest american icons for the past nine decades and even after his death in 1979,his legacy of films and memorable characters live on !!! Madacy's "Hollywood Classics" DVD showcases two of his early shoot-em ups.First,the Duke's 1934 B-Western THE MAN FROM UTAH,which is the main spotlight feature of the DVD,features Wayne as a sheriff who ends up with some vicious cowboys who kills some of his rodeo competors and to track them down,justice style.OK early effort by Wayne,but not one of the Duke's best works until his later years.The second film featured on this disc is considered by many fans and critics as one of Wayne's best films of the '40's,the 1947 film ANGEL & THE BADMAN in which he rescues a quaker girl from tough hoodlums.These two films are well-worth checking out,however,like many of Madacy's DVD's,there are a few complications.First off,THE MAN FROM UTAH's print quality is average 1930's,but the source used here on the DVD looks as if it was copied from VHS,but there are no video artifacts throughout the entire 55-minute film AND be aware that this version contains some modern stock music placed in certain scenes which at times can be a bit annoying,but it's only for a couple of seconds.ANGEL AND THE BADMAN's print quality,compared to some of the versions that I've seen,looks terrific with no sound drop-outs and video artifacts whatsoever.The only problem is that even though the box states that it's a full-length film,there is about ten minutes worth of footage cut from this DVD in order to fit two movies on one disc,but who cares! Ten minutes of scenes cut isn't going to kill you !!! All in all,this is a good DVD which also contains bloopers,newsreels,and trivia which I thought was kind of cool and all those can be found in many of the "Hollywood Classics" titles from Madacy.If you wish to see ANGEL AND THE BADMAN without ten minutes of footage cut,then don't buy this.But if you want to see early John Wayne at his best,then this is the DVD for you !!! You be the judge !!!

An early B Western where John Wayne joins the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An early B-Western with John Wayne trying out the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An unusual but enjoyable early John Wayne western
I quite enjoyed The Man From Utah (1934), but it is a rather peculiar old western. John Wayne plays John Weston, a stranger who rides into town, saves the local marshal's life in the aftermath of a bank robbery, and soon finds himself entering a rodeo as an undercover detective of sorts. It seems that the rodeo organizer's boys keep winning all the prize money at each event, while outsider entrants who have a chance to win keep getting "snakebit," literally. It's up to The Duke to infiltrate the gang, figure out how they operate, and save the day. There is a good bit of rodeo action, but a significant portion of it comes from stock footage used in a good number of other early films; this is clearly a mark against The Man From Utah, but it is an understandable way to make a cheap movie back in depression-marked 1934. If you haven't seen the footage elsewhere, it won't matter at all to you. What really distinguishes this film is the music. The movie opens with John Wayne riding into town strumming a guitar and singing; I believe this is stock footage of someone other than The Duke, though. What really got me, though, was the insertion at times, usually during a chase scene, of unusually prominent music consisting mainly of organs and horns (at least, that's what it sounded like to me). I suppose this was done to add tension or excitement to important parts of the film, but the sound of quasi-classical music coming from out of nowhere during an old western really struck me as quite odd. The Man From Utah does have its problems, but it still features John Wayne playing the hero as only he can; this and the presence of the always entertaining Gabby Hayes make this an entertaining old western that all fans of The Duke should enjoy.

Quite the Hero
John Wayne is quite the hero in this short, old western. An enjoyable video showing him in his beginning years of acting. He even sings in this one. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Great John Wayne Double Feature !!!!
John Wayne has been one of Hollywood's greatest american icons for the past nine decades and even after his death in 1979,his legacy of films and memorable characters live on !!! Madacy's "Hollywood Classics" DVD showcases two of his early shoot-em ups.First,the Duke's 1934 B-Western THE MAN FROM UTAH,which is the main spotlight feature of the DVD,features Wayne as a sheriff who ends up with some vicious cowboys who kills some of his rodeo competors and to track them down,justice style.OK early effort by Wayne,but not one of the Duke's best works until his later years.The second film featured on this disc is considered by many fans and critics as one of Wayne's best films of the '40's,the 1947 film ANGEL & THE BADMAN in which he rescues a quaker girl from tough hoodlums.These two films are well-worth checking out,however,like many of Madacy's DVD's,there are a few complications.First off,THE MAN FROM UTAH's print quality is average 1930's,but the source used here on the DVD looks as if it was copied from VHS,but there are no video artifacts throughout the entire 55-minute film AND be aware that this version contains some modern stock music placed in certain scenes which at times can be a bit annoying,but it's only for a couple of seconds.ANGEL AND THE BADMAN's print quality,compared to some of the versions that I've seen,looks terrific with no sound drop-outs and video artifacts whatsoever.The only problem is that even though the box states that it's a full-length film,there is about ten minutes worth of footage cut from this DVD in order to fit two movies on one disc,but who cares! Ten minutes of scenes cut isn't going to kill you !!! All in all,this is a good DVD which also contains bloopers,newsreels,and trivia which I thought was kind of cool and all those can be found in many of the "Hollywood Classics" titles from Madacy.If you wish to see ANGEL AND THE BADMAN without ten minutes of footage cut,then don't buy this.But if you want to see early John Wayne at his best,then this is the DVD for you !!! You be the judge !!!

An early B Western where John Wayne joins the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An early B-Western with John Wayne trying out the rodeo
In several of the B westerns that John Wayne made for Lone Star/Monogram between 1933-35 he played an undercover agent. That is again the situation in "The Man from Utah," a 1934 effort that was Wayne's sixth film for the poverty row studio. But this time around there is a rather interesting twist when Marshall George Higgins (George "Gabby" Hayes) sends John Weston (Wayne) undercover to a rodeo to investigate who has been murdering the riders. The thought of the Duke at the rodeo is certainly enough to catch your interest, even if he is going to be doubled by the legendary stuntman, Yakima Canutt, who also plays Cheyenne Kent. However, do not be startled with Wayne first appears, strumming a guitar and trying to lip-synch singing a song, because that has nothing to do with the rest of the movie and just a unpleasant reminder that in the first of these films Wayne played a singing cowboy named Singin' Sandy Sanderson.

The romance side of this Western is a bit more than usual, with Wayne being interested in good girl Marjorie Carter (Polly Ann Young, sister of Loretta and Sally Blane) and bad girl Dolores (Anita Campillo). Most of the rodeo scenes are stock footage taken at some real rodeo, and the inserts are rather blatant, but what else did you expect from a poverty row studio. The story by Lindsley Parsons, who did several of Wayne's Lone Star Westerns, was apparently popular enough that Monogram used it again in 1937's "Trouble in Texas" with Tex Ritter, in 1944's "The Utah Kid" with Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson, and in 1952's "Lawless Cowboys" with Whip Wilson. The director was Robert B. Bradbury, who did most of these early films with Wayne. "The Man From Utah" is at least different from these Wayne's other Lone Star films that it is at least an average example of what he was doing at that time.

An unusual but enjoyable early John Wayne western
I quite enjoyed The Man From Utah (1934), but it is a rather peculiar old western. John Wayne plays John Weston, a stranger who rides into town, saves the local marshal's life in the aftermath of a bank robbery, and soon finds himself entering a rodeo as an undercover detective of sorts. It seems that the rodeo organizer's boys keep winning all the prize money at each event, while outsider entrants who have a chance to win keep getting "snakebit," literally. It's up to The Duke to infiltrate the gang, figure out how they operate, and save the day. There is a good bit of rodeo action, but a significant portion of it comes from stock footage used in a good number of other early films; this is clearly a mark against The Man From Utah, but it is an understandable way to make a cheap movie back in depression-marked 1934. If you haven't seen the footage elsewhere, it won't matter at all to you. What really distinguishes this film is the music. The movie opens with John Wayne riding into town strumming a guitar and singing; I believe this is stock footage of someone other than The Duke, though. What really got me, though, was the insertion at times, usually during a chase scene, of unusually prominent music consisting mainly of organs and horns (at least, that's what it sounded like to me). I suppose this was done to add tension or excitement to important parts of the film, but the sound of quasi-classical music coming from out of nowhere during an old western really struck me as quite odd. The Man From Utah does have its problems, but it still features John Wayne playing the hero as only he can; this and the presence of the always entertaining Gabby Hayes make this an entertaining old western that all fans of The Duke should enjoy.

Quite the Hero
John Wayne is quite the hero in this short, old western. An enjoyable video showing him in his beginning years of acting. He even sings in this one. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The best of Bela Lugoi's Poverty Row films for Monogram
Actually "The Invisible Ghost" does refer to a character in this 1941 film, but then the only thing that matters is Bela Lugosi's name on the title card. Lugosi plays Charles Kessler, who we meet having dinner with his wife on their wedding anniversary; the only problem is that according to daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young), her mother was killed in a car accident several years earlier as she was about to run off with her husband's best friend. But Kessler still worships his wife and on their anniversary he convinces himself he is having dinner with his beloved. Sounds plausible enough, but the truth is that Mrs. Kessler (Betty Compson) survived the auto accident and is being kept in the gardener's shed by the caretaker, Jules (Ernie Adams), who keeps assuring the poor woman that she will be taken to her husband and daughter "soon." Meanwhile, there have been a series of strange murders in the neighborhood and when the maid is struck down the suspicion falls on Virginia's beau (John McGuire). But, of course, that is not close enough to home to really ruin the rest of Virginia's life and sooner or later the local cops will figure out the truth of what is going on here.

"The Invisible Ghost" is the best of the nine Poverty Row productions Lugosi made for Monogram after his fall from grace at Universal Studios. The problems in the script (you can usually find the body in a car crash for starters) are compensated for by the work of director Joe Lewis, who shows a lot of cinematic flair for a B-film director making a quickie (e.g., filming the fireplace during the exposition). This film is rather face paced and gets a lot in for only 64-minutes. The other advantage it has is that Lugosi's performance is better than the plot; I mean, come on, you know who the murderer is before the movie begins, and it is just a question of waiting for all the pieces to be forced into place by the time the film ends. This is not a suspense film, but more one about atmosphere and mood. The insane wife, befuddled daughter and falsely accused beau are all above average performances as well; if you were just listening to them you would not know this was a low-budget horror film. There are times when I think this is Lugosi's best performance, but I am probably more comfortable claiming it is one in which he plays his most sympathetic character. But if you do not have a strong stomach for stupid plots, then you would want to pass this one bye.

Bela Lugosi's best poverty row film for Monogram
Actually "The Invisible Ghost" does refer to a character in this 1941 film, but then the only thing that matters is Bela Lugosi's name on the title card. Lugosi plays Charles Kessler, who we meet having dinner with his wife on their wedding anniversary; the only problem is that according to daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young), her mother was killed in a car accident several years earlier as she was about to run off with her husband's best friend. But Kessler still worships his wife and on their anniversary he convinces himself he is having dinner with his beloved. Sounds plausible enough, but the truth is that Mrs. Kessler (Betty Compson) survived the auto accident and is being kept in the gardener's shed by the caretaker, Jules (Ernie Adams), who keeps assuring the poor woman that she will be taken to her husband and daughter "soon." Meanwhile, there have been a series of strange murders in the neighborhood and when the maid is struck down the suspicion falls on Virginia's beau (John McGuire). But, of course, that is not close enough to home to really ruin the rest of Virginia's life and sooner or later the local cops will figure out the truth of what is going on here.

"The Invisible Ghost" is the best of the nine Poverty Row productions Lugosi made for Monogram after his fall from grace at Universal Studios. The problems in the script (you can usually find the body in a car crash for starters) are compensated for by the work of director Joe Lewis, who shows a lot of cinematic flair for a B-film director making a quickie (e.g., filming the fireplace during the exposition). This film is rather face paced and gets a lot in for only 64-minutes. The other advantage it has is that Lugosi's performance is better than the plot; I mean, come on, you know who the murderer is before the movie begins, and it is just a question of waiting for all the pieces to be forced into place by the time the film ends. This is not a suspense film, but more one about atmosphere and mood. The insane wife, befuddled daughter and falsely accused beau are all above average performances as well; if you were just listening to them you would not know this was a low-budget horror film. There are times when I think this is Lugosi's best performance, but I am probably more comfortable claiming it is one in which he plays his most sympathetic character. But if you do not have a strong stomach for stupid