Much better than John Wayne's early westerns (1932-1935) in terms of script, character development, production values and cast. The beginning, a supposed attempted rustling of a cattle herd is a little too extended and confusing, since it combines so many different unrelated stock footage shots. In a couple of panoramic shots, you see a rider on a golden palomino -- could that be Johnny Mack Brown?
Someone noted above that this film revitalized the flagging careers of both John Wayne and Johnny Mack Brown -- they play cousins. It's a pleasure to see them both in the same film playing good guys. Brown, is Tom Fillmore, a level headed successful cattleman and business man, and Wayne is 'Dare' Rudd, surprisingly, a cocky, horny drifter, a role similar to the one he played in "The Desert Trail" (1934) opposite Mary Kornman, but it is even more developed here: Dare loses all of the money from the sale of the herd in a crooked all night game of poker to Hammond and his card sharp, when Tom shows up to regain the money and expose Hammond's crooked scheme.
When Dare and Tom's girlfriend, Judy Worstall (the effective Marsha Hunt) catch each other's eye, Dare decides to settle down in their Wyoming town to chase her and seek honorable work. A well played love triangle develops between the three of them while the evil saloon owner, Bart Hammond (Monte Blue), attempts to steal Fillmore's cattle herd, and later, the money for its sale.
This film almost reaches first class A level movie making. By 1937 full length musical scores had become common; this one has exciting allegro music during the action scenes, and even a love theme played over Dare and Judy's scenes ("The Hills of Old Wyoming"!) Syd Saylor thankfully plays it straight and tough as the side kick, avoiding his painful 'comic' schtick (stuttering and Adam's Apple neck bobbing) we saw in his earlier films.
But we don't get a final battle between Dare and Hammond, the villains are all too easily dispatched in group horseback shootouts; and the only time John Wayne chases after anyone is to catch Judy on her runaway horse. So except for the last minute rescue when Dare and Tom are pinned down by Hammond's henchmen, there isn't all that much action.
This probably makes it a better film, but I can only give it a 5.
Note: Marsha Hunt is fantastic in the amazingly darkly lit film noir classic "Raw Deal" (1948). When there's a close up of her face as she visits Dennis O'Keefe in prison, you see Christian crosses gleam in her moist eyes. (You also get Raymond Burr as a pyromaniac villain.) She went on to a life time career of television work.
Someone noted above that this film revitalized the flagging careers of both John Wayne and Johnny Mack Brown -- they play cousins. It's a pleasure to see them both in the same film playing good guys. Brown, is Tom Fillmore, a level headed successful cattleman and business man, and Wayne is 'Dare' Rudd, surprisingly, a cocky, horny drifter, a role similar to the one he played in "The Desert Trail" (1934) opposite Mary Kornman, but it is even more developed here: Dare loses all of the money from the sale of the herd in a crooked all night game of poker to Hammond and his card sharp, when Tom shows up to regain the money and expose Hammond's crooked scheme.
When Dare and Tom's girlfriend, Judy Worstall (the effective Marsha Hunt) catch each other's eye, Dare decides to settle down in their Wyoming town to chase her and seek honorable work. A well played love triangle develops between the three of them while the evil saloon owner, Bart Hammond (Monte Blue), attempts to steal Fillmore's cattle herd, and later, the money for its sale.
This film almost reaches first class A level movie making. By 1937 full length musical scores had become common; this one has exciting allegro music during the action scenes, and even a love theme played over Dare and Judy's scenes ("The Hills of Old Wyoming"!) Syd Saylor thankfully plays it straight and tough as the side kick, avoiding his painful 'comic' schtick (stuttering and Adam's Apple neck bobbing) we saw in his earlier films.
But we don't get a final battle between Dare and Hammond, the villains are all too easily dispatched in group horseback shootouts; and the only time John Wayne chases after anyone is to catch Judy on her runaway horse. So except for the last minute rescue when Dare and Tom are pinned down by Hammond's henchmen, there isn't all that much action.
This probably makes it a better film, but I can only give it a 5.
Note: Marsha Hunt is fantastic in the amazingly darkly lit film noir classic "Raw Deal" (1948). When there's a close up of her face as she visits Dennis O'Keefe in prison, you see Christian crosses gleam in her moist eyes. (You also get Raymond Burr as a pyromaniac villain.) She went on to a life time career of television work.