NOTES: The first of two films Wayne made supporting Tim McCoy at Columbia. The other: Two Fisted Law (1932), shot by the same team of Lederman and Kline, also from a William Colt MacDonald story.
VIEWERS' GUIDE: Okay for all.
COMMENT: As will be seen from the synopsis, Wayne's role is relatively unimportant. True, the actor is much his usual self, even at this early stage of his career, but he has only four or five scenes and is surprisingly even up-staged by an unknown bit-player as the climax (in which he takes no part) comes around.
Aside from Wayne's presence, this is a typical "B" western of its period. Not a great deal of action - a couple of undercranked fist fights and a brief climactic shoot-out; a lesser amount of comedy relief (somewhat inepty provided by a youngish Walter Brennan already into old-timer parts but not yet having them down pat); a lot of simple-minded intrigue; and a smidgin of romance. All against settings far more grittily realistic (the saloon girls) than those we are now used to. And of course no background music - a deficiency that despite Kline's lucid photography, gives the movie a somewhat primitive air.
VIEWERS' GUIDE: Okay for all.
COMMENT: As will be seen from the synopsis, Wayne's role is relatively unimportant. True, the actor is much his usual self, even at this early stage of his career, but he has only four or five scenes and is surprisingly even up-staged by an unknown bit-player as the climax (in which he takes no part) comes around.
Aside from Wayne's presence, this is a typical "B" western of its period. Not a great deal of action - a couple of undercranked fist fights and a brief climactic shoot-out; a lesser amount of comedy relief (somewhat inepty provided by a youngish Walter Brennan already into old-timer parts but not yet having them down pat); a lot of simple-minded intrigue; and a smidgin of romance. All against settings far more grittily realistic (the saloon girls) than those we are now used to. And of course no background music - a deficiency that despite Kline's lucid photography, gives the movie a somewhat primitive air.