Born to the West on release (37), re-titled Hell Town and could've been called She Picks the Wrong Cowboy, this is your standard short n' sweet B-Western (59 minutes). Nevertheless, if you're like this critic whose blood boils when scoundrels succeed and revels in their eventual comeuppance, Hell Town will satisfy like a cold sarsaparilla in summertime. Watch for a young John Wayne in lead as dude Dare Rudd, seven seasons after his first major role as Breck in The Big Trail (30) and then just prior to his breakout film Stagecoach (39) playing gunman on the run, Ringo. Other cast include college football hero Johnny Mack Brown (Tom), marvelous Marsha Hunt (Judy) before she turned activist, former Silent star and regular sagebrush sidewinder Monte Blue (Bart), James Craig as the double dealing card-shark, Brady, and Syd Saylor plays the soulsome sidekick, Dinkey Hooley, maybe the Duke's best bud (2.5/4).
Review of Born to the West
