Born to the West (1937) User Reviews

Duke Morrison turning into John Wayne.

[counterrevolutionary · 7/10 · 21 June 2003]

John Wayne fans should watch this film right after seeing a few of the ultra-low budget B-westerns Wayne made for Lone Star Pictures in 1934-5 (conveniently, you can get a 2-DVD set with this film, nine of Wayne's Lone Star cheapies, and ANGEL AND THE BADMAN for six bucks at Wal-Mart).

In the earlier films, we're clearly watching young Marion "Duke" Morrison appearing under a stage name. By the time BORN TO THE WEST (aka HELL TOWN) came out in 1937, Morrison was really growing into the John Wayne persona. The swagger, the drawl, and the squint are all there. Perhaps the character wasn't quite perfected yet, but the seeds of Wayne's future superstardom are there on the screen.

And the film itself is much better as well. No longer is Wayne a goodie-two-shoes, milk-drinking, kiddie-matinee hero. His character here is flawed--even a bit of a screwup. The script, the direction, and the acting are miles ahead of his early films. It's certainly not one of the greatest movies he ever made, but it's a solid, enjoyable little Western.

7/10

The Duke's Not the Greatest Poker Player West of the Mississippi

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 15 May 2006]

John Wayne and sidekick Syd Saylor are heading from Montana to Wyoming to the ranch of Wayne's cousin Johnny Mack Brown. Wayne's a cocky sort, fancies himself a great lady's man and poker player. The Duke even in his later and more irascible years usually didn't have parts that called for that, but here he does show that side of his character and shows it well.

Wayne moves in on Marsha Hunt who is Brown's girl friend. That does throw a monkey wrench into the relationship between the cousins. Later on at the hands of cardsharps Monte Blue and James Craig, Wayne gets himself in quite a hole.

Johnny Mack Brown had an interesting career. He was an All American back for the Crimson Tide of Alabama before Paul Bryant took over the team. He opted for a Hollywood career and appeared opposite stars like Mary Pickford and Greta Garbo in silents. His Alabama drawl made him a natural for westerns and he was grinding out the B films just like the Duke was at this time. This is their only film together and they both complement each other's persona well.

Although another great football player Jim Thorpe has a bit role in this film, some lists have Alan Ladd in the cast. I have to say that I examined it frame by frame and there's no trace of Mr. Ladd.

Even without Ladd it's a passably good B western, could have used some better editing, but better than some of what Wayne was doing at Monogram at the time.

HELL TOWN (Charles Barton, 1937) **

[Bunuel1976 · 5/10 · 26 May 2007]

This one’s slightly better than Texas TERROR, mainly because it features a better-than-average cast – apart from Wayne, of course, there’s Johnny “Mack” Brown as The Duke’s cousin/boss, Marsha Hunt (later co-star of the classic Anthony Mann noir RAW DEAL [1948]) as the girl who comes between them, Lucien Littlefield as Wayne’s sidekick/conscience, and Monte Blue as the villainous (but ostensibly respectable) leader of a gang of cattle rustlers.

Based on a Zane Grey novel, the film was originally released as BORN TO THE WEST – but this got changed on its re-issue to the more vivid HELL TOWN; interestingly, Wayne’s leadership of a cattle drive here anticipates Howard Hawks’ Western masterpiece RED RIVER (1948), in which he gave one of his finest performances.

Again, the film runs for less than one hour while involving standard excitements – a saloon brawl, various cattlemen-vs.-rustlers clashes, a marathon poker game erupting into violence, etc. – and familiar embellishments, such as comedy relief and romance (except that lovely young Hunt makes for a much more interesting partner for the Duke than the wooden Lucille Browne of Texas TERROR). All in all, though, the film remains strictly a potboiler.

Wayne's Screen Presence Carries the Story

[Snow Leopard · 18 June 2001]

While it has a story that is not bad in itself, "Born to the West" (or "Hell Town") is mostly carried by John Wayne's screen presence, with some help from Johnny Mack Brown and the rest of a pretty good cast.

Wayne plays a gambling-addicted cowboy who runs into his respected and influential cousin (Brown) while passing through Montana. The two become rivals for the affections of Brown's girlfriend (Marsha Hunt) while at the same time they must join up to deal with cattle rustlers and crooked card players. A lot of the story is routine, but there are some interesting features, and it moves at a good pace. The scenery is also pretty good at times.

The film is a decent Western in its own right, and is also worth watching to see Wayne's performance as a man who has to combine action with some careful thinking about his future. It's not hard to see why soon after this movie he started to get the big roles and the attention due to a star.

a cowboy decides to quit drifting, and is tested.

[Wrangler · 7/10 · 7 September 1998]

According to author Tony Thomas, this film shot adrenaline into the careers of both John Wayne and Johnny Mack Brown. It's pretty entertaining, with a good story, fine cast, terrific scenery and excellent camerawork.

Has a different feel to it

[Zoooma · 6/10 · 14 August 2014]

After six non-western B-movies, John Wayne returns to the saddle for what would be the beginning of the final chapter of his B-movie career. Rather than the standard formulaic B-western where Duke is the known hero who will get the girl, here his cowboy hero status is in question – he has to chase the girl and he's not exactly the squeaky clean character we have always known him as up to this point in his filmography. The story is by acclaimed western novel writer Zane Grey which helps explain how this is different from all that came before it for the Duke.

5.7 / 10 stars

--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

Well, this is an odd one...

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 21 January 2011]

Throughout the 1930s, John Wayne made a ton of B-westerns--all with incredibly low budgets but, overall, are pretty entertaining. Most have a real predictability about them--but somehow "Born of the West" (also known as "Hell Town") managed to be extremely different--and not necessarily in all good ways. Instead of his usual goody-goody role, Wayne, oddly, plays a rather amoral guy at the beginning of the movie. When he and his partner happen upon a pitched gun battle, they decide the join one side because they thought they would win and thought they could get a free meal out of it!! It turns out they were helping cattle rustlers!!! This is NOT a very heroic sort of role, that's for sure!! Fortunately, Wayne and his buddy are not killed but captured by a guy who just happens to be Wayne's goody-goody Cousin. This Cousin castigates Wayne for being a lazy schlemiel and shames him. After Wayne meets a pretty lady (who happens to be the cousin's lady), Wayne falls instantly in love and completely....or somewhat completely changes to the side of good! If only it were that easy!! Later in the film, Wayne's Cousin places him in charge of a cattle drive. It's win-win for the Cousin--if Wayne screws up, it will help the Cousin win the girl once and for all and if Wayne succeeds, he'll have turned his life around once and for all. What happens next is not at all out of the hero mold for Wayne and yet he still manages to get the girl! Weird...and certainly demotivational for the heroes out there watching the film! Despite a morally suspect hero and some dumb behaviors on his part, the film is pretty entertaining. So, ignore the inconsistencies and just enjoy.

Great Classic Western

[whpratt1 · 6/10 · 26 February 2008]

John Wayne, (Dare Rudd) plays the role of a drifter who gambles his money away and just can't seem to settle down until he goes back to his relative, (Tom Fillmore) Johnny Mack Brown who owns a great deal of cattle and runs the bank in town. Tom knows that Dare has a bad reputation but he gives him a chance and offers him a job to cook for his cattlemen. Tom has a girlfriend named Judy Rustoe, (Marsha Hunt) and Dare soon becomes very interested in her and they both start falling for each other. Judy persuades Tom to give Dare a different job than being a cook and so Tom makes Dare a foreman in charge of his cattle and wants him to take the cattle to market and sell them in town for $10,000 dollars. However, there are many problems that face Dare as he travels with the cattle and the story begins to get very interesting. John Wayne was 30 years of age when he made this picture and Marsha Hunt was 20 years old, they both gave outstanding performances and Marsha looked very beautiful. Today, Marsha Hunt is 91 years of age as of 2008. WOW

"When it comes to choosin' sides Dinkie, you're not so good."

[classicsoncall · 4/10 · 26 October 2004]

Dare Rudd (John Wayne) and sidekick Dink Hooley (Syd Saylor) are itinerant cowpunchers who can't seem to stay in one place very long. In "Helltown", the boys are headed to Montana, where they meet up with Rudd's cousin Tom Fillmore (Johnny Mack Brown), who offers them a job. It's a hoot to see the boys wearing aprons as they start out as cooks with the herd, although Dare becomes self conscious when Miss Judith (Marsha Hunt) rides into camp. Judy is Tom's girl, but the attraction between her and Dare is evident early on.

Fillmore has a cattle herd to move, and promotes Dare to running the drive, partly to prove to Judy that he may not be up to the task. Meanwhile, bad guy Bart Hammond (Monte Blue) has his eyes on Fillmore's cattle, but when his henchmen fail to rustle the herd, he figures it's easier to win the money that Dare was paid at the end of the trail. Conning Dare into a rigged card game with his man Brady (James Craig), Dare's money begins to evaporate hand after hand. It's only when Dare fails to show up back at Fillmore's ranch that Tom goes out to find his cousin. Exposing the cheats, Tom, Dare and Dink high tail it before the bad guys can get their revenge.

"Helltown", also known as "Born to the West", was released in 1937 by Favorite Films Corporation, a couple of years after Wayne's series of Westerns for Lone Star Productions. It only slightly alters the Lone Star formula; Wayne does get the girl at the end of the film, but here he was trying. There's a great runaway horse scene where Wayne rescues Marsha Hunt, in which Johnny Mack Brown's horse does a complete somersault spill. Syd Saylor does a nice job as the comic relief pal, doing his best to sell lightning rods to unsuspecting victims. He replaces familiar faces George "Gabby" Hayes and Yakima Canutt here, staples of the Lone Star films. John Wayne's charisma is beginning to develop here, preparing him for the leap to super star status that he eventually achieved.

"Helltown" was based on a novel by legendary Western author Zane Grey. If you're looking for more films based on Grey's stories, try "Fighting Caravans" with Gary Cooper, "The Light of Western Stars" with Victor Jory, "Drift Fence" with Buster Crabbe, and "Heritage of the Desert" with Randolph Scott.

A cowboy suddenly decides to quit drifting, and is tested.

[Wrangler · 7/10 · 7 September 1998]

According to author Tony Thomas, this film shot adrenalin into the lagging careers of both John Wayne and Johnny Mack Brown. It's very entertaining, with a good story, fine cast, terrific scenery and excellent camerawork.

Wayne, as a gambling addict, is a risky choice for Judy

[weezeralfalfa · 5/10 · 20 June 2018]

Also known as "Hell Town". Between John Wayne's period of making non westerns for Universal in late '36 and '37, and his return to making B westerns for Republic in '38, he was the lead character is this Paramount B western, based on a Zane Gray story, and directed by B movie -specialist Charles Barton. It was photographed mostly in the famous Alabama Hills, below Mt. Whitney, or in Kernville, in the southwestern Sierras. In addition to Wayne, as Dare Rudd, we have frequent starring cowboy Johnny Mack Brown, as Rudd's cousin Tom Fillmore, Marsha Hunt, as Judy Worstall: the love interest for both Rudd and Fillmore, Monte Blue as Bart Hammond: the saloon owner and the brains behind the local rustlers. Also, the uncredited crooked gambler Buck Brady. Shockingly, Syd Saylor, Wayne's constant sidekick Dinkey Hooley, is also uncredited! ........Wayne and Hooley were wandering in Wyoming, after cowpunching in Montana. In a running gag, Hooley also claims he's a lightening rod salesman, and is frustrated that no one in this dry climate wants one. Finally, he tries to sell one to a man out in the boondocks, who claims he is an agent for the lightening rod company......Tom, also a bachelor, is the local big man, with the largest cattle herd, and president of the bank. He also is a prospective husband for Judy. He met Wayne and Hooley when they accidentally joined the rustlers in a shootout with his wranglers. Wayne also takes a liking to Judy, brashly asking her several times if she will marry him. He becomes a hero to her when he rescues her from her runaway horse, spooked by a rattlesnake. Later, she claims that she could have stopped her horse any time she chose. She just wanted to experience him chasing her. Actually, Tom also was in the chase, but his horse stumbled, perhaps symbolizing that he would lose out to Wayne in their competition for Judy. Later, she tells Tom she loves Wayne more than any other man, despite his faults, although she also complements Tom. If I were Judy, I'd definitely favor Tom as a husband. He's well established and steady. We don't know if Wayne can cure his gambling addiction. .......Although Wayne is addicted to gambling with cards, and claims he's the best poker player west of the Mississippi, he keeps losing his shirt! That is brought out most forcefully when he loses nearly all the $10,000. he received for selling Tom's cattle, to the crooked cardplayer Buck Brady. Luckily, Tom arrived just in the nick of time and took Wayne's place at the table. He began winning, then caught Brady cheating and, drawing his gun, demanded that Brady give back all the money he won from Wayne. Soon after, Tom is shot, although not mortally. With Hooley, the 3 of them skedaddle before they are again attacked. Hammond's men chase them on horseback, eventually engaging in a shootout. The 3 miraculously survive against the odds. Tom then offers Wayne a partnership with him....... If this sounds OK, see it at YouTube.

this is finally the Duke

[winner55 · 10/10 · 10 June 2007]

I am giving this film ten stars, not because it is a great film (although it is one of the best of its type), but because it is a remarkably important transitional film for one of the real originals of American cinema, John Wayne.

This is one of the last of the many 'Saturday matinée' potboilers Wayne acted in for a half-dozen marginal studios during the 1930s; two years later, Ford would give him the big break of his career in "Stagecoach".

Unlike the other potboilers he appeared in, "Hell Town" (aka "Born to the West", although I have never seen a print with that title on it) is well-written, well-directed, nicely photographed, and well-acted by all involved (but especially Johnny 'Mack' Brown) - surprising quality for a cheapie, but I suppose the fact the story it derived from had been written by Zane Grey - already a legendary Western writer - probably impressed cast and crew to make a best-effort presentation here. At any rate, the film, under 55 minutes long, has the look and feel of a feature-length Western of the time, and it survives far better than any other of the Western shorts of the period.

The story is solid, with relatively serious overtones concerning the possibility of redemption. Wayne's character, a gambling addict, is rightly transformed when he discovers that his cousin is a better gambler than he is, but just prefers not to gamble.

Wayne himself is in top-form for the period. All the little gimmicks and gestures we associate with him are here in a way never seen in any film of his before this - his cautious smile, his frown, his ability to strike a pose leaning his weight on one leg, his soft but firm voice of warning, his ability to face a tough situation with grace and even, one must admit, an oddly noble humility. This is no longer the "Singing Mesquiteer" of the earlier potboilders, this is finally the Duke, who would star in "Stagecoach" and lead an army of fans (including myself) through film after film for four more decades.

This is where the filmography of John 'Duke' Wayne rightfully begins - a film that has survived well, and may yet survive a few decades more.

(Note: in another film made the previous year, Winds of the Wasteland, Wayne can also be seen coming into his own as an actor; but this is the better film.)

Wild In Wyoming

[slokes · 6/10 · 29 December 2016]

A good little movie that runs out of time before it runs out of story, "Born To The West" offers a rare chance to see John Wayne making a western in the 1930s with a decent budget for a change, even if it is still a B-picture.

Also known as "Hell Town" (which is the title with the version I saw), the film presents Wayne in an unusual role, that of the aptly named Dare, "a wild and crazy fellow" as his cousin Tom (John Mack Brown) calls him. Dare happens into Tom's home state of Wyoming looking for work, and not particular how he gets it.

An opening scene sets up the character, as Dare and his comic-relief buddy Dink (Syd Saylor) show up in the middle of a gun battle between two groups of strangers.

"Which side you favor?" Dare asks.

"Which side's winning?" Dink answers, thinking of his stomach.

Dare and Dink would just as soon blow out of town after Tom hands over $100 in travelling funds, until Dare gets a look at Tom's girl Judy (Marsha Hunt). "Hell Town" then becomes an involving duel of personalities between Dare and the upright Tom, who offers Dare plenty of opportunities to mess up and lose his claim on Judy.

"Hell Town" benefits from a solid cast, funny dialogue, and able direction from Charles Barton, who knew how to make a genre film work. (His best-remembered film combines two genres, "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.") Dink is always trying to sell lightning rods, while Dare is out to prove himself the best poker player west of the Mississippi. Neither are successful, but it's fun watching them try and fail again.

The conflict involves a gang of cattle rustlers and their boss, who works on Dare trying to get him to switch sides. Because the film runs under an hour, there's little chance to develop any tension regarding what Dare will do, and the ending is downright perfunctory in most particulars. But you do get a chance to see a nifty poker- playing scene where cousin Tom steps in and helps Dare handle a tense situation, the film's highlight.

The rest of the film is pretty good, too, and represents a chance to see Wayne play a kind of ne'er-do-well. He banters enjoyably with Saylor while showing ample nerve with Hunt: "Since you're not already spoken for, I guess I'll just marry you." Wayne would play stolid good guys, and hard cases, but here is a rare chance to see him as likable rogue, a direction his career might have gone if not for John Ford.

A Well Made B Western for the Most Part

[Chance2000esl · 5/10 · 20 January 2008]

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.

Underrated gem with a snappy script and lots of action!

[opsbooks · 7/10 · 24 April 2003]

'Hell Town' is an underrated gem with a snappy script and lots of action. Full of humour, I thoroughly enjoyed this John Wayne movie from start to finish. Monte Blue as the Duke's sidekick is fabulous! The cast all seem to be enjoying themselves. The film may have been shot in black and white but the characters are pretty well developed. Even the bad guys are likeable. The romance is mercifully kept to a bare minimum. John Wayne really comes over as a larger than life character here. It's no wonder he developed such a following in his early days.

Not One of The Duke's Best

[wrbtu · 16 September 2001]

The original title, `Born to the West,' makes more sense than does `Hell Town.' There's little to do with a town, & there's nothing particularly hellish about the town anyway, even though there's a hellish poker game that takes place there. I guess John Wayne is the star of the movie, but Johnny Mack Brown comes off a little bit better, & Monte Blue is excellent as The Duke's sidekick. This is an OK B western, far from Wayne's best. He plays a character that's not very moralistic, & there's not too much excitement in the film. Don't go to too much trouble to seek this one out. I rate it 5/10.

The Early John Wayne

[dallasryan · 7/10 · 2 September 2018]

For any John Wayne buff, it's a must to watch his early stuff before he became a star. This one is a good one to see as it's not your typical John Wayne film, he plays a character who's a bit of a down on his luck loser, and who's always making the wrong choices. This film has some great anticipation during the poker game and it's a pretty good film all around. A must see for the John Wayne diehards!

sweet and short

[RedRainbowUnicorn23 · 5/10 · 12 August 2016]

Firstly i know this movie by its other title"helltown".(its very strange that some movies have a different title in some country's)Its also very seldom that a full story can be told in 60 min this movie did i a great job.

The movie is short but the story is well taught.

The movie centers around 2 drifters played by John Wayne*dare rudd(brilliant actor) and Sid saylor*dinkie hooley(brilliant comedian) they arrive one day at a small town where dinkie's rich cousin lives. After a while dare starts noticing a girl.......

Dare falls in love with dinkies cousin's girl and there for the title helltown cause after that all hell brake loose.

The only reason a give this a 5 is bc its in black and white it brings down the quality of the movie

So if you love westerns and John Wayne check this one out.

Born to the West (37) (Hell Town)

[StevenKeys · 6/10 · 28 June 2021]

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).

Scallywag gets the girl

[shakercoola · 5/10 · 19 May 2022]

An American Western; A story about two cowhands who drift into Montana and stumble across a bunch of rustlers trying to steal a large herd of cattle. The film is based on a Zane Gray novel. It has a familiar plot but it is well acted and has a surprisingly good musical score for a B film. John Wayne gives a good performance as the cocky cowboy gambler in trouble even if his characterisation is a little rough round the edges. The action, fast chases, gun-fights, romance and heroics, and the suspense of poker gambling are all engaging and enjoyable, but it is a slight film in terms of theme and the credibility and motivation of the characters such as the hapless cousin.

Enjoyable Wayne western

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 8 February 2022]

Can Dare Rudd prove he is responsible enough to win the heart of Judy and also outwit the crooked saloon owner? To find out you have to watch this better than average John Wayne western, which also co-stars fellow b-western supremo Johnny Mack Brown. It amazes how an enjoyable concoction of stampede, romance, a strong narrative and poker playing can fit in 55 minutes running time and not looked rushed. All the cast does well, but Wayne is standout as a drifting cowboy with wild oats. It's here where his trademark swagger and drawling talk begins to show.

Routine oater with a star on the cusp of fame and fortune

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 17 February 2017]

HELL TOWN is a John Wayne western made just before he achieved international stardom as America's primary movie star. He had been working his way through a string of B-movie western cheapies throughout the 1930s and this film is no exception. Wayne plays the usual two-fisted cowboy who begins the film by being wrongly accused of being a cattle rustler before building his reputation and finally taking on a crooked gambler in the climactic moments.

This film is very ordinary for a western of its age and thus not particularly engaging. Not much thought is given to the scenery or the supporting actors and Wayne is the only one you really notice or indeed take note of. A romantic sub-plot threatens to slow things down to a crawl at times, but the gambling plot is better and more interesting.

Wanna Buy a Lightning Rod?

[Mike-764 · 8/10 · 13 October 2004]

*This review is based on the re-release of the film under the title, Hell Town*

Drifter Dare and his friend Dink travel to Wyoming to see Dare's cousin, Tom Fillmore, banker and president of the cattleman's association. A large number of herd are being rustled in the area, headed by saloon and casino owner Bart Hammond. Tom gives Dare a chance to earn an honest living (Dare bills himself as the greatest poker player west of the Mississippi, while Dink sells lightning rods as part of a payment scam) by working on his next cattle drive. Dare accepts, mostly to impress Tom's sweetheart Judy. After failing to lure Dare into working for him, Hammond has a few of his men sent to sabotage the trail drive, including herd boss Lyn (who lost his job to Dare, and regulated to a hand working the drive). When that fails, Hammond, along with card shark Brady, lures Dare into a crooked poker game, getting the money that Dare earned for the drive. Will Dare leave the game before its too late, or will Tom have to bail his cousin out of this jam somehow? Very good movie, with an excellent cast. Wayne seems to carry most of the film, seeming odd that Brown was an established B western draw, and he could have gotten more scenes in the film. Same goes for Monte Blue who just seemed to pop in and out as the villain Hammond. A bit too much of stock footage for me, but there are plenty of good scenes, and the poker game at the end is on heck of a scene, with plenty of suspense. Rating, based on B-westerns, 9.

Though originally titled BORN TO THE WEST . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 18 June 2016]

. . . once novelist Zane Grey saw this flick allegedly based upon one of his stories, he demanded that they reissue the movie as "Satan's Saloon," "The Devil's Dare," or "Hell Town." "HELL TOWN it is," responded the honchos in charge of Favorite Films Corp. This cautionary tale features John Wayne as slacker "Dare Rudd," a would-be cowboy with no sense of Situational Awareness. Dare enters the picture unable to tell good guys (cowboys) from bad ones (rustlers). As a Chuckwagon cook (complete with frilly white apron), he cannot differentiate rocks from biscuits. When it comes to a brawl, he's always running into some guy's fist. When a lady falls head over heels for him, he chalks it up to a snake. At the poker table, he's too busy smirking over two pair to notice that he's being "cold-decked." He gets his brainy community pillar of a cousin shot, than swipes his cousin's fiancée. Dare's all hat, no brains, as they say Out West. But Today's Red Staters are mostly descended from the shallow gene pool of Yesteryear's Dares, NOT from the level-headed guys such as Cousin Tom. It's not hard to see why any of their communities could be dubbed as HELL TOWN.

Outwitting The Crooks

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 1 December 2021]

"Born To The West" was originally released back in 1937.

Anyway - As the story goes - Cattleman Tom hires his cousin Dare Rudd to lead a large cattle drive at the urging of his girlfriend. He doesn't realize that Dare is romantically interested in his girl and the feeling may be mutual. When Dare loses the money for the drive to crooked gamblers, it's up to Tom to win it back. However, it's up to Dare to save Tom's life.

For the most part this was a fairly entertaining cowboy picture.