"Rainbow Valley" was made right after "Texas Terror", and interestingly, a number of the principals stuck around to appear in both. The main heavy goes by Rogers, and is portrayed by LeRoy Mason, while John Wayne's romantic interest is a demure Miss Eleanor (Lucille Brown). Each had similar roles in "Texas Terror", along with George (Pre-Gabby) Hayes, but this time around, his character sports around in an automobile. John Martin (Wayne) expresses some surprise, remarking that it's the first one he's ever seen. However shortly later when George is injured in a chase while driving, Martin knows just what to do to bring it to a stop! I got a kick out of George's name for the car - 'Nugget Nell'. Some years later in the early Fifties, Pat Brady would tool around in 'Nellybelle' on "The Roy Rogers Show", maybe they were related.
The plot is a familiar one involving villain Rogers in a land fraud scheme, but instead of water rights or phony deeds, the bad guys prevent the town folk from completing a road connecting Rainbow with an adjoining town. Preventing the arrival of supplies and necessities, Rogers hopes the local ranchers will sell out to him cheap. Special Agent Martin's presence on the scene was arranged by the governor so he could investigate, sounding a bit more involved than it had to be. Martin spent some time in jail with Rogers' top henchman Galt (Jay Wilsey as Buffalo Bill, Jr.), causing Miss Eleanor and others some concern since he might be throwing in with Rogers. Not to worry though, it's all part of the plan to complete the road and take down the baddies.
I found a few interesting things about this Lone Star Western, it's the only one I can recall off hand in which John Wayne actually twirls a six gun. For his part, George Hayes seems pretty accomplished in throwing sticks of dynamite to fend off the bad guys. It seemed to me that was Teddy Roosevelt's picture hanging in the post office; his presidency ran from 1901 to 1909, so that would have worked for the picture chronologically, along with the presence of Nugget Nell.
Having seen nearly all of Wayne's Lone Stars, this might be the one film that shows the most print degradation, with washed out scenes and a fair amount of visual static. Still, I felt lucky finding this title along with eight other John Wayne flicks from the mid to late 1930's, none of which duplicated the much easier to find public domain films like "Blue Steel" and "The Star Packer". In my case, I found it as part of a promotional display at a local Walmart; the package of nine films on two DVD's is put out by Echo Bridge Entertainment. Believe it or not, included is the complete twelve chapter serial, "Shadow Of The Eagle"!
The plot is a familiar one involving villain Rogers in a land fraud scheme, but instead of water rights or phony deeds, the bad guys prevent the town folk from completing a road connecting Rainbow with an adjoining town. Preventing the arrival of supplies and necessities, Rogers hopes the local ranchers will sell out to him cheap. Special Agent Martin's presence on the scene was arranged by the governor so he could investigate, sounding a bit more involved than it had to be. Martin spent some time in jail with Rogers' top henchman Galt (Jay Wilsey as Buffalo Bill, Jr.), causing Miss Eleanor and others some concern since he might be throwing in with Rogers. Not to worry though, it's all part of the plan to complete the road and take down the baddies.
I found a few interesting things about this Lone Star Western, it's the only one I can recall off hand in which John Wayne actually twirls a six gun. For his part, George Hayes seems pretty accomplished in throwing sticks of dynamite to fend off the bad guys. It seemed to me that was Teddy Roosevelt's picture hanging in the post office; his presidency ran from 1901 to 1909, so that would have worked for the picture chronologically, along with the presence of Nugget Nell.
Having seen nearly all of Wayne's Lone Stars, this might be the one film that shows the most print degradation, with washed out scenes and a fair amount of visual static. Still, I felt lucky finding this title along with eight other John Wayne flicks from the mid to late 1930's, none of which duplicated the much easier to find public domain films like "Blue Steel" and "The Star Packer". In my case, I found it as part of a promotional display at a local Walmart; the package of nine films on two DVD's is put out by Echo Bridge Entertainment. Believe it or not, included is the complete twelve chapter serial, "Shadow Of The Eagle"!