Review of The Man from Utah

I had watched this movie before when it came out on TV, and was, like most, perturbed at the effort to make the Duke a traveling troubadour. The story is western B-movie grade, and would probably not have seen the light of day, beyond its original release if it did not have John Wayne (or someone else who would eventually reach superstardom). It has an interesting enough plot, with some rodeo stunts that are, of themselves, impressive. Yes, the acting is stilted, but you expect that with these fly-by-night productions. I read the gripes about 'the original music' not used in this film, and replaced by modern day synthesizer music. I myself prefer the added music for the simple reason that (other than the opening song supposed sung by Wayne), there is no original music. And it was actually my first experience watching this film that I came to realize that not only does music in a movie amp up the drama, but it also help you feel the pacing of the storyline. Perhaps the movie's events should be dramatic of themselves, but again, this is a B-movie we're watching. Overall, it's worth wading through all the cheesiness just to feel the full scope of John Wayne's career.