Yakima Canutt (stunt double for John Wayne). Director: JOSEPH KANE. Screenplay: Joseph Poland. Original screen story: Joseph Poland, Scott Pembroke. Photography: William Nobles. Supervising film editors: Joseph H. Lewis, Murray Seldeen. Film editor: Lester Orlebeck. Stock music by Heinz Roemheld and Arthur Kay, directed by Lee Zahler. Stunts: Cliff Lyons. Assistant director: Robert Emmett Tansey. Sound engineer: Terry Kellum. Associate producer: Paul Malvern. Producer: Trem Carr. Executive producer: Herbert J. Yates.
Copyright 27 April 1936 by Republic Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Rialto: 26 June 1936. U.S. release: 15 February 1936. U.K. release through British Lion: August 1936. 6 reels. 58 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Lawless elements try to prevent Wyoming joining the Union.
COMMENT: This one and Santa Fe Stampede were the only Wayne "B" westerns to be reviewed by The New York Times. Certainly this one has some claim to such attention. On the surface at least it's rather lavishly mounted, though some of the spectacular action footage doesn't bear too close attention. Most of it is obviously stock material which has been spliced in somewhat randomly whether the moment was appropriate or not, or even whether the footage quite matched its description or not. This is why we have Lewis as supervising editor. Still for unsophisticated audiences the effect must have been quite exciting. It certainly makes for a more lively outing than the usual Wayne "B". Moreover director Kane has risen to the occasion with some slightly more imaginative directorial touches than was his norm, assisted by some fine stunt-work and even what looks like genuine night-for-night photography by William Nobles. (It's not that easy to tell. The video print under review is dupey and washed out. It's from the Republic Pictures Collection too, with a claim on the box: "Mastered from original film negatives." I disagree! My guess is that it's a dupe from a primitive television print complete with tinny 16mm sound. If this has been mastered from original 35mm negatives, someone sure did a real lousy job).
The support cast is lavishly appointed too, with no fewer than four of our all-time favorite villains - and all with some good opportunities for nastiness too. Wayne shoots a pistol out of King's hand, Chesebro picks a fight with our hero, Bridge leads the marauders while Woods directs operations. Tom London is on hand to back up Chesebro too, and it's good to see Jack Rockwell back on the right side of the law. We will pass over the somewhat labored comic relief provided by Etta McDaniel and Snowflake, and even the relaxed, almost agreeably perky heroine enacted by Ann Rutherford to concentrate our remaining attention on George Hayes. He's good. We love him. This time he gives a startlingly accurate Walter Huston impersonation, not just in make-up, but right down to the very timbre of his voice. It suits and matches the role so perfectly that casual picturegoers may well have marveled what Huston was doing in a "B" western. It's interesting that although Hayes had introduced his "Gabby" old-timer in The Lucky Texan back in 1933, he is still playing other character roles at this stage of his career. (Another interesting career note is that Lane Chandler who played Wayne's buddy in Sagebrush Trail (1933) has a similar but very considerably smaller part here).
OTHER VIEWS: Produced on a far more lavish scale than the usual western "B", this is lively, exciting fare with plenty of action and even some good acting - particularly from George Hayes as a crusading newspaper publisher. This is a stock role, but Hayes plays it not only with conviction but with unexpected dignity and restraint.
SYNOPSIS: Lawless elements try to prevent Wyoming joining the Union.
COMMENT: This one and Santa Fe Stampede were the only Wayne "B" westerns to be reviewed by The New York Times. Certainly this one has some claim to such attention. On the surface at least it's rather lavishly mounted, though some of the spectacular action footage doesn't bear too close attention. Most of it is obviously stock material which has been spliced in somewhat randomly whether the moment was appropriate or not, or even whether the footage quite matched its description or not. This is why we have Lewis as supervising editor. Still for unsophisticated audiences the effect must have been quite exciting. It certainly makes for a more lively outing than the usual Wayne "B". Moreover director Kane has risen to the occasion with some slightly more imaginative directorial touches than was his norm, assisted by some fine stunt-work and even what looks like genuine night-for-night photography by William Nobles. (It's not that easy to tell. The video print under review is dupey and washed out. It's from the Republic Pictures Collection too, with a claim on the box: "Mastered from original film negatives." I disagree! My guess is that it's a dupe from a primitive television print complete with tinny 16mm sound. If this has been mastered from original 35mm negatives, someone sure did a real lousy job).
The support cast is lavishly appointed too, with no fewer than four of our all-time favorite villains - and all with some good opportunities for nastiness too. Wayne shoots a pistol out of King's hand, Chesebro picks a fight with our hero, Bridge leads the marauders while Woods directs operations. Tom London is on hand to back up Chesebro too, and it's good to see Jack Rockwell back on the right side of the law. We will pass over the somewhat labored comic relief provided by Etta McDaniel and Snowflake, and even the relaxed, almost agreeably perky heroine enacted by Ann Rutherford to concentrate our remaining attention on George Hayes. He's good. We love him. This time he gives a startlingly accurate Walter Huston impersonation, not just in make-up, but right down to the very timbre of his voice. It suits and matches the role so perfectly that casual picturegoers may well have marveled what Huston was doing in a "B" western. It's interesting that although Hayes had introduced his "Gabby" old-timer in The Lucky Texan back in 1933, he is still playing other character roles at this stage of his career. (Another interesting career note is that Lane Chandler who played Wayne's buddy in Sagebrush Trail (1933) has a similar but very considerably smaller part here).
OTHER VIEWS: Produced on a far more lavish scale than the usual western "B", this is lively, exciting fare with plenty of action and even some good acting - particularly from George Hayes as a crusading newspaper publisher. This is a stock role, but Hayes plays it not only with conviction but with unexpected dignity and restraint.