BLUE STEEL (1934), a Lone Star Presentation for Monogram Studios, stars John Wayne in his fifth poverty-row western for the studio. Supported by familiar stock players of George "Gabby" Hayes, Yakima Canutt, Lafe McKee and Earl Dwire, Wayne's female so-star is the relatively unknown Eleanor Hunt, best known, if ever, for her prime role assignment opposite Eddie Cantor in the screen adaptation to the hit stage musical, WHOOPEE (Samuel Goldwyn, 1930). Subsequent roles for Hunt failed to elevate her as a major attraction as would Wayne a decade later rising to star status and box-office attraction for decades to come. BLUE STEEL is also known for Wayne's frequent teaming opposite George Hayes, not yet credited as "Gabby," but the start of his bearded character that would make him famous.
The story begins with a thunderstorm opening as a cowboy (John Wayne) enters a hotel while its innkeeper, Hank (George Cleveland) is asleep by the desk. The cowboy, later identified as John Carruthers, hides under the hotel stairway while moments later, Sheriff Jake Withers (George Hayes) acquires a second floor room with a spy hole on the floor for him to watch the lobby for the arrival of notorious "Pokka Dot Bandit." After other guests as a middle-aged woman and a honeymooning couple enter the scene, things settle down as man comes in to place a cache with payroll of $4,000 placed into a hotel safe. Getting hold of the combination, Danti (Yakima Canutt) sneaks in the empty lobby and steals the money. A slight noise awakens John who sees the man running out. While investigating the safe, the sheriff pots him before he, too, runs off. Suspecting John to be the bandit, he locates him in a remote cabin. Rather than arresting him, the two men bond together in rescuing Betty Mason (Eleanor Hunt), whose father (Lafe McKee) has just been murdered by a couple of outlaws while bringing food and ammunition to Yucca City. Taking Mr. Malgrove (Ed Piel Sr.) into her confidence, it is learned that there is a gang leader intending to cripple the town in order to obtain a valuable gold mine nearby. As John becomes interested in Betty, he becomes very concerned about her sudden disappearance.
Lacking underscoring for mood and action purposes, BLUE STEEL gets by on its own merits, especially with the presence of John Wayne, early in his career. Aside from good background scenery and action-packed scenes, there's also some amusements involved. One in particular revolves around a nervous bridegroom (George Nash) registering for a bridal suite in the hotel with his equally shy bride, later coming to the front desk looking for something that is never explained. Viewers will get the idea through the expression of the groom's face. Mystery is also essential to learn the identity of the Polka-Dot Bandit and the gang leader of outlaws terrorizing the town. With production values lacking, and clocked at 54 minutes, the film wastes no time getting right to the basics before leading to a climatic finish.
As with other Lone Star Productions starring John Wayne from 1933 to 1935, BLUE STEEL was one of those long unseen westerns that surfaced in the 1980s either on public television or home video before distribution on DVD decades later. Other than cable broadcasts as American Movie Classics (1999-2003), beware of prints on western cable channels that are colorized or those with new but inappropriate underscoring during opening/closing credits and dramatic portions of the plot. Watching BLUE STEEL the way it was intended is the better way of seeing and enjoying vintage westerns such as this. (**1/2)
The story begins with a thunderstorm opening as a cowboy (John Wayne) enters a hotel while its innkeeper, Hank (George Cleveland) is asleep by the desk. The cowboy, later identified as John Carruthers, hides under the hotel stairway while moments later, Sheriff Jake Withers (George Hayes) acquires a second floor room with a spy hole on the floor for him to watch the lobby for the arrival of notorious "Pokka Dot Bandit." After other guests as a middle-aged woman and a honeymooning couple enter the scene, things settle down as man comes in to place a cache with payroll of $4,000 placed into a hotel safe. Getting hold of the combination, Danti (Yakima Canutt) sneaks in the empty lobby and steals the money. A slight noise awakens John who sees the man running out. While investigating the safe, the sheriff pots him before he, too, runs off. Suspecting John to be the bandit, he locates him in a remote cabin. Rather than arresting him, the two men bond together in rescuing Betty Mason (Eleanor Hunt), whose father (Lafe McKee) has just been murdered by a couple of outlaws while bringing food and ammunition to Yucca City. Taking Mr. Malgrove (Ed Piel Sr.) into her confidence, it is learned that there is a gang leader intending to cripple the town in order to obtain a valuable gold mine nearby. As John becomes interested in Betty, he becomes very concerned about her sudden disappearance.
Lacking underscoring for mood and action purposes, BLUE STEEL gets by on its own merits, especially with the presence of John Wayne, early in his career. Aside from good background scenery and action-packed scenes, there's also some amusements involved. One in particular revolves around a nervous bridegroom (George Nash) registering for a bridal suite in the hotel with his equally shy bride, later coming to the front desk looking for something that is never explained. Viewers will get the idea through the expression of the groom's face. Mystery is also essential to learn the identity of the Polka-Dot Bandit and the gang leader of outlaws terrorizing the town. With production values lacking, and clocked at 54 minutes, the film wastes no time getting right to the basics before leading to a climatic finish.
As with other Lone Star Productions starring John Wayne from 1933 to 1935, BLUE STEEL was one of those long unseen westerns that surfaced in the 1980s either on public television or home video before distribution on DVD decades later. Other than cable broadcasts as American Movie Classics (1999-2003), beware of prints on western cable channels that are colorized or those with new but inappropriate underscoring during opening/closing credits and dramatic portions of the plot. Watching BLUE STEEL the way it was intended is the better way of seeing and enjoying vintage westerns such as this. (**1/2)