It is fascinating to see the breadth of the 20 reviews for "Ride Him, Cowboy," with the ratings ranging from a two to a nine. However, no matter what the ratings viewers for the most part agree that the film is entertaining.
The production values are professional, the acting is clean and competent, and the story is fresh in its variation and quite captivating. The scene where the camera pans around the room during the dance while the unpolished and authentically rustic sounds of "Till We Meet Again" play is highly affecting and had to have been carefully composed and choreographed ahead of time.
The largest problem with the film is that the subtle and often wry humor with which the seriously-toned story develops jarringly and uncomfortably turns a little too farcical toward the end; continued subtlety would have worked better. The final five minutes seem to have been edited in a rush and slapped-together, as well.
John Wayne presents a unique persona here in the early 1930s with his amiable, relaxed, cool, considerate, and, above all, pleasant character. And at this early career stage I can't see how he can be faulted for his acting work, as he seems already relatively smooth and fluid and appropriately reactive (some of his facial reactions during his courtroom trial were endearingly right on).
Contrast Wayne with other early 1930s heroes including Buck Jones (serious and measured), Harry Carey (fatherly and thoughtful), Bob Steele (scrappy but tender), Tim McCoy (resolute and regal), Hoot Gibson (satirical and self-deprecating) and Ken Maynard (down home action figure) and one realizes Wayne had already developed his own niche (did Johnny Mack Brown channel a little of Wayne when he settled for, on, and into his own western film career in 1935?)
Overall, "Ride Him..." is fun, competent, historically notable, and a tad different...and should be seen by anyone actually taking the time to look over these reviews.
The production values are professional, the acting is clean and competent, and the story is fresh in its variation and quite captivating. The scene where the camera pans around the room during the dance while the unpolished and authentically rustic sounds of "Till We Meet Again" play is highly affecting and had to have been carefully composed and choreographed ahead of time.
The largest problem with the film is that the subtle and often wry humor with which the seriously-toned story develops jarringly and uncomfortably turns a little too farcical toward the end; continued subtlety would have worked better. The final five minutes seem to have been edited in a rush and slapped-together, as well.
John Wayne presents a unique persona here in the early 1930s with his amiable, relaxed, cool, considerate, and, above all, pleasant character. And at this early career stage I can't see how he can be faulted for his acting work, as he seems already relatively smooth and fluid and appropriately reactive (some of his facial reactions during his courtroom trial were endearingly right on).
Contrast Wayne with other early 1930s heroes including Buck Jones (serious and measured), Harry Carey (fatherly and thoughtful), Bob Steele (scrappy but tender), Tim McCoy (resolute and regal), Hoot Gibson (satirical and self-deprecating) and Ken Maynard (down home action figure) and one realizes Wayne had already developed his own niche (did Johnny Mack Brown channel a little of Wayne when he settled for, on, and into his own western film career in 1935?)
Overall, "Ride Him..." is fun, competent, historically notable, and a tad different...and should be seen by anyone actually taking the time to look over these reviews.