User Reviews

That's the whole point, there ain't no road to Rainbow Valley and the outlaws want to make sure that it stays that way. By controlling the narrow pass into the valley they can starve the miners out collect on the potential riches they've found. Of course all this is reckoned without the presence of John Wayne.

As was pointed out by another reviewer this takes place during the first decade of the last century as typified by both the picture of the current president on the post office wall, Theodore Roosevelt. And by the fact that mailman Gabby Hayes delivers the mail in one of those new fangled contraptions and automobile with a crank starter.

The car proves to be a double whammy for both the outlaws and the good guys. Since it's the only car in the valley when Gabby Hayes is captured by the outlaws it makes it real easy for the Duke to follow as he laughingly points out. Of course when Gabby tries to rescue Wayne during the climax, he doesn't reckon on another problem for early automobiles, they run out of gas and there ain't no filling stations built yet. I have to confess a chuckle or two as Gabby and Lucille Browne hitch up some harness horses to his Model T and have to go out that way to the final gun battle.

Rainbow Valley is not a bad western for a Lone Star Monogram production. At a bigger studio with a better script and better production values this could have been a classic.

John Wayne rallies George "Gabby" Hayes and the other residents of Rainbow Valley against a gang of bandits who patrol the myriad roads out of town, stealing the fruits of the local gold mines and are now sabotaging the construction of a new main road.

Even though there isn't as much action in this as there is in other Wayne Lone Star productions, it's still a pleasant enough diversion with at least one great action sequence where Wayne and a dozen or so men with rifles route the bad guys, while Gabby chases them off in his horseless carriage, throwing sticks of nitro as they flee!

This time around, Wayne's stunt double and B-western nemesis, Yakima Canutt, is nowhere to be found. He must've went on vacation.

Filmed in 1935 this movie stars John Wayne as a cowboy named "John Martin" who is on his way to the small, isolated town of "Rainbow Valley". While riding his horse he happens to come across an old man by the name of "George Hale" (George Hayes) who tells him he needs water desperately for "Nellie". Figuring that he needs it for his horse, John gives him his canteen only to discover that "Nellie" is an automobile and George is the mailman for Rainbow Valley. Having added the water to his car's radiator George thanks John and tells him he will probably see him again in Rainbow Valley. Since both are headed that way John decides to follow George from a distance. It's at this time that he hears gunshots and notices that some outlaws on horseback are chasing after George. Naturally, John rides to the rescue and after taking on the crooks one by one escorts the now-wounded George to the doctor in Rainbow Valley. Once he gets to town he is informed that Rainbow Valley has been plagued by crooks and that the residents are in desperate need of someone who can fend off the outlaws trying to stop the workers from restoring the only road connecting Rainbow Valley with the nearest town 60 miles away. At any rate, rather than detailing the entire story I will just say that this was a decent Western B-movie all things considered. Besides being quite old it is also a bit short (about 52 minutes). But the acting was adequate enough and the movie turned out to be somewhat entertaining all the same. That said, I suppose it merits an average rating.

And with John Wayne and Gabby Hayes, what else could it be? For the time, and given that this IS one of those B movies churned out constantly by the various production companies, this thing is a hoot. Its fun for fans of the Duke, seeing him in such an early role. It has its elements of excitement and plot twists. It has its style of humor, fitting for the day. Its honestly well put together for the time. None of the other players are bad actors, and several are very good. The villains, Buffalo Bill Jr. ( aka Butch Galt ) and LeRoy Mason in particular, were both very fine actors and come across quite well in their roles. The plot? Its not complicated, but it makes for a good story. Fight scenes? Several. Just keep in mind that choreography was not then what it is now. When I watch something like this I try to put myself in the time during which the flick was made. That seems to put it into perspective and helps make it a lot more entertaining. If you can wrap your head around the era, recognize that churning out B movies doesn't necessarily mean poor quality as a standard, and be thankful that Wayne doesn't sing in this one ... Rainbow Valley? Well, pilgrim, it ain't a big valley, but it is a fun one.

This has a cast of over forty, which makes it twice as big as the usual Lonestar production.

Gabby Hayes carries much of the movie with his usual gruff-old-goat character. Unfortunatey, he's only in the first fifteen and last ten minutes of the film.

John Wayne plays a "Special Agent" John Martin who builds a road to the outlaw forsaken town of Rainbow Valley. He basically sleepwalks through the part.

As other reviewers noted, it is a bit irritating that the female characters are always dressed in 1930's fashion.

This seems to be about average for a Lonestar production. It is not one of my favorites.

This was probably made in a matter of days with a minimal budget and given that, it does better than ok for just under an hour. The Duke, as usual partnered with "Gabby" Hayes is this time embroiled in a dodgy plan to sabotage a new road being built through the Rainbow Valley. His pal - ostensibly, at any rate - "Butch" (Jay Wilsey) is the schemer but will the aptly named "John" be able to thwart this destructive plan? Wayne looks every inch the star here, even in a rather over-sized, but fetching striped prison uniform, and as ever Hayes comes along at just the right moments to ensure a minimum amount of jeopardy with the plot - of which there are a few twists here. It doesn't hang around, there is plenty of action and some quite well choreographed fist fights before a suitably explosive finale.

A routine "B" western in the Lone Star series of westerns Wayne made in the 30's. What sets this one apart is John Wayne as a "Singing" Cowboy. This was the time of the beginning of the Singing Cowboy era in "B" westerns (e.g. Gene Autry). Wayne's voice is obviously dubbed. He sure doesn't look comfortable serenading the heroine or warbling a tune while riding across the prairie. Fortunately for all concerned (especially the Duke) this experiment was quickly ended.

Anyone who wants to hear the Duke's "real" singing voice should watch the opening credits of "Cahill U.S. Marshal".

in my mind this is a fluffy,light movie,but very entertaining and fun to watch.Basically,John Wayne is stranger in town who agrees to help the men get a new road built.the workers have been continually threatened and harassed or worse,by a gang of outlaws who don't want the road built.there is no law to speak of in the town,so the gang has pretty much done whatever they please.until now,that is.this is a pretty standard western movie,which follows the general formula of westerns at that time.however,i think it it is well acted,exciting and fast paced.it's a pretty short movie(less than 90 minutes)but there'a lot jammed into the short running time.if you're in the mood to simply be entertained,you might like this movie.it's not an epic,like many of John Wayne's movies,but so what.i think "rainbow Valley" is a strong 8/10

Business as usual at Lone Star Studios 1935: A solid John Wayne anchors a leaden production about foiling bad guys out west.

Wayne is John Martin, who shows up one day at an isolated town named Rainbow offering to help with their road problem. Since the existing road was washed away by a cloudburst, the town has been at the mercy of a gang of desperadoes, one of whom, Rogers (LeRoy Mason), plays the part of an upstanding citizen. Martin organizes the town to build a new road. As time passes, people wonder whether Martin's on the level.

This is a pretty novel idea for a western, road engineering as a plot point. But the slipshod manner of the story's development creates more potholes than the finest engineer could work around.

The story opens with Martin in a store, buying guns and a horse. The sequence establishes that there's a town named Rainbow that lost its road, but serves no other purpose, especially as this exposition is basically repeated shortly after when Martin meets a mail courier named George (George Hayes), who pretty much says the same thing. If you know the work of director Robert N. Bradbury on these Lone Star westerns, you won't be surprised by the padding.

There's also a protracted, silly subplot about a bad guy named Butch who's been sent away to prison but is magically freed when Rogers somehow gets the townspeople's signatures on a petition for clemency. Why we need Butch in this production is never explained, nor is the reason for Martin having a suspicious prior relationship with the felon. Since it doesn't figure in the story, it's just more padding.

But "Rainbow Valley" does stick out in a better way. In addition to the road idea, Wayne is in very good form here, natural and enjoyably reactive in his work with the other actors. Just as good in his own more colorful way is Hayes, not yet known as "Gabby" here but in that zone. He and Wayne play well off each other here, establishing a baseline of charm that assuages the weakness of the storyline.

There's a fun bit where Martin is trying to talk up a pretty mail clerk who, suckered in by Rogers, has no time for him. As she cuts Martin off and walks away, George looks on, impressed: "She's fallen for you already."

If you like Wayne and Gabby Hayes, you will like this movie at least a bit. But even they aren't enough to make me think it's good.

The supporting performances are better than usual, with Mason making a mark despite a one-note role. There's clever use of an automobile (Lone Star westerns usually seem to be set in the beginning of the 20th century, though it's never stated clearly) which George carries mail in, a springy jalopy called "Nugget Nell." Dynamite explosion stunts add some excitement. And no horses seem to have been killed in the making of this film, which is good to see.

But the negatives pop up too frequently. It's true these were short films, made as casual entertainments to run under an hour as part of a larger movie-house program, but "Rainbow Valley" is too casual that way, suffering from a typical lack of continuity and characters turning on a dime.

At least Wayne is good, as said, and in a way that helps you see why he became such an overnight sensation just four years later. He's got the charm, the toughness, and the presence that keeps you watching even when the rest of "Rainbow Valley" lets you down. He's just playing an engineer here, but he builds a decent bridge to the future all the same.

John Martin is a government agent working under cover. Leading citizen Morgan calls in gunman Galt who blows Martin's cover.

Not a great Lone Star western with a pondering plot at times, but a young John Wayne and Gabby Haynes makes it a diverting experience. Some action scenes are good, but apart from that nothing outstanding.

Some very interesting directorial touches help this -- pardon the pun -- rather pedestrian Western: There weren't enough horses for the towns people so they had to reach the battlefield on foot.

The fight scenes were obviously pre- the great Yakima Canutt-choreographed battles, and the sound recording was almost primitive, certainly compared to what was to come.

But all together, with villains Leroy Mason and Jay Wilsey, here billed as Buffalo Bill Jr., this is a pretty good movie.

Besides, characters played by George (pre-"Gabby") Hayes and the lovely Lucile (billed as "Lucille") Brown side the hero, played by John Wayne, and they make a triumphant triumvirate.

Even this early in his career, John Wayne shows both personality and a great ability to express his thoughts and emotions, as well as the athletic ability to be one of the great action heroes of motion pictures. I do recommend this movie.

An American Western; A story about an undercover government agent who goes to jail in order to find out who's behind a hold up of a highway development in a mining town. John Wayne is callow and gauche in his delivery but he produces some dashing form, and "Gabby" Hayes is humorous as the "old timer" aiding his efforts. But, this is a very generic adventure with an uneven storyline, poor dialogue and clumsy direction. The stuntwork is the better aspect of the film.

The enthusiasm for this film and motivation to continue watching is slightly destroyed by the lack of flow. There are some excellent moments but they are scattered throughout the film. Main character (John Martin) is on a ride to the small town of Rainbow Valley, he meets George who is looking for water. George is provided water and subsequently given a ride to a car! Later on there is an incident which involves highwaymen who have set up an ambush. Martin is was on the on the same road as George and follows to assist... From this point the film slightly drops in quality. The movie holds so much promise at the beginning but then tends to ride a little slow throughout. It is as if the films starting sequence and ending sequences were all meticulously constructed, only for the film to be let down by the middle portion.

John Wayne meets up on the trail with Gabby Hayes, this time riding a car named "Nugget Nellie". He than meets his niece the gorgeous Lucile Browne. Cowboy heavy LeRoy Mason tries to break up the romance with some clever antics of his own. He's got to spring the Duke's cell mate first, who is none other than Jay Wilsey AKA Buffalo Bill Jr. Now things get really heated up. To add to the suspense leading citizen, played by Frank Bell thinks he made a mistake by hiring Duke to clean up the town. Rainbow Valley is a solid western by director Robert N. Bradbury and Lone Star Productions.