Winds of the Wasteland (1936)

That was an excellent one.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

John Wayne (John Blair), Lane Chandler (Larry Adams), Phyllis Fraser (Barbara Forsythe), Douglas Cosgrove (Cal Drake), Sam Flint (Dr Forsythe), Lew Kelly (Rocky), Bob Kortman (Cherokee Joe), Jon Hall (Jim, a Pony Express rider), Yakima Canutt (Smokey), W. Merrill McCormick (Pete), Ed Cassidy (Dodge, the Pony Express manager), Chris Franke (Grahame, boss of the telegraph crew), Bud McClure, Jack Ingram (guards), Joe Yrigoyen (Pike), Jack Rockwell (marshal), Arthur Millett (postmaster), Tracy Layne (Reed), Art Mix (Ed, a Pony Express rider), Horace B. Carpenter (man with sick child), Herman Hack, Henry Hall, Murdock MacQuarrie, Clyde McClary, George Morrell, Francis Walker (townsmen), Bud Pope (henchman), Lloyd Ingraham (helpful old man), Cliff Lyons (Pony Express rider).Director: MACK V. WRIGHT. Original story and screenplay: Joseph Poland. Film editor: Robert Jahns. Supervising film editor: Murray Seldeen. Photography: William Nobles. Music supervisor: Harry Grey. Title music composed by Louis De Francesco. Stock background music by Heinz Roemheld, Arthur Kay, Paul Van Loan. Production supervisor: Paul Malvern. Sound recording: Terry Kellum. RCA Sound System. Producer: Nat Levine.Copyright 6 July 1936 by Republic Pictures Corporation. U.S. release: 15 June 1936. No recorded New York opening. U.K. release: June 1937. 6 reels. 58 minutes. COMMENT: One of the best of Wayne's pre-Stagecoach westerns, thanks to a superior screenplay by Joseph Poland, stylish direction by Mack V. Wright, an able group of support players, deft camera-work — and plenty of action. Wayne plays with a casually charming ease and is smoothly partnered by Lane Chandler, while Phyllis Fraser makes a convincing heroine and Lew Kelly a passable comedian. The villains are headed by a nicely confident Douglas Cosgrove, with Bob Kortman trailing along as a splendidly sneering henchman and Yakima Canutt in there pitching (and obviously doubling for Kortman in a lively punch-up with Wayne in which our hero does all his own fighting). The climactic stagecoach race is every bit as thrilling as the script promises with heaps of hard riding (excitingly filmed in running inserts), plus some really spectacular stunt-work.

Lane Chandler started out with Gary Cooper - they appeared together in "Legion of the Condemned" (although Cooper was the star) and he even made a film with Clara Bow as well ("Red Hair" (1928) but by the next year his name had started to appear way down the cast lists. By mid 1930 however, he had found his niche - Westerns!!!, sometimes as the star, more often as the amiable side kick!!Two friends, John Blair (John Wayne) and Larry Addams (Lane Chandler),who worked for the Pony Express, decide to pitch in and buy a stage coach - but they need a route!! Cal Drake, a crooked coach dealer, has a line that he will sell to them for $3,000 (in 3 easy payments)!!! They decide, on the spur of the moment, to buy it but afterwards learn that it terminates at a ghost town!!! There is a sheriff, Rocky,(a crusty old timer) who also doubles as a postmaster - he tells the boys that if they can win a stage coach race, they will win a mail contract worth $25,000. Drake, who is as crooked as they come, along with his evil henchman, Cherokee Joe (Bob Kortman) is determined that our two heroes will not win that contract.Blair's first passenger is Barbara Forsyth (Phyllis Fraser) and she is very excited to see the town. Her father has been writing to her - all about the fancy shops and the interesting townsfolk, so she is paying him a surprise visit. She is extremely upset to see it is a ghost town. Soon after her arrival, a wagon pulls up with a sick child - they are looking for a place to settle. Things are looking up for Crescent City. Blair then comes across a group of sick men - they have been drinking poison creek water - someone has removed the sign. He saves their lives and in return they promise to run telegraph wires through Crescent City. Drake offers Blair a job carrying a gold shipment, with a promise to wipe out his debt if he succeeds in delivering the gold. Of course Drake intends to have the shipment held up but Blair has a trick up his sleeve. He sends the henchmen on ahead, then takes the coach on a different route!!!Meanwhile Larry has been seriously hurt. While driving a coach full of men to work as linesmen, he is ambushed and shot. The old doctor is forced to operate and the success of the operation restores his eroded confidence. The mail race is about to start - but without Blair, who is in jail on a trumped up charge. No big deal, he is released on bail and furiously rides off to help Rocky and eventually save the day.This is one of John Wayne's best westerns. There is an exciting stage coach race, the story is interesting, the action never lets up and the love interest is kept to a minimum. Bob Kortman is excellent as Cherokee Joe - he always seems to play the "baddies" with much gusto. You will also recognise Jon Hall, as a handsome young pony express rider in the first scene.Recommended.

Strong story line that benefits from Lone Star's alliance with Republic Pictures. Poverty row Lone Star usually emphasized action at the expense of story-line. This resulted in lots of exciting chases, but often with little understanding of why. Here, however, the plot is very well developed with believable characters and good action. It's an excellent sketch of how guts, risk, and ingenuity helped transform an abandoned ghost town into a vibrant new community. The screenplay also does a nice job of showing the challenges of rebuilding a frontier town without losing the conventions that entertained kids of the time. Wayne delivers a nicely appropriate turn as the driving force behind the redevelopment, along with Lane Chandler as his buddy. This film especially shows Wayne's charm before the big-money responsibility of super-stardom made him more serious. Final stage race is well conceived along with how reviving the town also restores self-confidence of its inhabitants. Very positive story-line unusual for a B-Western of the time.

This is my favorite B-Rater from the 30's of John Wayne!!!!! Ilove this movie, and the COach race and all, action pack john wayne 54 Minute movie that will keep u interested all through the movie! I have the pleasure to Own the VHS Copy of this movie and all its B-Rating Oater Glory right now!!!!!! John Wayne is my favorite actor of the 30's always have been and always will be. And for who ever doesn't like this movie or John wayne, then you really don't know good from bad!!!!!On a end note, who ever likes b-rated westerns from the 30's this is a great choice to pick.I HOPE THIS Review Helps you!!!!!!!