Lawless Range (1935)

Masterful Movie

Just perfect...

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

SYNOPSIS: A ruthless gang of outlaws seems determined to drive every rancher from the valley. Why? NOTES: Wayne's final Lone Star western - though the movie was not released as such. Monogram had become part of the new Republic Pictures organization. COMMENT: Here is Wayne signing off his Lone Star career with a snatch from the very same song with which he started off in Riders of Destiny. But in addition to the opening lines from "Blood a' Runnin' ", Wayne (obviously dubbed by extra-deep-voiced Smith Ballew) sings "On the Banks of the Sunny San Juan" right through. It's the longest musical interlude in any Wayne film. And as if that were not enough in the melody line, we are also treated to a chorus of cowpunchers standing around "That Old Dusty Road". Not that Lawless Range is short on action. That we have in plenty too. Lots of hard riding (in running inserts yet) and guns blazing ("Popping" would actually be a better word) plus a couple of impressive stunts including a high dive from a cliff (reprised from 1934's The Trail Beyond) and a jump from saddle to saddle. Unfortunately, a fair amount of the action footage is obviously stock - which makes for some confusing continuity. Still, unsophisticated fans will probably find the action sufficient and the pacing brisk enough to satisfy their needs - though few will fail to tumble to the identity of the big boss quite early on in the piece. Wayne as usual makes an engaging hero, Miss Manners/Mannors/Bromley is a plucky heroine (even when offering such lines as "I think his disappearance is part of some scheme") and it's good to see Wally Howe doing a Gabby Hayes impersonation as the kidnapped rancher. (Because they have all obviously copied from each other, just about every reference book tells us this role was played by Earl Dwire. Which is dead wrong. Mr Dwire plays the town storekeeper). A few picturesque location shots augment a very middling budget. Despite one or two of his irritating whip pans, director Bradbury generally if humbly hits home. His tracking shots with the lynch mob are particularly effective.

John Wayne sets out to aid an old friend of his father, who disappeared amid a series of attacks by bandits and a bit of mysterious business involving the local bank. Along the way, he's deputized and leads a revolt against Yakima Cannutt's villainous gang of outlaws.One of a few Paul Malvern produced John Wayne vehicles, released by Republic Pictures before his becoming a full-fledged Republic contract star, it's nothing you haven't seen before, though it's easygoing enough entertainment, with a few nice location shots, a few rousing action sequences and and some good songs.Speaking of songs, there's a few ludicrously dubbed cowboy tunes, featuring a deep-voiced singer, lip-synced by Wayne, while strumming an old guitar. Didn't they learn their lesson with the Duke's previous turn as "Singing Sandy"?

I'm not sure how John Wayne got to be working for Republic in this one shot deal. He was with Monogram at the time this was made and it even has some of the cast that was associated with his B westerns from Mongram like Yakima Canutt and Earl Dwire. Nevertheless this is a Republic production and I guess the Duke really did like the sound of that word because he soon did sign with that studio long term.In Lawless Range John Wayne is the son of a friend of someone having some real outlaw problems on his ranch. Wayne goes to investigate and along the way picks up a Deputy Marshal's badge and an undercover identity of a wanted outlaw. This is a particularly vicious group of outlaws. There not into just rustling a few steers, they've put up a blockade and want to starve all the ranchers out of the valley. If however you can't figure out that it's the town banker Frank McGlyn, Jr. who's the villain of the piece than you haven't seen too many B westerns from the Thirties. John Wayne in fact says it, he had McGlyn pegged from the gitgo and any aficionado of the B western will agree.This is also one of those few westerns where Wayne was given a singing cowboy role. In an obviously dubbed voice Wayne warbles a few forgettable cowboy ditties. Now granted I'm seeing the film 71 years after it was made and John Wayne's voice and mannerism are universally known. But back in 1935 when he wasn't a national icon, yet I can't believe anybody thought that was his real singing voice.I guess since this was his first film for Republic pictures Lawless Range has a historic significance of some note, but only dedicated fans of the Duke should bother with it.

An early b/w "two reeler" John Wayne western. It is a fun shoot 'em up, that is pure escapism. Don't look for a deep meaning. The stunt work in these early John Wayne/Yakima Canutt films is the equal of any, including those films being made today.