Western Wednesday: In Old Caliente

 It's Wednesday! So, as always, today's movie is a Western.

In Old Caliente is a 1939 film starring screen legend Roy Rogers, as well as, Mary Hart, George "Gabby" Hayes and, of course, Trigger 'the smartest horse in movies'.

So what's it about?

Well, settlers are moving West to new the state of California, and Roy Rogers is there working at a Spanish estate. One day some bandits lead by the ranch's foreman, Sujarno (played by Jack LaRue), rob a wagon carrying gold that is actually headed to the ranch. When news of the robbery gets back to the ranch's owner, the word is that some 'gringos' were behind it. Well, the folks at the ranch immediately suspect Roy of tipping the robbers off and he's promptly fired. 

Later, Roy and Gabby (one of the settlers) team up to discover the bandits' hideout and they recover the stolen gold. Unfortunately, they only have it in their possession long enough to be framed for the robbery. The two are brought back to the estate, where they are imprisoned in the cellar. While stuck down there, Roy gets Gabby to join him in a duet of "We're Not Coming Out to the Dance Tonight" which is one of the highlights of the film. So, they have to make their escape and come up with a plan to clear themselves of the crime they've been falsely accused of.

 Overall, this is halfway decent flick, it's pretty entertaining and there are little comedic moments thrown in. If you like Roy Rogers movies then you'll probably like this one. 

I give it a 3 out of 5.

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The Adventures of Robin Hood

Released in 1938, The Adventures of Robin Hood is one of those great, timeless, technicolor classics. Many have tried to replicate it's success but, nearly 80 years later, this one is still regarded by most as the definitive Robin Hood film.

 In terms of plot, it has all the Robin Hood elements you'd want; big exciting action scenes and sword fights, Robin and his Merry Men taking from the rich and giving to the poor, memorable performances, the famous archery contest, etc. Start to finish, it's full of action and adventure.

Now, all of that wouldn't amount to much without a great cast and this film definitely has that. Errol Flynn is fantastic as Robin Hood, flawlessly blending dashing charm with a bit of humor. But, a great hero also needs a great villain and Basil Rathbone just knocks it out of the park as Sir Guy of Gisbourne, he's the perfect foil to Flynn's Robin Hood. Along with them, Alan Hale as Little John, Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian, Claude Rains as Prince John, Patric Knowles as Will Scarlett, Eugene Pallette as Friar Tuc and all the rest of the cast are solid in their roles.

 In addition, to all of that, the score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold is one of the all-time great film scores. With any review I write, I always try to point out both the good and the bad but this is one of those few films that I don't have a negative thing to say about.

Overall, this is a really entertaining film that the whole family can enjoy. If you've never seen it go check it out and, if you have seen it, do yourself a favor and rewatch it.
I give it a 5 out of 5.


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Western Wednesday: The Man from Utah (1934)

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for a Western!
 This week's film is 1934's The Man From Utah.

Now, I've included John Wayne films in some of my previous 'Western Wednesday' post, such as The Big Trail and True Grit. So, let's take a look at another movie featuring the man synonymous with the genre. 

In this one John Wayne plays John Weston and he is, as the title would suggest, a man from Utah. He rides into a small town one day seeking work. However, shortly after he arrives three men rob the local bank and, being the man of action he is, John guns down two of the robbers and shoots the gun out of the hand of the third. After the marshal sees how easily this man stopped the three criminals, he decides he can use the sharp-shooting Weston to help him in his investigation to figure out who's behind a crooked rodeo. Weston enters the rodeo, he does really well, and from there everything you'd expect to happen pretty much does. The Duke infiltrates the rodeo gang, figures out how they operate, and, of course, saves the day.

So, is this one of the great John Wayne films? No. The characters are one-dimensional and the plot is pretty basic. Overall, it's watchable, and it's only about a hour long (unfortunately a significant portion of that is rodeo stock footage). If you're a big John Wayne fan then I recommend it, but otherwise it's not a must-see.

I give it a 2 out of 5.

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Western Wednesday: The Big Trail

Another Wednesday means another Western!

Today's film is The Big Trail, it was released in 1930 and was one of John Wayne's earliest starring roles.
John Wayne plays Breck Coleman, a trapper who has returned to Missouri to avenge the death of a fellow trapper. He was killed for his furs by a man named Red Flack and his associate Lopez along the Santa Fe trail. While in Missouri, Coleman is asked by a group of settlers headed West to scout their caravan. He initially declines, but he soon changes his mind and agrees to scout for the train after he learns that Flack and Lopez were just hired to boss a bull train along the Oregon Trail to a trading post north of Oregon. Coleman figures that he can keep an eye on Flack and Lopez and kill them as soon as they reach the trading post. As the wagon train heads West, Coleman falls in love with a settler named Ruth (played by Marguerite Churchill), Flack does everything he can to have Coleman killed before he finds any proof of what he had done, and the group of settlers faces several hardships and obstacles along the way. Eventually, as expected, the villains meet their end and Coleman and Ruth presumably settle down together in Oregon.

Overall, though not as well know or iconic as some of John Wayne's others like 1956's The Searchers, 1962's The Man Who Shoot Liberty Valance, or 1969's True Grit (you can read my review of that one here) I'd argue that The Big Trail should still be placed among that top tier of his films.

Whether you're a John Wayne fan or just a fan of Westerns in general, I'd definitely recommend this one. I give it a 4 out of 5.


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