whpratt1 Enjoyed this old time Western from 1934 with John Wayne, (John Carruthers) who sneaks into a hotel during a very bad thunder and lightning storm. The Sheriff, Jake Withers, (Gabby Hayes) gets a room and keeps his eye on a large sum of money deposited in the hotel safe. There is a man named Malgrove, (Edward Peil,Sr.) who owns the town and is a crook and he is trying to tell the town folk about selling their homes, because he knows that a gold mine is under all their homes and he wants to cash in on all the benefits. Betty Mason, (Eleanor Hunt) adds some female charm to the film and John Carruthers falls madly in love with her big brown eyes. If you like classic western films, this is the film for you, the film locations are outstanding for 1934. Enjoy.

kidboots Another great Lone Star western and another town under siege. John Carruthers (John Wayne) sneaks into town - just in time to see the hotel's safe being robbed. The thief leaves a spur and while Carruthers is investigating Old Timer (George "Gabby" Hayes) puts two and two together and concludes that John is the "polka dot" bandit. He plays along with Carruthers and together they try to get to the bottom of the mystery of why no stores can reach the town.Before that they are involved in a "shoot em up" involving Danti's gang. Yakima Canutt, a legendary stunt rider, who also doubled for John Wayne played Danti.Eleanor Hunt was first seen in "Whoopee" - she had been a chorus girl in the original Broadway show - in the movie she had the romantic lead.She plays Betty Mason, whose father is killed in the shoot out and Wayne and Old Timer are almost blamed for that until she comes to their aid. They are just in time to hear Malgrove (Edward Piel Snr.) make an offer for the few remaining homesteaders that are left in the town. He will buy up their ranches for $100 each. John and Old Timer beg to be given a chance to bring in the supply wagon.There is also a terrific piece of action involving a runaway wagon. Carruthers (Canutt) jumps into the runaway horses and rescues the heroine.They do bring in the supply wagon and also solve the riddle of the "polka dot" bandit - it was Danti!!! Old Timer is hard to convince that it is not John!!!I can recommend this film.

Jay Raskin Almost all the Lone Star John Wayne movies have one or two quite unusual and memorable scenes. Here, it is the bizarre opening scene and the beautiful last shot. The opening is actually quite a mess. It takes place in a hotel room on a rainy night and it is hard to tell what is going on for most of the scene. There is also the only risqué double-entendre that I've seen in a Lone Star film when a newlywed husband comes back downstairs from his bridal suite and announces "I can't find it." The ending shot is Wayne riding off into the mountains with his girl and it is just lovely.The confusing and messy hotel sequence in the beginning is atoned for at the end with one of the best final chase sequences in the series. As mentions by other users, the stunt work is excellent and the scene of Wayne picking her his fallen lady from the ground while riding a team of galloping horses is still sweet, if not quite breath-taking.As the ten minute final chase scene is a big element in all the Lone Star Westerns, I would have to rate this highly, although the other 40 minutes does drag a bit.Edward Peil Sr. plays a great villain as he did in "Man from Utah". He was in some 375 films in his 40 year career.Yakima Canutt, as usual, is effective as a bad guy too. With a little luck, he would have been as big a star as Wayne.Not the best Lone Star, but it is effective.

dougdoepke What a wacky opening scene. The thunderstorm's got to be the loudest on record-- and why is Wayne sneaking into the hotel lobby. I guess he doesn't want to pay for a room. Then there are the newly-weds right out of the aw' shucks school of acting. And most curiously of all-- how did they get the groom's"I couldn't find it" snippet past the public watchdogs. This amounts to an astonishing innuendo, and no doubt one for the boys-- in the movie, that is. Probably there are more than a few audience 10-year old's still puzzling over that one. In all likelihood, it was someone's private joke that made it to the screen on a bet.Lone Star popped for some great location photography. The boys get to ride around the Alabama Hills with the scenic Southern Sierras in the background. The story doesn't make a lot of sense, but who cares, especially when the canyon explodes in a really great effect worthy of an A production. Also, some good crowd scenes of ordinary looking people. When they talk about getting forced off their homesteads, I expect more than a few folks in 1934 wished they had a Wayne on their side.As others point out, this looks like an early stage in the evolution of Hayes' unforgettable "Gabby" character. He's not called that, still the crusty old coot is definitely coming out. How delightful the Gabby-Wayne pairing proved over the years, especially in their masterpiece Tall in the Saddle. Wayne always seems genuinely amused by the ornery Gabby. Watch some of his reactions here. Those broad grins are not acting. Great final shot that still brings a tear to the eye.