weezeralfalfa Also known as "Hell Town". Between John Wayne's period of making non westerns for Universal in late '36 and '37, and his return to making B westerns for Republic in '38, he was the lead character is this Paramount B western, based on a Zane Gray story, and directed by B movie -specialist Charles Barton. It was photographed mostly in the famous Alabama Hills, below Mt. Whitney, or in Kernville, in the southwestern Sierras. In addition to Wayne, as Dare Rudd, we have frequent starring cowboy Johnny Mack Brown, as Rudd's cousin Tom Fillmore, Marsha Hunt, as Judy Worstall: the love interest for both Rudd and Fillmore, Monte Blue as Bart Hammond: the saloon owner and the brains behind the local rustlers. Also, the uncredited crooked gambler Buck Brady. Shockingly, Syd Saylor, Wayne's constant sidekick Dinkey Hooley, is also uncredited! ........Wayne and Hooley were wandering in Wyoming, after cowpunching in Montana. In a running gag, Hooley also claims he's a lightening rod salesman, and is frustrated that no one in this dry climate wants one. Finally, he tries to sell one to a man out in the boondocks, who claims he is an agent for the lightening rod company......Tom, also a bachelor, is the local big man, with the largest cattle herd, and president of the bank. He also is a prospective husband for Judy. He met Wayne and Hooley when they accidentally joined the rustlers in a shootout with his wranglers. Wayne also takes a liking to Judy, brashly asking her several times if she will marry him. He becomes a hero to her when he rescues her from her runaway horse, spooked by a rattlesnake. Later, she claims that she could have stopped her horse any time she chose. She just wanted to experience him chasing her. Actually, Tom also was in the chase, but his horse stumbled, perhaps symbolizing that he would lose out to Wayne in their competition for Judy. Later, she tells Tom she loves Wayne more than any other man, despite his faults, although she also complements Tom. If I were Judy, I'd definitely favor Tom as a husband. He's well established and steady. We don't know if Wayne can cure his gambling addiction. .......Although Wayne is addicted to gambling with cards, and claims he's the best poker player west of the Mississippi, he keeps losing his shirt! That is brought out most forcefully when he loses nearly all the $10,000. he received for selling Tom's cattle, to the crooked cardplayer Buck Brady. Luckily, Tom arrived just in the nick of time and took Wayne's place at the table. He began winning, then caught Brady cheating and, drawing his gun, demanded that Brady give back all the money he won from Wayne. Soon after, Tom is shot, although not mortally. With Hooley, the 3 of them skedaddle before they are again attacked. Hammond's men chase them on horseback, eventually engaging in a shootout. The 3 miraculously survive against the odds. Tom then offers Wayne a partnership with him....... If this sounds OK, see it at YouTube.

Bill Slocum A good little movie that runs out of time before it runs out of story, "Born To The West" offers a rare chance to see John Wayne making a western in the 1930s with a decent budget for a change, even if it is still a B-picture.Also known as "Hell Town" (which is the title with the version I saw), the film presents Wayne in an unusual role, that of the aptly named Dare, "a wild and crazy fellow" as his cousin Tom (John Mack Brown) calls him. Dare happens into Tom's home state of Wyoming looking for work, and not particular how he gets it.An opening scene sets up the character, as Dare and his comic-relief buddy Dink (Syd Saylor) show up in the middle of a gun battle between two groups of strangers."Which side you favor?" Dare asks."Which side's winning?" Dink answers, thinking of his stomach.Dare and Dink would just as soon blow out of town after Tom hands over $100 in travelling funds, until Dare gets a look at Tom's girl Judy (Marsha Hunt). "Hell Town" then becomes an involving duel of personalities between Dare and the upright Tom, who offers Dare plenty of opportunities to mess up and lose his claim on Judy."Hell Town" benefits from a solid cast, funny dialogue, and able direction from Charles Barton, who knew how to make a genre film work. (His best-remembered film combines two genres, "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.") Dink is always trying to sell lightning rods, while Dare is out to prove himself the best poker player west of the Mississippi. Neither are successful, but it's fun watching them try and fail again.The conflict involves a gang of cattle rustlers and their boss, who works on Dare trying to get him to switch sides. Because the film runs under an hour, there's little chance to develop any tension regarding what Dare will do, and the ending is downright perfunctory in most particulars. But you do get a chance to see a nifty poker- playing scene where cousin Tom steps in and helps Dare handle a tense situation, the film's highlight.The rest of the film is pretty good, too, and represents a chance to see Wayne play a kind of ne'er-do-well. He banters enjoyably with Saylor while showing ample nerve with Hunt: "Since you're not already spoken for, I guess I'll just marry you." Wayne would play stolid good guys, and hard cases, but here is a rare chance to see him as likable rogue, a direction his career might have gone if not for John Ford.

Mike-764 *This review is based on the re-release of the film under the title, Hell Town*Drifter Dare and his friend Dink travel to Wyoming to see Dare's cousin, Tom Fillmore, banker and president of the cattleman's association. A large number of herd are being rustled in the area, headed by saloon and casino owner Bart Hammond. Tom gives Dare a chance to earn an honest living (Dare bills himself as the greatest poker player west of the Mississippi, while Dink sells lightning rods as part of a payment scam) by working on his next cattle drive. Dare accepts, mostly to impress Tom's sweetheart Judy. After failing to lure Dare into working for him, Hammond has a few of his men sent to sabotage the trail drive, including herd boss Lyn (who lost his job to Dare, and regulated to a hand working the drive). When that fails, Hammond, along with card shark Brady, lures Dare into a crooked poker game, getting the money that Dare earned for the drive. Will Dare leave the game before its too late, or will Tom have to bail his cousin out of this jam somehow? Very good movie, with an excellent cast. Wayne seems to carry most of the film, seeming odd that Brown was an established B western draw, and he could have gotten more scenes in the film. Same goes for Monte Blue who just seemed to pop in and out as the villain Hammond. A bit too much of stock footage for me, but there are plenty of good scenes, and the poker game at the end is on heck of a scene, with plenty of suspense. Rating, based on B-westerns, 9.

John (opsbooks) 'Hell Town' is an underrated gem with a snappy script and lots of action. Full of humour, I thoroughly enjoyed this John Wayne movie from start to finish. Monte Blue as the Duke's sidekick is fabulous! The cast all seem to be enjoying themselves. The film may have been shot in black and white but the characters are pretty well developed. Even the bad guys are likeable. The romance is mercifully kept to a bare minimum. John Wayne really comes over as a larger than life character here. It's no wonder he developed such a following in his early days.