Edgar Allan Pooh . . . HONDO for SHANE and RIO BRAVO for HIGH NOON, John Wayne horns in on GOING MY WAY and THE BELLS OF ST. MARY territory with his TROUBLE ALONG THE WAY. Wayne's "Steve" not only runs the risk of being the fall guy for the closing of a Catholic college here, but he's also in danger of losing custody of his only child (11-year-old daughter "Carol") because their home is a pig sty, he enables Carol's chronic truancy, and he regularly exposes his daughter to his second-hand smoke. (SPOILERS ALERT:) The fact that Steve does not have custody of Carol as this flick closes implies that there will be less TROUBLE ALONG THE WAY in his future. Throughout his film career, Wayne seemed more comfortable playing the "funny uncle" than an actual doting dad. His avuncular "Ethan" in THE SEARCHERS would try to shoot niece Natalie Wood several times (and succeeded in scalping her husband). As the title character in DONOVAN'S REEF, he "adopts" a war buddy's three kids--but just for a few days. This sort of "Funsies" ownership of children is taken to a sorry extreme by Wayne's rancher character in THE COWBOYS, who presses about a dozen young boys into virtual slave labor, says they're "ALL MY SONS," and gets one of them killed! Since TROUBLE's Carol already is 11-years-old, her silver lining is that she'll be out of the Child Welfare System in less than seven years.

DKosty123 This Michael Curtis directed film is kind of strangely titled. You could call it going out of the way for trouble. It has a lot of good things.The cast is one of those. Wayne is a down and out football coach whose career has had scandal at every step. Sherry Jackson is a delight as his daughter whom he has custody of though mom is taking him to court. Donna Reed is suitably ruthless and vulnerable as the probation officer who is trying to take the daughter.Charles Coburn is the Rector of St Anthony's college which is on a shoe string in financial trouble and in danger of being closed. Coburn is very good in the role as an old rector who maybe should retire. The film pulls at the heart strings and even though the script is a little faulty, the chemistry between the characters in the cast bring it off quite well. I don't think Wayne even throws a punch.

mark.waltz If so, watch out for this football coach, 'cause he packs a lot of drama in addition to a mean scrimmaging plan. He's got a trampy ex-wife (Marie Windsor, no less), and their devoted daughter (Sherry loves him, hates her mother, and wants no part of the repressed social worker's plan to take her away from Wayne & pass her onto his mom. That social worker is Donna Reed, as far from her "From Here to Eternity" character the very same year. She's instantly antagonistic towards Wayne, but warms up to him somewhat after seeing the loving relationship between father and daughter she can relate to. Unfortunately, that father/daughter relationship Reed had made her repressed around the boys who considered her plain, which here she is anything but. But for some reason, on and off throughout the film, she takes the neglectful mother's side, whose backstory we see in a flashback Wayne has in the middle of the film. This cold-hearted ex is only really interested in getting Wayne's attention and has no idea of how to relate to the little girl. There is one scene where the re-married ex-wife tries to seduce her ex, indicating that there is no physical relationship between her and her second husband (Tom Helmore). At a party for the little girl, it is made apparent that she has no interest in her daughter, which Reed witnesses.In addition to all of this soap opera, there is the head of the Catholic college Wayne has gone to work for, played by the always lovable Charles Coburn. The aging priest hopes to keep his college open by creating a winning football team. Coburn, whose character of the priest complains of being considered obsolete, seems to be anything but; In fact, he would continue to play lovable old codgers for another 7 years, most notably opposite Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and as the American uncle his rich British family wants to kill in "How to Murder a Rich Uncle". One of the other priests is played by "Little House on the Prairie" preacher Dabbs Greer who is instantly recognizable from his first appearance on screen. Chuck Connors and an unbilled James Dean also appear. There are some great affectionate scenes between Sherry Jackson and Charles Coburn, but they are overshadowed by the drama which the film focuses on. Had the script focused more on the football team, the survival of the school, and the loving relationship between father and daughter, it would be less cloying. The trouble is how it is set up in the first 10 minutes, you would never realize that it's going to be more than 75% dramatic. Wayne, likable as always, remains unscathed, but Reed's character is sadly too cold and unfeeling to make her character believable and likable, let alone any possibility of a romance between Wayne and Reed likely. Windsor does what she can to add some humanity to her cold character, but the script is against her. Jackson manages to make the little girl likable. A false promise at the start leads to an unsatisfying film as a whole.

John T. Ryan Following the triumphant release and run of John Ford's THE QUIET MAN (Argosy Productions/Republic Pictures, 1952), there was a lot more types of roles available to John Wayne. It appears that to the Hollywood Hierarchy, who sort of had 'Duke' pigeon holed or typecast, if you will, John Wayne should be either a Cowboy or a Marine D.I., or something as manly. The concept of having him portraying some "reg'lar feller' or a family guy was just not possible.But then we had THE QUIET MAN, a role that would require the main character to hit all the emotions. It was a Comedy in the classic sense, as in the Shakespearean sense. And yet it had plenty of serious and definitely moments. There are even some superbly melancholy moments that were as big a tear jerker as any.So, anxious to have a John Wayne film, and one that would showcase this now extended emotional range 'Duke'. Warner Brothers came up with this family tear-jerker. It was the stuff that the Critics should like and the Public would love.(The operative here being 'should'!) In a nut shell, former Football Coach-turned Bookie, Steve Williams(John Wayne)has had custody of his daughter, Carol(Sherry Jackson) ever since the break-up of a loveless marriage with his 'ex',Anne Williams McCormick(Marie Windsor). Steve and Carol have a fine relationship, and he loves his daughter more than anything in the world.Now all of a sudden, Steve's home/family situation comes under the scrutiny of the City's Child Welfare Agency. He finds himself right in the cross-hairs of one Miss Anne Singleton(Donna Reed), who has gotten the assignment to either give her imprimatur to their Domestic arrangement, or to vote to chloroform it.At about that same time, Father William Matthew Burke(Charles Coburn), President of small St. Anthony's College is faced with a dilemma. The constraints of this modern, private Education and even m,ore so, the cost, are working to bring St. Anthony's to its end.Never say die, Fr. Burke is constantly in prayer and actively looking for a solution. When he looks into the Holy Bible to find inspiration, he quite by chance stumbles onto a passage that advised the reader to "get fat and kick!" That was enough, the fiery old Priest heads out to find a Coach to organize a squad and establish a Football Program at St. Anthony's.After a less than spectacular meeting, Steve reluctantly accepts the coaching job, it being a case of one hand washing the other. They move into some run down living quarters and Carol starts school at another school.Father Burke and Carol become very close, each learning a lot fro the other. She gets use of a fine private Library(Fr. Burke's)and he learns some of the intricacies of having a successful College Football program, like Scheduling.The complications that follow this in this story are well executed by the Director Michael Curtiz and company, even if some of them may seem to be a little old, tired and even obvious.We do find out just why that the Williams family broke up and why after 10 or 12 years that the New York City Children's Welfare Agency is suddenly so interested in Steve's fitness as a Father with custody.We are left with a sort of open ended conclusion, but heavily leaning toward Carol and Steve's remaining together. That would happen as long as certain things with a certain female went just right! And now, let's salute this fine supporting cast consisting of, but not limited to: Tom Tully, Marie Windsor, Tom Helmore, Dabbs Grear,Leif Ericson, Lester Matthews,Douglas Spencer, Chuck Connors, Frank Ferguson, Murray Alper and even James Dean(would you believe as an uncredited extra!) The film is warm, heart wrenching, very funny and sort of "seedy", to a small degree.And incidentally, St. Anthony is our Catholic Patron Saint of "The Lost!"