Reviews (1)

Westward Ho (2 1/2 Stars)
The older surviving brother of a wagon train ambush, seeks revenge on the leader of the gang responsible for the murder of his parents and the kidnapping of his younger brother. Years later, he is the leader of a group of 'vigilantes' who oppose lawlessness and unknowingly confronts his 'long-loss-brother' who has since learned the tricks-of-the-trade from the outlaws. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Bizarre Exploitation from the 30's
This double-feature DVD features 2 early 1930's exploitation films from Dwain Esper. Although maybe tame by today's standards, just try to imagine seeing people shoot up heroin in a movie back in the 30's! It's all very high camp now, of course, and if you like antique sleaze, this may be your thing. Esper was definitely no Kubrick, but he has his own strange and absurd style...inserting shots that have no point, suddenly cutting away to show animals fighting each other, superimposing stock footage, etc. Could he be the precursor to Ed Wood? Anyway, some highlights of the 2 films include a real shot of a cesarian birth of a baby, a snake eating another snake, a cat's eyeball poked out (and then eaten by the maniac), a couple of real sideshow freaks, some brief nudity as a psycho carries off a woman to ravish her, and of course lots of over-the-top acting. Both movies tried to get around the censoring codes of the time by pretending to have a message (narcotics are bad), but the movies are strictly exploitative. The prints used for this DVD are scratchy and have some jumps here and there, but considering the age and that no major studio was behind these films, this may be the best materials available. Also on the DVD is the trailer for "Maniac", some letters from the censor at the time, an excerpt from a silent italian film "Maciste in Hell" that footage was superimposed in "Maniac", and audio commentary by an author-expert on Esper and such films. A worthy purchase if you like stuff like "Reefer Madness", etc., but don't expect any scalpings in "Maniac" ---it's actually a loose re-telling of "The Black Cat". ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sturdy Grade B Western from Republic.
Here we have a rip roarin' Saturday matinee "shoot 'em up" with plenty of black-hearted villains and blazing six-guns. Crooks control the law in Santa Fe Junction. The Three Mesquiteers ride into town to see justice served. When a respected local citizen and his young daughter are ambushed, Stony (John Wayne) is framed for the murder. The bad guys incite a lynch mob to take matters in their own hands. Can Tucson and Lullaby (Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune), held captive at the outlaw stronghold, escape in time? Will the beautiful Nancy Carson, rendered unconscious as she tries to unlock Stony's cell, survive the fire set by the angry lynch mob? Will the real killers be brought to justice? Never fear, the distant thunder of drumming hoofbeats are the honest cowboys and ranchers, who ride down the same section of trail and around the same rocky corner at least three times, as they race to the final showdown.

Before he made the big time in John Ford's "Stagecoach," John Wayne was a familiar face in Grade B Westerns. The Three Mesquiteers was a popular series of the '30s and '40s, based on characters created by Western novelist William Colt MacDonald. Over time, different actors played the roles of the three saddle pals. This typical example from Republic studios includes cliff-hanging Western adventure and light humor. The emphasis is on hard-riding action rather than the intrusive musical numbers that plagued some other Grade B Westerns. Old-fashioned, light weight fun. ;-)

The Three Mesquiteers Do it Again! Santa Fe Stampede
John Wayne and his friends, Ray Crash Corrigan, And Max Terhune are very good in this film. My rating of four stars is given, based on the type of movie. Certainly, this movie could not stand up to movies of today, but it stands up well to others of it's day. The story line is very good. It is packed with excitement. It seems that the bad guys have all their ducks in a row and Stoney Brook(John Wayne) will be destroyed by the angry mob, but you will have to watch the movie to find out what happens in the end. I recommend that you see Santa Fe Stampede. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Young John Wayne
What a start for a Young actor. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Alpha puts out a decent DVD here
This film is a exploitation film from 1938, and was usually shown at theaters that typically showed other lurid product under an "adults only" banner. (These films would sound and purport to be more lurid than what actually showed on screen but that was part of the producer's game here. These types of films dealt in subjects that were forbidden by the mainstream studios to produce due to the Production Code. The film's producer, JD Kendis, was known as one of the infamous "Forty Thieves".) Plot involves a beauty parlor owner who lured women into her employ(by advertising in out of town newspapers looking for makeup workers) and wound up using these women as prostitutes in a brothel. Wheeler Oakman, best known for appearing in the Flash Gordon serials of the 1930's, plays her right-hand man. John Merton, another heavy from Republic serials, plays another gangster. Lurid for its era, although quite tame compared with today's stuff that would pass on network TV.

Alpha, a company who usually specializes in subpar DVD releases of Public Domain films/TV shows, actually puts out a good DVD here. The picture is quite decent, there doesn't appear to be any dialogue jumps or missing footage, and the dialogue can be heard cleanly. This is much better than other Alpha product that I have bought in the past. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

TIM MCCOY KEEPS PEACE HIS WAY.
The title refers to the "dead man's hand" held by Wild Bill Hickok when he was gunned down during a poker game, and which plays an important part in this limply directed Western that fortunately stars the always poised Tim McCoy, whose piercing glances enfeeble his rivals in his portrayal of "Gentleman" Tim Madigan, an unethical gambler whose finer instincts cause him to assist a beleaguered Mexican family near the California/Nevada border. Madigan survives by his wits as he carries no gun and is given some clever lines from the uneven screenplay, that McCoy delivers with aplomb, stealing the acting honors with ease in this rather subdued example of the genre, wherein recovery is the keyword: of pride, honor and property.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Above Average Oater...
Johnny Mack Brown plays Billy Donovan, an ammunition salesman and trick shooter (and he-man hero) who stumbles on the mystery of the "Desert Phantom". The Phantom is intent on driving Jean Halloran and her stepfather off their ranch, and has killed all of the ranch hands, cattle, and relatives who offer Jean support. Among the suspects is the evil Salizar and his gang, and as it turns out, Donovan has an old score to settle with him.

There are many low-budget westerns that were made in the 1930's, and most look pretty dry today. But "Desert Phantom" (1936) has a few things going for it that keep the movie from lacking all interest.

First, the mystery surrounding the "Phantom" is handled pretty well, and although you know he will be revealed as a cast member, his identity remains almost a mystery right up to the end. Only the most passing of cliche hints is offered to the audience early on.

Ted Adams's Salizar is suitably menacing, although the character degenerates into a bit of silliness when he decides to marry Jean (given the nature of Donovan's grudge, this element does not seem all that plausible). Also on hand is Nelson McDowell in a fine comedic turn as "Doc" Simpson, the town horse doctor.

The print used by Alpha Video is clearly from an inferior video source, with some serious kerning and other video errors. But for the price, and to have one of these old films to screen, one can probably not argue too much.

A remake of 1932's "Night Rider". ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An early John Wayne B Western without a happy ending
"The Dawn Rider" is the penultimate B Western in the series of sixteen that a young John Wayne starred in for Lone Star/Monogram studio between 1933 and 1935. Wayne plays John Mason who comes home in time to see his father (Joe DeGrasse) gunned down by bad guys. Mason gives chase and manages to gun down three of them before being wounded himself. Mason ends up being cared for by Alice Gordon (Marion Burns), who, in the small world that these B Westerns represents, turns out to be the the girl friend of the local bad guy, Ben (Reed Howes), but also the sister of the man who shot Mason's father, Rudd Gordon (Dennis Moore, aka Denny Meadows). This is going to make a happy ending difficult and director Robert N. Bradbury does not really try, which is interesting in itself given this series.

Legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt is back after an absence of a couple of films, although he does not get too do any thing particularly special this time around in terms of the stunts. Canutt plays the saloon keeper when he is not doubling for Wayne or another actor in the action sequences. George "Gabby" Hayes is still absent and the comic relief comes from Nelson McDowell as Batest the undertaker, who complains the town is too healthy and if something does not happen soon he is going to have to vamoose. Of course Mason and Gordon's gang take care of that.

All of these Lone Star Westerns are in poor shape. The sound is always scratchy and the picture blurred at times. But then these oaters were made for $10,000 in five days, so we are talking the production values of a poverty row studio. But for fans of the Duke it is interesting to back and see what he was like when he was learning his craft. Just think of these little movies, all of which run under an hour, as representing John Wayne in grade school, and do not expect the title to have anything to really do with the character or plot.

A cut above most early John Wayne westerns
Dawn Rider (1935) is one of my favorite early John Wayne westerns. While it does fit the mold of all the Lone Star Productions vehicles featuring The Duke amidst a cast of regulars such as Yakima Canutt, it rises a cut above the rest through its rather involved plot, a less than completely happy ending, and some great scenes such as the final showdown in which The Duke saunters down the street in impressive "this town ain't big enough for the both of us" fashion. Wayne plays John Mason, who arrives home just in time to see his father murdered during a robbery - but not before he gets acquainted with local tough guy Ben (Reed Howes). Both men go at it pretty good only to become best of friends by the time the fight is over. When his dad is killed, Mason goes after the gang of thugs, taking out a few of them but sustaining two gunshot wounds of his own. Ben's sweetie nurses him back to health, but as luck would have it, her own brother is the man Mason is looking for. As if this isn't complicated enough, Ben starts to believe that Mason is after his girl, placing an unsuspecting Mason up to his neck in trouble later on. Most of these early westerns have a happy ending all the way around, but Dawn Rider does not, and this fact really makes this film stand out in my mind. Packed with action, great performances, and some magnificently staged gunfights, Dawn Rider is a movie every fan of old westerns can enjoy - especially if you also happen to be a big John Wayne fan.

Young DUKE in Forgettable Western...
While The DUKE is as DUKE-ish as ever, unfortunately this film is one of the fogettable westerns he was relegated to making between the 1930 epic "The Big Trail" and the 1939 groundbreaker, "Stagecoach".

Predictable and not very unique or stylish, "The Dawn Rider" tells the tale of a young man trying to avenge his father's death. The man responsible is the brother of The DUKE's new best friend's sweetheart, who secretly pines for The DUKE.

Naturally, DUKE can't get the girl because his best pal wants her, and he can't take revenge on the bad brother without hurting the girl.

The story sounds more interesting that it really is. Nothing in the story is fully or clearly developed, and ham is the order of the day for the supporting players.

On the plus side, DUKE regular Yakima Canutt is also on hand,
and the DUKE himself is as rugged, honest, and charming as ever in this 1935 effort.

In great (though critically poor) scene, DUKE is and his soon-to-be pal are fighting things out. They throw away their guns to settle things "the old fashioned way." When DUKE knocks down his opponent, the man lands near a discarded gun. He refuses to pick it up, prefering to fight fair instead. The DUKE shows obvious liking for the fair play, and the two become friends.

Some great corny western banter preceeds the fight, with DUKE telling the man "Looks like you're the joker in this deck!"

While not a memorable western, this DVD shows a young DUKE in action. The disc is inexpensive, so if nothing else, DUKE fans can enjoy 55 minutes of young DUKE for a low price.

Early "Duke"
I used to watch these old John Wayne movies (1930s) on Saturday mornings on tv when I was a kid. I picked up 7 of them on VHS when I saw them in the store. If you're a fan of these early westerns then "The Dawn Rider" will definitely satisfy you. It's great to watch an early John Wayne beginning to define himself as the king of the westerns. Some pretty good stunts too. Enjoy!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An early John Wayne B Western without a happy ending
"The Dawn Rider" is the penultimate B Western in the series of sixteen that a young John Wayne starred in for Lone Star/Monogram studio between 1933 and 1935. Wayne plays John Mason who comes home in time to see his father (Joe DeGrasse) gunned down by bad guys. Mason gives chase and manages to gun down three of them before being wounded himself. Mason ends up being cared for by Alice Gordon (Marion Burns), who, in the small world that these B Westerns represents, turns out to be the the girl friend of the local bad guy, Ben (Reed Howes), but also the sister of the man who shot Mason's father, Rudd Gordon (Dennis Moore, aka Denny Meadows). This is going to make a happy ending difficult and director Robert N. Bradbury does not really try, which is interesting in itself given this series.

Legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt is back after an absence of a couple of films, although he does not get too do any thing particularly special this time around in terms of the stunts. Canutt plays the saloon keeper when he is not doubling for Wayne or another actor in the action sequences. George "Gabby" Hayes is still absent and the comic relief comes from Nelson McDowell as Batest the undertaker, who complains the town is too healthy and if something does not happen soon he is going to have to vamoose. Of course Mason and Gordon's gang take care of that.

All of these Lone Star Westerns are in poor shape. The sound is always scratchy and the picture blurred at times. But then these oaters were made for $10,000 in five days, so we are talking the production values of a poverty row studio. But for fans of the Duke it is interesting to back and see what he was like when he was learning his craft. Just think of these little movies, all of which run under an hour, as representing John Wayne in grade school, and do not expect the title to have anything to really do with the character or plot.

A cut above most early John Wayne westerns
Dawn Rider (1935) is one of my favorite early John Wayne westerns. While it does fit the mold of all the Lone Star Productions vehicles featuring The Duke amidst a cast of regulars such as Yakima Canutt, it rises a cut above the rest through its rather involved plot, a less than completely happy ending, and some great scenes such as the final showdown in which The Duke saunters down the street in impressive "this town ain't big enough for the both of us" fashion. Wayne plays John Mason, who arrives home just in time to see his father murdered during a robbery - but not before he gets acquainted with local tough guy Ben (Reed Howes). Both men go at it pretty good only to become best of friends by the time the fight is over. When his dad is killed, Mason goes after the gang of thugs, taking out a few of them but sustaining two gunshot wounds of his own. Ben's sweetie nurses him back to health, but as luck would have it, her own brother is the man Mason is looking for. As if this isn't complicated enough, Ben starts to believe that Mason is after his girl, placing an unsuspecting Mason up to his neck in trouble later on. Most of these early westerns have a happy ending all the way around, but Dawn Rider does not, and this fact really makes this film stand out in my mind. Packed with action, great performances, and some magnificently staged gunfights, Dawn Rider is a movie every fan of old westerns can enjoy - especially if you also happen to be a big John Wayne fan.

Young DUKE in Forgettable Western...
While The DUKE is as DUKE-ish as ever, unfortunately this film is one of the fogettable westerns he was relegated to making between the 1930 epic "The Big Trail" and the 1939 groundbreaker, "Stagecoach".

Predictable and not very unique or stylish, "The Dawn Rider" tells the tale of a young man trying to avenge his father's death. The man responsible is the brother of The DUKE's new best friend's sweetheart, who secretly pines for The DUKE.

Naturally, DUKE can't get the girl because his best pal wants her, and he can't take revenge on the bad brother without hurting the girl.

The story sounds more interesting that it really is. Nothing in the story is fully or clearly developed, and ham is the order of the day for the supporting players.

On the plus side, DUKE regular Yakima Canutt is also on hand,
and the DUKE himself is as rugged, honest, and charming as ever in this 1935 effort.

In great (though critically poor) scene, DUKE is and his soon-to-be pal are fighting things out. They throw away their guns to settle things "the old fashioned way." When DUKE knocks down his opponent, the man lands near a discarded gun. He refuses to pick it up, prefering to fight fair instead. The DUKE shows obvious liking for the fair play, and the two become friends.

Some great corny western banter preceeds the fight, with DUKE telling the man "Looks like you're the joker in this deck!"

While not a memorable western, this DVD shows a young DUKE in action. The disc is inexpensive, so if nothing else, DUKE fans can enjoy 55 minutes of young DUKE for a low price.

Early "Duke"
I used to watch these old John Wayne movies (1930s) on Saturday mornings on tv when I was a kid. I picked up 7 of them on VHS when I saw them in the store. If you're a fan of these early westerns then "The Dawn Rider" will definitely satisfy you. It's great to watch an early John Wayne beginning to define himself as the king of the westerns. Some pretty good stunts too. Enjoy!! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

very bad
very bad quality and waste of money. Will never buy from madacy again

Poor picture quality
I purchased this DVD set recently and was very disappointed by the transfer quality used. Some of the films were actually clear in both visual and sound, but others were so poor that they looked like they were transferred from a 3rd or 4th generation copy VHS tape.

John Wayne Collection - 5 Pack
These 10 movies in 5 DVDs from Madacy Entertainment are of the poorest quality that you will find. Most of them look like they are 5th generation copies of VHS tapes that were then copied to DVD. I was looking forward to adding to my collection of John Wayne DVDs, but I would not keep these if they gave them away. I will never buy another DVD from Madacy again.

Very Sad Transfer
I bought this box set of " John Wayne Collection " because ever since i was a small boy i have been a big fan of the Duke (j.wayne)that most of his early films have never been seen in London,England (Great Britan). so for many years they have been showing nearly the same films over and over again ( E.G Rio Bravo,The Alamo and True Grit). But now that Dvd is here with great sound and picture,I thought now is the chance to buy not only John Wayne's movies but some other great action,comedy and various other dvd.... I have to say most films are great on dvd and i have had 5 or so very bad ones..... When i saw this box set i was very happy until now : 5 discs,early 1933 films ( great i thought,never seen them in my life ) And now that i am watching the first dvd while writing these words..... Here is what i am thinking What the hell was the company thinking of,this box set is cheap very bad picture quality so dark..... it's like a bad vhs to vhs copy then transered to dvd,I can not see the actors,let alone the scenery.And even the sound is so low..you can not hear it. please if you are interested in buying the collection stay away from the 5 pack (madacy) collection it's so bad.

So last word look around for a better deal. If any one out there knows if they are going to release the same movies with better picture and sound please let me know..Thank you

A Trip in Time: a Vision of Yesteryear
The 5 DVD collection of John Wayne rates high in my book. It takes the viewer back not only in the early life of a most notable actor but also in the early years of film making. The 10 movies in this set were all made in 1933 and 1934. Consider that Talkies didn't exist until 1930-31 you have the rare oportunity to see what highlighted the movies top billing and see the movies as did the viewing audience saw them at that time.

If you are expecting the quality of "The Alamo" or "North to Alaska" forget it. The technology at the time was pressed one sided, paper, records that had to be correctly timed to the movie you were watching. Dolby and surround sound wasn't even heard of.

What you get to see is John Wayne as the movies earliest "Singing Cowboy" billed as "Singing Sandy". These are great if you view them with the knowledge of how and when they were produced and enjoy seeing how John Wayne started a career that ended with the United States Mint striking a special medal simply stating "John Wayne - American". ... Read more

Description

Includes: The Desert Trail (1935), Paradise Canyon (1935), The Trail Beyond (1934), Two-Fisted Law (1932), Riders of Destiny (1933), and West of the Divide (1934). ... Read more