Texas Cyclone

I agree with the previous reviewer, if you can accept a very silly premise that a man could look and talk so much like a missing rancher who's from the town he rides into than you will enjoy Texas Cyclone. And of course you can see John Wayne in support of another cowboy hero Tim McCoy.

During this short stint with Columbia Pictures Wayne did two films with Tim McCoy. Both are directed by D. Ross Lederman, both written by William Coit McDonald, and both had a whole lot of the same cast members.

Repeating his role as villain is Wheeler Oakman and John Wayne is once again a cowhand, the only one it turns out who's honest and employed by Tim McCoy's 'widow' played by Sheila Terry. We also have for the first time Walter Brennan and John Wayne working in the same film. Brennan is the sheriff and he's made up to be quite a bit older than he was at the time. This may have been the beginning of all those old codger roles that Brennan played right up to when he was one.

Of course McCoy finds that Oakman is still up to no good just like when he left and he has to deal with all the problems Oakman is causing. With John Wayne's help all things are righted in the end and the reason for McCoy's absence is explained in a very typical movie fashion.

If it wasn't such a silly plot premise, I'd give the film a notch or two higher a rating. It's not bad for a B film and the young Duke is shown to great advantage here.

B-Western starring Tim McCoy as a new guy in town who everyone mistakes for a heroic rancher who went missing years earlier and was presumed dead. Through a series of circumstances too silly to relate, McCoy decides to go along with the charade that he's this hero, and help out the man's wife (Shirley Grey) who has been struggling to keep her ranch going in the face of incessant cattle rustling by the minions of bad guy Wheeler Oakman. McCoy finds help in nice-guy ranch hand John Wayne and old coot sheriff Walter Brennan.

Tim McCoy was a major Western star in the late silent period, and continued on with B Westerns throughout the 1930's into the 40's. He was a real cowboy, adept horseman, and expert on Native American cultures and customs. He's perhaps not the strongest actor or the most intimidating screen presence, but he's genuine, and I liked him well enough. Wayne doesn't have a lot to do, but he's not bad, and you can see why he was a bit of a sex symbol during the early years of his career. Brennan, in one of his biggest roles to date, was only in his late 30's, but already playing a gray-haired old goof. As for the movie, it won't make anyone's top ten lists, but there are a lot worse in the world of quickie B Westerns.

This film begins with a cowboy by the name of "Texas Grant" (Tim McCoy) riding into the small town of Stampede, Arizona where he is mistaken by everybody there as a man named "Jim Rawlings" who owned the Diamond R Ranch about 5 years ago but was presumed dead. At first, Texas Grant doesn't know how to handle this news, but while talking to a bartender named "Hefty" (Vernon Dent) he is convinced to adopt the new name because it displeases some of the bad hombres in town. He then immediately realizes the depth of their hatred when, as soon as he walks out of the saloon, two men try to kill him. Fortunately, he is able to defend himself from their attack, and subsequently learns that both of these men work for a local cowboy by the name of "Utah Becker" (Wheeler Oakman) who is trying to acquire the Diamond R Ranch from Jim Rawlings' widow "Helen Rawlings" (Shirley Grey). Wanting to keep up the charade, he then rides out to the ranch, but after talking to Helen he is convinced to stay a little longer to help rid her of some of the rustlers who have been stealing her cattle. What he doesn't realize is just how badly Utah Becker wants the Diamond R Ranch--and the lengths he will go to in order to have it. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I was pleasantly surprised by just how entertaining this film turned out to be. Admittedly, it is an older film and doesn't have many of the refinements one would expect by today's standards. Even so, it had a good plot, plenty of action and some good performances by Tim McCoy, Wheeler Oakman and John Wayne (as the ranch hand "Steve Pickett"). That being said, I liked this rather obscure film and recommend it to those who might enjoy a movie of this sort. Above average.

This is one of our favorites and we watch it several times a moth. Tim's background in the military seems to have given him a leading man's bearing in his films. We love them all. Code of the Cactus, Six Gun Trail, The Fighting Renegade, just to name a few. In these particular three and others, Tim plays dual roles and they are loads of fun. As for Texas Cyclone, we love seeing John Wayne in one of Tim's movies. He did some movies before but he is so charming in this one. Watch closely and you see some of his trademark gestures and his signature laugh. Although Harry Carey taught John Wayne to walk his iconic walk in the future, he did just fine here. I don't want to forget to mention Tim's horse Pal. He often looks like he thinks he is in a parade dancing through the streets. A fantastic addition and partner to any film.

A classic, innocent western. Fun and, at times, funny. John Wayne as Steve is worth the whole 58 minutes. Tim McCoy over acts like nothing I've ever seen and the whole movie is simply enjoyable. Find it if you can.