El terror de Texas

Wayne portrays a Texas sheriff at around the turn of the 20th century who is framed for the murder of his best friend. His best friends daughter finds out about what is believed to be The Sherriff's brutal act, yet Wayne finds out the truth and brings the real killers to justice. Kudos to the Duke!

This entry in Wayne's series of Lone Star westerns that he made for Monogram in the 30's is a cut above the average. It has a good plotline and plenty of action crammed into its 51 minute running time.

In the early part of the film we see Wayne depart from his usual clean-cut hero image when he thinks that he has killed his best friend. He grows a beard and has a generally unkempt appearance almost foreshadowing a similar appearance at the end of "Three Godfathers" (1948).

The film is also enhanced by the appearance of such "B" western stalwarts as LeRoy Mason as the villain and a pre-Gabby George Hayes as the sheriff. There is also an unusually large cast of extras in the "Indians to the rescue" sequence which does not appear to be stock footage. The stunt work (likely coordinated by Yakima Canutt) is also superb.

Not a bad way to spend an hour.

In this Lone Star production, John Wayne is a sheriff who is tricked into thinking he killed his best friend and that selfsame friend was part of a robbery of an express company.

So distraught is Wayne over this that he quits the sheriff's job and becomes a desert prospector. In these scenes the Duke with that growth of beard on him looks a whole lot like his character Tom Doniphan in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Wayne does a major reclamation job on himself after he rescues Lucile Browne from a stage holdup. Browne is the best friend's daughter.

Of course in the end the Duke does find out who are the real culprits with the help of some grateful and friendly Indians. How the Indians get into it, you have to watch Texas Terror.

Texas Terror is set in a more modern version of the west. The stage is actually a large sedan and the people out here use telephones. Kind of like the settings of most later Roy Rogers westerns.

Gabby Hayes is on hand as well as the former sheriff who steps back into his job when Wayne quits and LeRoy Mason who was in so many of these Lone Star films for Monogram as well makes a convincing villain as always.

No need to repeat the plot. This matinée special has a number of interesting features. Reviewer jayraskin1 is right—this is one of the young Wayne's better performances since he has to run a gamut of emotions from shame to anger. He's actually a better actor than these two-reelers required, and I wouldn't be surprised this was a feature where the great John Ford caught Wayne's potential before elevating him to the A-class in Stagecoach (1939). Then too, I enjoyed the old flivver chugging down the road. Sure, there are some questionable anachronisms like the antique telephone. But it's fun and revealing to see these early editions of everyday modern contraptions. Also, the milking contest is a charming hoot, expertly done by the two characters playing the yokels. I wish I could say the same for the leading lady who at one point declaims like she's center stage doing Shakespeare.

But wonder of wonders, catch an apparently well-groomed George (Gabby) Hayes in several scenes where, dare I say it, he looks almost handsome! I'm still wondering about that and whether I should have any more 12-packs while enjoying these oaters. Speaking of visual oddities, is that about ten seconds of a subjective camera in the movie's first part when the scene goes all blurry as though we're peering through the blurry eyes of the leading lady (I believe it was hers and not mine!). If so, it's one of the few subjective shots in a genre not known for arty effects, to say the least. Anyway, I'm glad Lone Star popped enough money to put the larger than usual cast including extras into the piney mountains east of LA. The locale may not be the scenic Sierras, but it sure beats the scrubby hills of city outskirts. All in all, it's a better-than- average entry for fans of the Lone Star- Wayne series.

Under the mistaken belief that he killed his best friend, John Wayne quits his job as sheriff and leaves town to become a desert tramp. A year later, he cleans up his act in order to help his friend's daughter with the horse ranch she inherited. The two fall in love but the real murderer plans on ruining the ranch in order to take her away!

Texas Terror is a likable entry in Lone Star's series of Saturday matinée westerns starring Wayne. It has a well-written script with some decent melodrama to go along with the action and has one of the better love stories of the series.

Near the beginning, this gives the viewer an irresistible chance to get a look at Wayne in a full beard and dirty clothes. That's certainly something I've never seen before.