Vientos del páramo

Former Pony Express Riders John Wayne and Lane Chandler get some free horses when the Pony Express disbands and decide to start a stagecoach line. Easier said than done when a crooked stagecoach entrepreneur, Douglas Cosgrove, sells them a worthless route to a ghost town.

Well not quite a ghost town, there are two inhabitants there. But through good old American know how and some hard work, Wayne and Chandler make a go of it. The town springs back to life in the process.

Though this is a poverty row B film with production values of same, this is one of the Duke's better B films of his pre-Stagecoach period. I like the plot very much and there is an exciting climax with a stagecoach race to see who wins the government mail contract.

And why wouldn't it be exciting since the King of Stuntmen, Yakima Canutt who did the chariot race in Ben-Hur had a hand in this one.

Also look for a very nice performance from character actor Lew Kelly, the "Mayor" of the ghost town who keeps having a run in with a persistent skunk who has taken up residence in the old stagecoach Wayne and Chandler buy.

But that's no comment on the picture.

The arrival of the telegraph put Pony Express riders like John Blair (the Duke)and his pal Smoky out of work. A race will decide whether they or stageline owner Drake get the government mail contract.

Funniest part of this John Wayne b-western is when Wayne and his partner buy the stage line in a town and it turns out they were given a dud - a ghost town. But soon the population spikes and Wayne is racing a stagecoach in competition with the others, and that's the most exciting part of the film. Apart from that, it has a bit of humour and romance. It's entertaining at least. Wayne is charismatic like always.

"Winds of the Wasteland" was made following the 1935 merger of Lone Star/Monogram and Mascot Pictures into Republic Pictures. With the added resources of the old Mascot serial group, the production values of John Wayne's series improved greatly. The budgets were certainly bigger and that can be seen in this particular entry.

The story has two ex Pony Express riders, John Craig (Wayne) and Larry Adams (Lane Chander) starting up a stagecoach line. They are duped into signing an agreement with bad guy Drake (Douglas Cosgrove) to operate the line between two towns one of which is deserted except for the disgruntled doctor (Sam Flint) and jack of all trades Rocky (Lew Kelly).

Doc's daughter Barbara (Phyllis Fraser) arrives unannounced and tries to convince her father to return east with her. Craig convinces them to remain and await the results of the upcoming stagecoach race for a $25,000 mail contract. Drake, along with his henchmen Bob Kortman and Yakima Canutt, among others, try to thwart our hero at every turn.

The highlight of the film, and a sequence that sets it apart, is the climatic and very well staged race between Drake's coach and that of Craig. Veteran director Mack V. Wright gives us plenty of action and a realistic race to boot. Having Yakima Canutt around meant many visually exciting stunts. The outcome of the race of course is never in doubt nor is the fate of the villains.

Jon Hall (using the name Charles Lochner), appears briefly at the beginning of the movie as a Pony Express rider who is seen talking to Wayne and Chandler. Also in the same sequence is veteran "B" western performer Ed Cassidy.

This was one of the best of Wayne's early "B" westerns.

John Wayne B-movie path to stardom is clearly on the ascendant in this amiable, non-formulaic outing, thanks to fine support from Lane Chandler and the Republic Pictures team.

John Blair (Wayne) and fellow Pony Express veteran Larry Adams (Chandler) are sold a bum stage route to ghost town Crescent City by the conniving tycoon of neighboring Buchanan, Cal Drake (Douglas Cosgrove). Drake later admits the deal was "a lemon," yet Blair and Adams count on capitalist know-how and their handiness with fist and gun to turn the tables on the crooked Drake.

As reviewer John W Chance rightly notes, this is another of those B- movie Waynes where the title makes no sense. Later it was retitled "Stagecoach Run," which is more on the mark as well as suggestive of Wayne's big breakthrough in "Stagecoach" three years away. "Winds Of The Wasteland" is more concerned with the business of stage travel than that later western, and this focus provides "Winds" with much of its interest.

The light comedic tone of the film is established early on, when Blair and Adams ride into Crescent City for the first time, shooting their guns into the air and expecting a hearty welcome from the healthy population Drake informed them reside there.

"Thirty-five hundred people don't make much noise," Blair notes as the gunsmoke blows through an empty street.

"Maybe they're out on a picnic," Adams suggests.

"Or just out," Blair responds.

In fact, there are only two residents of Crescent City, a demoralized doctor (Sam Flint) and an eccentric coot (Lew Kelly) in the Gabby Hayes mold who styles himself mayor and pretty much everything else. In time, Blair and Adams set to making Crescent City a bustling hub of activity, which draws the deadly ire of Drake and his nefarious crew.

A dedication in the beginning of the film memorializes the telegraph-line builders "who gave their lives to bring the thin strands of communication across the trackless wastes of the great American Desert." In fact, a plot point involves Blair using his gun to help these telegraph men, though hardly in the way you might expect. Nothing plays out exactly how you expect it to. Gunplay is kept at a minimum as Blair outfoxes his adversaries more with banter and wit. Wayne is in terrific early form here, showcasing his amiable side but hard when he needs to be.

"I didn't know school let out so early," he jibes one of Drake's henchmen.

While entertaining, "Winds" has its share of story ellipses and contrivances. A medical crisis involving Adams is too speedily handled, as is a late-blooming romance between Blair and the doctor's daughter (Phyllis Fraser, Ginger Rogers' cousin). It definitely compresses a lot of story development to fit its hour- long frame.

But the film moves well, culminating in an exciting stagecoach race between Blair and Drake that emphasizes character over gunplay. Though only a step or two above the Poverty Row westerns Wayne did earlier in the 1930s in terms of production values, the acting and story are both markedly superior. So is the direction of Mack V. Wright, who worked with Wayne before and knew how to use his star's burgeoning reactive acting talents to fine effect. If not quite a sleeper, this is a solid charmer worth your time.

I recently watched the John Wayne western Winds on the Wasteland (1936) on Prime. The plot depicts the end of the Pony Express and the shift to traditional government postal services. Recently laid-off men offer to assist a local stagecoach company in securing the government mail contract, but challenges lie ahead.

Directed by Mack V. Wright (The Man from Monterey), the film stars John Wayne (Stagecoach), Phyllis Fraser (Little Men), Lew Kelly (Paradise Express), Lane Chandler (Samson and Delilah), and Douglas Cosgrove (Lady Killer).

This is a dated western with varying degrees of success in its elements. The acting and dialogue feel somewhat stiff and inauthentic at times. However, the elite attire, settings, and props immerse the audience in the era. The storyline is compelling and holds attention, though the fake backgrounds and staged scenes haven't aged well.

In conclusion, Winds on the Wasteland is an average western with redeeming elements that make it a must-see for genre enthusiasts. I'd score this a 5.5-6/10 and recommend watching it once.