Paradise Canyon

John Wayne's final Lone Star cheapie has him playing a government agent with a huge hat trying to bust up a counterfeiting ring. He does so by joining the traveling medicine show of Dr. Carter (Earle Hodges) and his pretty daughter Linda (Marion Burns). They always had a pretty daughter in these things. Anyway, the bad guy's named Curly Joe. He's played by stuntman extraordinaire Yakima Canutt. At least you know the stunts are good. Hodges is fun as the medicine show huckster. There's also quite a bit of comedy and some songs including one about suspenders that needs to be heard.

Is it just me or are those the loudest horse clops you ever heard? Also, I'm not sure what era this was supposed to take place in. Lone Star wasn't known for caring about historical accuracy in these cheap B westerns. There were usually shots of telephone poles and the like in the background. Here there are 1930s-era cars and clothes but everything else says Old West. This western, like the other B's made in the '30s, will seem pretty much like kids stuff today. But there is some fun to be had with it. Fans of the Duke might want to check it out. Avoid the version with the bizarre modern electronic score added.

While I admit that having the same music for all of John Wayne's Wild West movies from 1933-1935 is somewhat tiresome, the movies themselves are really great. On critic complains that the heroine in Paradise Canyon wears modern dress, and the medicine show drives a model T type truck with a homemade trailer attached, I think this indicates that the movie is set in the twenties and not the 1890's. Also the villain is Yakima Canutt who is never boring, at least to me. Modern movies could take a lot of pointers from these old ones. I love the humor, romance, fantastic horseback riding and stunts, and the gorgeous scenery, even if it is black and white. I highly recommend all of these early movies featuring John Wayne. And don't miss "The Big Trail" from 1929 either!!!!! WOWEE!!!

Like a slew of John Wayne B-movies recently aired on the Encore Channel, this one features a god-awful new musical track that practically ruins the film. The music is too loud, the wrong type of music, is played on modern electronic machines and is the exact same musical accompaniment you'll find on at least a dozen other Wayne films! Yes, the exact same sound track is used again and again! Also like a slew of other Wayne films (as well as Gene Autry films now that I think of it), the film is set out West and while MOST of it looks like it was set about 1880-1890, there are tons of anachronisms! The leading lady wears modern dress and they drive about the west in a truck!! Oddly, in this and other films, when it comes to chasing the bad guys, they don't chase them in a car or truck but on horseback! It's all very bizarre but not terribly uncommon in cheap B-westerns where they often just didn't care about these details.

Wayne is looking for a traveling medicine show, as he's a good guy investigating some counterfeiting ring. Instead of confronting the crooks at the show, he joins them and does trick shooting to attract customers. At the same time, he naturally falls for the boss' pretty daughter. Eventually, it turns out that a baddie named 'Curly Joe' is behind the phony money scam. No, this is NOT the same Curly Joe who was the really lame third Stooge in the late 1950s and 1960s.

This film is not among one of the best films of the era for John Wayne. While none of the films had very high expectations, they were moderately entertaining and fun. This one, however, was a bit duller than usual--mostly due to no interesting sidekick and an amazingly dull villain. The stunts are decent but there just isn't much to this one to make it anything other than a mediocre B-movie.

This film begins with a federal agent by the name of "John Wyatt" (John Wayne) being given an assignment to ride to Arizona to investigate a counterfeit ring that is operating near the Mexican border. From what he is told, the two main suspects are a convict recently released from prison by the name of "Doc Carter" (Earle Hodgins) and another man named "Curly Joe Gale" (Yakima Canutt). When he finally gets to the area in question, he finds Doc Carter driving from town to town in a truck peddling a tonic which supposedly cures everything. Also with him are two employees named "Ike" (Perry Murdock) and "Mike" (Gordon Clifford) along with his adult daughter "Linda Carter" (Marion Burns). That said, wanting to ingratiate himself with them to further his investigation, he helps them out of some difficult and is quickly allowed to join their traveling medicine show. It's also during this time that Curly Joe discovers that Doc Carter is now back in town and--fearful that he will expose him to the law--makes every effort to silence him, once and for all. The problem is that John Wyatt has gotten wise to the idea that Doc Carter was set up by Curly Joe and realizes the situation all too well. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay Western for its time with John Wayne putting in his usual solid performance. Admittedly, it is a bit short (only 52 minutes) but that was quite typical for the period in question. In any case, those looking for an old-style Western of this type probably won't be too disappointed and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

I agree with all the positive reviews but I do have the original movie and some idiot(s) have removed all the original soundtracks and have substituted some truly ghastly, awful music - all the same for the those '33-'35 Westerns.

My advice? Watch and listen to the real originals on your IMDb/computer and not the rubbish that is being played on Encore/Autry Western station. For fans of the original movie(s) the changes made to the music are absolutely offensive.

The old John Wayne westerns-before STAGECOACH are terribly important because they always pursue the ethical and attempt to do the right thing. Law and order is understood to be clear cut. Whilst we have been in this day and age, encouraged to see all sides of an issue, when evil is clearly defined-which it was in the John Wayne westerns, there was the feeling, that right MUST triumph and if John Wayne was starring, you knew it would be-because it was his mission to ensure that right was the result. Trivial in a career? No! Wayne didn't compromise his values.

Thank heavens he always sought to portray a good guy in his later films as well. He set a great example for us all. Just a footnote: When I attended law school as an older adult, I was the only student to pass a legal ethics class taught by a judge! It was thanks to those principles taught by Wayne, Wild Bill Elliott, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, et. al., that I think gave me that remarkable A!