Le ranch de la terreur

I love John Wayne's B-movies more than his later work, so this film was just another check-off on the list of movies I'd put on in the background while I'm editing. However, this movie has a more gripping story than many other of the films I've seen, so at the least give this film a chance.

Young John Wayne appears in support of Buck Jones in Range Feud as a the son and heir of a couple of feuding ranch families. Seems as though the patriarch of the other clan is shot in the back shortly after Wayne came courting on Susan Fleming who is the daughter of the deceased.

There's someone who's mighty interested in keeping a range feud going between the two families, a guy who's been rustling from both families and laying the blame on the other. It's up to the sheriff, played by Buck Jones to figure it out and prevent a miscarriage of justice.

Buck Jones had a strong screen presence and a very good speaking voice for sound. He apparently made the transition to sound with ease. This was the first time I'd ever seen one of his films and I could tell why he was a success as a cowboy hero.

Although there's not much suspense here, you pretty much figure out who's the real villain in the first few moments of the film, still for western fans it's got all the ingredients, riding, fighting, shooting, and the prerequisite ending.

And it's an opportunity to see a very callow John Wayne in support of another cowboy hero.

The Range Feud (1931)

** (out of 4)

Standard "B" Western has Buck Jones playing Sheriff Buck Gordon who finds himself in the middle of rival families battling over land. Soon Clint Turner (John Wayne) is accused of killing the father of the rival family and Buck must race to try and clear his name.

THE RANGE Feud really isn't any different than countless of other Westerns that were made during this era. Heck, even by 1931 standards the film is pretty old-fashioned and using clichéd tricks that went out of style in the silent era. With that said, the film will contain a little interest thanks in large part to Wayne having a small role. While the film is mildly entertaining in its own way, can you really say people would be watching it today if it wasn't for Wayne?

The biggest problem is the fact that this is pretty much like any other cheap Western. The filmmaking is "good" enough to get a decent looking film on the screen. The story is your typical Romero and Juliet type of story dealing with a rivalry and murder. Jones makes for a good lead and I thought Wayne was pretty good in his small role. What else can really be said? If you're a fan of these types of films then it's worth watching.

Buck 'Buckaroo' Jones and John 'Duke' Wayne were the best of the best. Wonderful performances by the star Buck Jones striking a commanding figure as the Sheriff and young John Wayne, a future legend. Buckaroo is chasing the Duke and Duke is chasing gorgeous Ziegfeld Girl, Susan Fleming. Dad Turner (Will Walling) and John Walton (Edward LeSaint) are the big story here with the cattle rustling war. It doesn't hurt the action to have the best man to stir the pot 'all time meanest villain' Harry Woods.

An American Western; A story about the conflict between two rival families who dispute over land rights, and a seemingly innocent man framed for the murder of one of the heads of the rival families, but his family background provides intrigue. This B-movie production is competently written on a topic of false-accusation and injustice, but it is thinly plotted. Fistfights and horse chase action sequences moderately entertain, but the romance proves insubstantial. The performances are above par with Buck Jones playing the sheriff with commanding presence and John Wayne gives good support as the young buck.