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Strong story line that benefits from Lone Star's alliance with Republic Pictures. Poverty row Lone Star usually emphasized action at the expense of story-line. This resulted in lots of exciting chases, but often with little understanding of why. Here, however, the plot is very well developed with believable characters and good action. It's an excellent sketch of how guts, risk, and ingenuity helped transform an abandoned ghost town into a vibrant new community. The screenplay also does a nice job of showing the challenges of rebuilding a frontier town without losing the conventions that entertained kids of the time. Wayne delivers a nicely appropriate turn as the driving force behind the redevelopment, along with Lane Chandler as his buddy. This film especially shows Wayne's charm before the big-money responsibility of super-stardom made him more serious. Final stage race is well conceived along with how reviving the town also restores self-confidence of its inhabitants. Very positive story-line unusual for a B-Western of the 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.

Well ladies and gentleman the Pony Express rides again,, this time with John Wayne leading the charge. A man and his partner ride into town looking to make some money,, and there chance is right in front of them 25,000 prize for the quickest Pony Express run.. Crescent City is where it all starts at,, and for the life of me I can't remember the ending point, but that's really not important,, so the Duke and his partner get the line,, now only to find out that the town in which they start at has a grand total of get this,, 2 people.. well eventually 3 more people are on the way so we got 5 all together,, the man who put up the prize money though isn't playing on the up and up , as he tries to sabotage the Duke and his partner from finishing the run from the one city to the other for the Pony Express,, I found this movie to be very interesting as I really don't know much about the origins of the Pony Express.

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.

With the advent of the telegraph, Pony Express rider John Wayne and his friend find themselves out of work with a few horses as severance pay. The two purchase a stage line to Crecent City and find out they were swindled, as Crecent City turns out to be a ghost town! However, the two have a plan to make it work by winning a mail contract and bringing in the telegraph.

One of Wayne's best B-pictures, Winds Of The Wasteland is irresistible, breezy fun, full of humor and can-do spirit, with a winning performance by the Duke.

An exciting stagecoach race, full of villainous treachery and thunderous action makes for a good, satisfying climax.

If you haven't seen any of Wayne's early westerns, this is a good place to start.