Sacramento

Tall and elegant pharmacist Tom Craig comes to Sacramento to open up his own drug store. On route he incurs the wrath of bully boy Britt Dawson, who doesn't take kindly to his Bostonian manners, however Dawson's girl Lacey Miller does, and along with newly acquired friend Kegs McKeever, Tom has the foundation to see his plans thru to fruition, but Dawson and his loose cannon younger brother are determined to get in the way.

This is one of those films that the John Wayne haters should seek out when they use the argument that he always played the same characters. Here he is far from macho, for sure he will be forced to branch out and defend what's right, but his Tom Craig here is gentile and full of grace, very much a gentleman thank you very much. Plot wise we are treated to standard fare, good guys and bad guys just don't get on, and you just know that some pretty dames are going to have a say in proceedings. Yet this piece really has much more going for it, it's sense of fun, courtesy mainly of Edgar Kennedy and Patsy Kelly's blossoming relationship, the advancement of drugs to cure the sick and it's back drop of the Sacremento gold rush, all of it comes together to totally satisfy come the final credits. 7.5/10

This western from the Republic is a good surprise. First for the character played by John Wayne, a pharmacist, who doesn't fire a single shot during the whole film and doesn't kill anybody. So he is not a typical John Wayne. Then the story, which cleverly mixes John Wayne's uneasy relationship with the titular villain, Albert Dekker (who tends to squint a bit too much), as they both covet Binnie Barnes, one unknowingly, the other very ostensibly. Then the arrival of the gold discovered in California and the madness that goes with it will change the game. The villain remains the villain of course.

Note that it is co-written by three writers, including two women. One of them having been a gagman at Universal (Frances Hyland). The comic relief is provided by Edgar Kennedy and Patsy Kelly, who are not subtle, but who contribute to the originality of this western.

The whole thing is mounted with rhythm where things happen quickly, without any dead time. With multiple settings. To serve these different plots, where everything is guessed, the film is conducted with efficiency by combining entertainment and dynamism.

I really enjoyed this early western. Most of the oaters that came out of the 40s, even the ones honored to have John Wayne in them were not ones to be remembered in years to come as classics. This one is definitely a cut above the cookie cutter variety of that era. John Wayne plays a Boston bred pharmacist who is dapper and very sure of himself when it comes to either being strong and forceful, or brimming with confidence in regards to the ladies. Although there is some of the usual fisticuffs and shootouts, this is not a typical western with multiple gunfights and saloon brawls. Its just a bit more on the civilized side for that early era. Whether your an old time John Wayne fan, or just a wannabe cowpoke like me that longs for the good old days of television when the western was king, I think this is one definitely worth your time to sit a spell for...

In Old California is a fun, surprisingly complex John Wayne vehicle from more positive and principled days. It features a good good guy (gosh, even goes to church! feature that!), a couple of bad bad guys - and even a character that transforms from shady to admirable.

It's a move that takes one's attention, keeps it, and sends one off feeling good. If that's your idea of a good movie experience, give it a go.

The main novelty here is watching John Wayne in an unusual western role for him, a pharmacist for whom violence is not the first resource, although he is still tough enough. Wayne could give his characters a sort of gentle charm that serves him well here.

Other than that, we get a decent story, entertaining but nothing special.