Winds of the Wasteland (1936)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

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.

Wow, I've watched a ton of John Wayne's B-westerns from the 1930s, but I have never seen one that featured such obscure actors throughout the film. Familiar faces like Gabby Hayes and Yakima Canut are no where to be seen, so it's obvious that this is an even lower budget film than usual for Wayne--an actor who made a bazillion B-westerns. Fortunately, despite the no-name cast, the film itself was pretty dandy--mostly because it was so unlike all the rest of these films.The film begins with the closing of the Pony Express--a service that actually only operated for about a year. Wayne and another ex-rider decide to go in to the stage coach business--even though they know absolutely NOTHING about it. It's because of this that they are so easily swindled by a jerk who owns many of the stage lines. He sells them a broken-down stage and a route for a ghost town! But, instead of giving up, the two work their butts off and through some ingenuity the business and the dead town start to come to life. However, the evil rich jerk is determined to ruin the partners--even if it means killing one of them! Despite the no-names, the film was entertaining--more than I had expected. With a fresh plot and Wayne's usual effortless performance, it's among the best B-westerns I've seen. Well worth seeing...and within only a few short years, Wayne would go on to A-pictures and stardom.

Lane Chandler started out with Gary Cooper - they appeared together in "Legion of the Condemned" (although Cooper was the star) and he even made a film with Clara Bow as well ("Red Hair" (1928) but by the next year his name had started to appear way down the cast lists. By mid 1930 however, he had found his niche - Westerns!!!, sometimes as the star, more often as the amiable side kick!!Two friends, John Blair (John Wayne) and Larry Addams (Lane Chandler),who worked for the Pony Express, decide to pitch in and buy a stage coach - but they need a route!! Cal Drake, a crooked coach dealer, has a line that he will sell to them for $3,000 (in 3 easy payments)!!! They decide, on the spur of the moment, to buy it but afterwards learn that it terminates at a ghost town!!! There is a sheriff, Rocky,(a crusty old timer) who also doubles as a postmaster - he tells the boys that if they can win a stage coach race, they will win a mail contract worth $25,000. Drake, who is as crooked as they come, along with his evil henchman, Cherokee Joe (Bob Kortman) is determined that our two heroes will not win that contract.Blair's first passenger is Barbara Forsyth (Phyllis Fraser) and she is very excited to see the town. Her father has been writing to her - all about the fancy shops and the interesting townsfolk, so she is paying him a surprise visit. She is extremely upset to see it is a ghost town. Soon after her arrival, a wagon pulls up with a sick child - they are looking for a place to settle. Things are looking up for Crescent City. Blair then comes across a group of sick men - they have been drinking poison creek water - someone has removed the sign. He saves their lives and in return they promise to run telegraph wires through Crescent City. Drake offers Blair a job carrying a gold shipment, with a promise to wipe out his debt if he succeeds in delivering the gold. Of course Drake intends to have the shipment held up but Blair has a trick up his sleeve. He sends the henchmen on ahead, then takes the coach on a different route!!!Meanwhile Larry has been seriously hurt. While driving a coach full of men to work as linesmen, he is ambushed and shot. The old doctor is forced to operate and the success of the operation restores his eroded confidence. The mail race is about to start - but without Blair, who is in jail on a trumped up charge. No big deal, he is released on bail and furiously rides off to help Rocky and eventually save the day.This is one of John Wayne's best westerns. There is an exciting stage coach race, the story is interesting, the action never lets up and the love interest is kept to a minimum. Bob Kortman is excellent as Cherokee Joe - he always seems to play the "baddies" with much gusto. You will also recognise Jon Hall, as a handsome young pony express rider in the first scene.Recommended.

For those who have watched John Wayne's 16 'Lone Star' westerns (1933-1935) (so cheaply available everywhere on DVD), this film is a major change in many ways. First, 'Lone Star' (Paul Malvern) has now become a part of the new Republic Pictures. Second, we now have a full length music sound track mostly timed to the on screen activity. Third, we get rear projection, so we don't always see John Wayne and the other players actually on the stagecoaches they are supposed to be handling. Fourth, we get an improved budget and new script writers, with the plot encompassing a far greater scope than any of the previous 'Lone Star' films. As the opening titles declare, this is a historical western with its theme the development of the West. It's an early Republic "American Spirit" film. Fifth, by this point in time the technology of film making, including sound reproduction, had significantly improved. The only thing that remains the same is the disconnect between the title of the film and what it is actually about.In this case, John Wayne (John Blair) and his Pony Express buddy Lane Chandler (Larry Adams) get tricked into buying a ghost town, Crescent City, which they magically transform into a thriving one in only a few days! Apparently, the same day Blair gets workers to go to Crescent City to help build the telegraph, it also suddenly becomes a rebuilt town complete with restored store fronts, new homes, and a Chinese laundry (with racist stereotypes and music).Forget the shootouts, chases, fights and the spectacular stunts of the Mighty Yak (Yakima Canutt) that were the core of so many of the 'Lone Star' films. This one is now like a real motion picture complete with characters and a bigger theme. Unfortunately, despite the other comments posted, this one is too pedestrian. There's not enough interplay between Blair and 'the girl' (here played by Ginger Roger's look alike cousin, Phyllis Cerf -- Bennett Cerf's wife). See, by contrast, 'Texas Terror' (1935) with its love triangle, or 'The Desert Trail' (1935) with a horny John Wayne, or even 'The Dawn Rider' (1935). Frankly, the stagecoach race isn't all that edge of your seat. Most of it is cutting between shots of single coaches not next to each other. You can find a more exciting chase sequence in 'Blue Steel' (1934). The comic old timer / low comic sidekick part (later played in other westerns by Al. St John, Fuzzy Knight, Max Terhune among countless others)adds idiotic contrast to the main action, and in fact, as another indication of what is to come in junk westerns, ends the film. (Let's not put Gabby Hayes, Andy Clyde, Smiley Burnett, Andy Devine and Leo Carillo in the former group, since they were more highly skilled performers and were the top sidekicks.)Some character building interplay is off stage. Lane Chandler's getting shot, being attended to and his surviving successful life saving surgery are played entirely off stage, and thus too quickly and glibly treated to be believable. A longer film would have really developed John Wayne's relationship with him (i.e., actually showing these scenes), as in their equal screen time pairing in the best 'Lone Star' western 'Sagebrush Trail' (1933). Poor Lane Chandler and his sky rocketing decline from silent movie hero to sidekick to bit player to uncredited. He was in over 400 TV shows, movies and serials (including appearances in all three 'Flash Gordon' serials)! Apparently, he was laughing all the way to the bank, as he became rich.The best part is John Wayne himself. Huskier, older, and even more charming than in his earlier films. What a fast draw on the villain!But finally we have to say that even though movies have transitioned from the pre-code any thing goes early thirties to more sophisticated techniques and technology in film making, this one disappoints. It doesn't stand out. It's in the category of post-1934 'streamlining' of the western. I'd give it a 4 and a half. If you want a real movie, watch 'Stagecoach' (1939) to see John Wayne in a full blown Movie Type Movie.