Sagebrush Trail (1933)

Expected more

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

John Wayne plays a man on the run from the law for committing a murder which of course he didn't do. He meets up with the outlaw gang and him and the guy hit it off and become friends,, after that he is taken to meet the leader of the group played by Yakima Canutt . Eventually the Duke figures out that his "friend" might just possibly be the real killer because it is made known in the film that the killer was never caught,. but worse for Wayne is that his "friend" kind of figures that wayne isn't a real bad guy , and then the fireworks hit ,as the Duke and the Gang prepare to duel it out,, not a bad "b" western from Lone Star Productins,, Wayne and Cannutt do some great stunts in this movie.

Convicted of a murder he did not commit, John Wayne escapes from prison, hops a freight train, and heads west to find the real killer, finding himself part of a gang of armed robbers. He then tries to thwart the gang from within and convince his new best friend to give up his outlaw ways.A fun entry in Wayne's cannon of Lone Star vehicles, this has great location photography, stunts courtesy of co-star Yakima Canutt, and a rousing finish. They even managed to squeeze in a neat underwater sequence!The abandoned mine that the gang uses as their secret hideout is the much filmed cave at Bronson Canyon. Right after I watched this, I switched the channel and immediately saw it in a brand new Subaru commercial!

Great stunt when Wayne, concealed in a camouflaged niche in the road, grabs onto the axle as the buckboard passes over him. Looks like a Canutt engineered trick and looks also like it's Wayne and not a double that executes it. Then too, the wheel spacing has to be perfect otherwise it's road-kill for a young superstar—he really earned his money in those early days.The movie belongs to Lane Chandler almost as much as Wayne. Together, they're a youthfully exciting team, but my guess is that they were too much alike to stay partnered. So eventually, along comes old coot Gabby Hayes and the screen gets one of its really great all- time pairings.Pretty good story from writer Lindsley Parsons, his first screen credit, who later became a prolific producer of B-films. Over time he scripted a number of Wayne oaters with plots generally more involved than most. This one involves Wayne infiltrating gang of robbers to clear himself of a murder charge. There're several nifty episodes-- Wayne hiding out underwater as a menacing boot almost steps on him, the script making him a cook (of all things) for the gang. Note too, the opening scene of Wayne dodging railway dicks after hobo-ing it into town—I expect that resonated with 1933 audiences when half the country was riding the rails.Some good hard riding and a spectacular crash. Too bad, however, that producer Malvern couldn't get the boys up to Lone Pine for that marvelous Sierra scenery. Instead they get to race around the scrublands of greater LA, not nearly as much fun. Note the frequent use of the Bronson Canyon cave for entrance to the gang's hideout. Despite appearances, it's only a few miles from downtown LA and the studios, and was thus a favorite for tight-budget productions, especially sci-fi from the 50's. Also in passing—this is Nancy Shubert's only screen credit, unusual for a leading lady. I wonder what her story was.Anyhow, it's a fun trip down memory lane for us geezers and for those younger folks who appreciate action done by real people instead of blue screens and digital computers.

I must admit that this was the first John Wayne movie I ever saw. I was a bit disappointed. The acting is good, John Wayne especially. But the plot is not inspiring at all. It's not a «true» story. And further more, it's not a «true» western.Out of 100, I gave it 71. That's ** out of ****.