This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

SYNOPSIS: A ruthless gang of outlaws seems determined to drive every rancher from the valley. Why? NOTES: Wayne's final Lone Star western - though the movie was not released as such. Monogram had become part of the new Republic Pictures organization. COMMENT: Here is Wayne signing off his Lone Star career with a snatch from the very same song with which he started off in Riders of Destiny. But in addition to the opening lines from "Blood a' Runnin' ", Wayne (obviously dubbed by extra-deep-voiced Smith Ballew) sings "On the Banks of the Sunny San Juan" right through. It's the longest musical interlude in any Wayne film. And as if that were not enough in the melody line, we are also treated to a chorus of cowpunchers standing around "That Old Dusty Road". Not that Lawless Range is short on action. That we have in plenty too. Lots of hard riding (in running inserts yet) and guns blazing ("Popping" would actually be a better word) plus a couple of impressive stunts including a high dive from a cliff (reprised from 1934's The Trail Beyond) and a jump from saddle to saddle. Unfortunately, a fair amount of the action footage is obviously stock - which makes for some confusing continuity. Still, unsophisticated fans will probably find the action sufficient and the pacing brisk enough to satisfy their needs - though few will fail to tumble to the identity of the big boss quite early on in the piece. Wayne as usual makes an engaging hero, Miss Manners/Mannors/Bromley is a plucky heroine (even when offering such lines as "I think his disappearance is part of some scheme") and it's good to see Wally Howe doing a Gabby Hayes impersonation as the kidnapped rancher. (Because they have all obviously copied from each other, just about every reference book tells us this role was played by Earl Dwire. Which is dead wrong. Mr Dwire plays the town storekeeper). A few picturesque location shots augment a very middling budget. Despite one or two of his irritating whip pans, director Bradbury generally if humbly hits home. His tracking shots with the lynch mob are particularly effective.

This is another great "little" western from John Wayne made in 1935. Even though most of the crew (director, writer and even the music) were connected with Lone Star pictures, it was released by Republic during a brief takeover.John Middleton (John Wayne) gives up his rodeo dreams to help his dad's friend Hank. Stopping a fight he is arrested by the town sheriff, who really wants him to go to a little town incognito, to see who is holding the town to ransom.After jumping from a cliff edge into a river to avoid a gang of outlaws, he saves Ann (Sheila Mannors) from crossfire. After being mistaken for one of the Burns Gang, he is almost lynched but Ann intervenes and saves his life. This film is so action packed - the river scene is pretty exciting.The town is in a state of siege, as the outlaw gang holds up all wagons bringing food to the town. John takes a hand in bringing in supplies and surprises the bandits with a trick or two of his own. His next job is to round up the rancher's cattle and take them to market.Within 56 minutes there is a ton of action and John Wayne even has time to sing two songs. Distinctive Bob Kortman is spotted in the first scene as a "clocker" timing John Wayne as he ropes a steer. Yakima Canutt is the leader of the outlaws.

What's unusual here for the period is the construction of the villain's identity. Most 'big boss' bad guys were openly introduced on screen and given excessive, cartoonish proportions. Here, the boss is playing a double role, one blending within the group of good guys/victims, the other unseen and disguised until the climax. The effect is enforced by the lack of close-up face images.Aside from that, most of this is ordinary - Wayne as the irony-free hero who gets the girl. His voice is overdubbed by a professional baritone (a tenor would have been more convincing) in the obligatory musical segment, which pushed audio splicing technology to its limits. The gunfight scenes are nothing special. But there are two key action sequences, the first being a dive into a lake and the ensuing escape. Also, Wayne jumps from horseback to horseback to unmount the opposing rider - a scene that appears to be a rough template for Lucas' speeder chase in "Return of the Jedi".

An early b/w "two reeler" John Wayne western. It is a fun shoot 'em up, that is pure escapism. Don't look for a deep meaning. The stunt work in these early John Wayne/Yakima Canutt films is the equal of any, including those films being made today.