This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Overrated and overhyped

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

not a bad little western.. once again the "Duke" is teamed up with George Gabby Hayes.. this time,, the good people are being harassed by a villain who is sucking the town dry.. literally,, he built a dam to hog up all the water in town,, so it's either pay up to the man,, to get the water , or you ain't getting any water,,, a man and his daughter however have the only other water in town,, course they were smart enough to dig a well, therefore don't need mr. businessman's precious water,, when he finds out about this he tries to go and root them out of their land and get their water as well.. the local townspeople decide they have had enough and write the federal government,, and the town get's the "Duke" just in time so save the day.

First of all, joeytheBrit says that Cecilia Parker "...bakes cookies too." No, no, no. She does NOT bake cookies in this movie she bakes BISQUITS! Bisquits are entirely different from cookies! In the old west, biscuits were usually made with buttermilk and were eaten primarily with breakfast. Anyway, Joey is certainly correct in saying that Cecilia Parker is impossibly cute, I wish I could meet someone like her! As for the film itself the story is actually quite good and told in a fairly entertaining manner. Remember, this was filmed in 1933! The acting is just passable. Yakima Cannutt should have stayed with the stunt work as he was certainly no actor! John Wayne as "Singing Sandy" is ridiculous. The songs are just silly and don't belong in the movie. It is very obvious that Wayne did NOT do the singing. The voice in the songs sounds nothing like Wayne's voice. The songs only detract from the otherwise fairly decent story.

The good news is that "Riders of Destiny" just might be the best of John Wayne's Westerns for producer Paul Malvern's Lone Star Productions. The bad news would be that this was the first one, meaning that all the rest went downhill from here. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a 'B' Western fan from way back, but if you get a chance to view any of these, you'll have to take them with a good ole boy grain of nostalgia and an appreciation for simpler times.Actually, "Rider of Destiny" might have been the better title, since it's Wayne's show all the way. He portrays Singin' Sandy Saunders and has a reputation as the most notorious gunman since Billy the Kid. That's somewhat ironic though, since it's later revealed that he's a special Secret Service agent sent from Washington to investigate a land swindle scheme under the direction of town boss James Kincaid (Forrest Taylor). How would he have earned that nickname having just arrived? Some other bits don't quite jive as well, like Saunders' finesse with a six gun. In the only actual one on one showdown with a villain that I can recall in a Lone Star, Saunders neatly places a bullet in each wrist of Slip Morgan (Earl Dwire), thereby making him a threat no more to righteous folks. One wonders how he might have learned to shoot like that.But you know what? It doesn't make too much of a difference, because if you're a fan of these oaters, you'll have a blast with this one as much as all the rest. You've got your crazy horse spills, wild stage coach rides, and villainous intrigue to pull it all together. You also have your obligatory romantic leading lady, here portrayed by Cecilia Parker. Her character is Fay Denton, daughter of George (pre-Gabby) Hayes, and she signals her interest in Saunders right from the get go. He helps things along by serenading her with a few songs with Daddy present, and boy, they just can't get enough, even if his singing voice is nothing at all like his speaking voice.Yakima Canutt is on hand as an unnamed Kincaid henchman, and of course it's Yak that's responsible for all the daring stunt work, including that trademark 'jump on the horse team and go under the stagecoach' trick, simply remarkable if you consider the timing and logistics involved. His fellow baddies include a comedic pair of stage drivers also working for Kincaid, Bert and Elmer (Al St. John and Heinie Conklin). It would be a few years before Al becomes 'Fuzzy'.Modern day viewers might be left scratching their head over a line spoken by Wayne's character early in the film. When he discovers sheriff Bill Baxter wandering in the desert with a bullet wound, he tends him while adding - "I'll have you in Starbucks before night".A lot has been debated over who the singer was who dubbed Wayne's voice in this movie and "The Man From Utah". A couple reviewers on this board credit old time band leader and crooner Smith Ballew, although Ballew himself denied it consistently until he passed away. The odds on favorite seems to be Bill Bradbury, son of director Robert North Bradbury, and twin brother of another era cowboy star, Bob Steele. Bill had a fine baritone voice, and used his talent to make some extra money while going to medical school. For anyone who cares to learn more about the controversy, check out the following page - http://www.b-westerns.com/jwayne1.htm.You'll have to scroll down to the bottom part of the page, and it's a good read.Anyway, for old time Western fans, "Riders of Destiny" is as good a place as any to see how John Wayne learned his craft. Hard to believe that by the time he made his breakout film "Stagecoach" to become an overnight success, he already had fifty one movies to his credit! Only one question remains though while watching 'Riders' - where were all those geese hanging out when there wasn't any water around?

At the risk of sounding like a complete anorak, I have to confess to a deep affection for John Wayne's Lone Star westerns. Every one has a mighty fine title, usually nothing much to do with the story being told. They have that addictive quality that other people find in today's soap operas. In both types, the plots are familiar and preposterous, the characters are off-the-peg, the acting is poor, the heroines are pretty, and the leading man looks good (especially on a horse in J.W.'s case).Of all J.W.'s Lone Star films, this one is my favourite. It has all the virtues listed above, maybe not as developed as in some of the later films, but there nevertheless. I particularly enjoy the way a character is introduced in the first reel, made to disappear for most of the film, and reintroduced at the end. The heroine is delightful in jodhpurs, and the bad guy simply looks dastardly in them. Then there are the pistols that seemingly are deadly at several hundred yards. And an important prop is what I take to be a genuine stagecoach.But this film has notable extras: "interesting" singing, some truly exciting stunt work, and a remarkably lyrical climax that I don't think Robert N Banbury ever came close to emulating again. It's so good that you'd almost believe that Ingmar Bergman had seen this film and been inspired by it as he started on Virgin Spring.Note to students of film: it's probably a bad idea to try that suggestion on your teacher!