What makes it different from others?

just watch it!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Cheapie western starring John Wayne as a cowboy who forms a group of singing vigilantes, slinging bullets and ballads across the West. Meanwhile his long-lost brother has saddled up with the wrong crowd. Nonsense from start to finish, and sadly never as much fun as the plot description makes it sound. It's dullsville. And don't even get me started on that ending! What was the point of the brother plot if it was going to end like that?

When Republic Pictures was formed in 1935,Trem Carr's Lone Star western group was included along with star John Wayne. Thus began Wayne's turbulent relationship with the studio which lasted until 1951.The first thing that you will notice when watching "westward Ho!" for the first time is the large cast of extras particularly in the riding scenes (the veritable cast of thousands). Quite a feat for the newly formed "B" studio considering that the Great Depression was still ongoing.Anyway, the plot in that oft used good brother vs. bad brother theme. John an d Jim Wyatt are part of a wagon train that is ambushed by rustler Ballard (Jack Curtis)and his gang, which includes veteran stuntman/actor Yakima Canutt. The boys parents are killed and John is left for dead while brother Jim is "adopted" by Ballard.Fast forward a few years and John Wyatt has grown up to be John Wayne and Jim, Frank McGlynn Jr. Jim has become an outlaw within Ballard's gang. John meanwhile has organized a vigilante group known as "The Singing Riders" to track down all outlaw gangs as he searches for his lost brother.Along the way, John joins up with Lafe Gordon's (Jim Farley)cattle drive in the hopes of catching Ballard and Co. Well, as luck would have it, Gordon has a comely young daughter Mary (Sheila Mannors) with whom John strikes up a relationship. To complicate matters, Jim also joins Gordon's group unbeknownst that his brother John is there. Finally the brothers discover who each of them is and..............................John Wayne had previously portrayed "Singin' Sandy) in a couple of his Lone Star westerns. So as the leader of the "Singing Riders" he gets to sing (dubbed of course) a forgettable tune to the heroine. A singing cowboy John Wayne was not.The film is enhanced by the presence of Yakima Canutt who staged many of the film's stunts including several horse falls and a spectacular "wagon over the cliff" scene. Considering the large cast of riders, this could not have been no easy task.Other recognizable faces in the cast were Glenn Strange, Earl Dwire (who had appeared in several of Wayne's "Lone Stars") and Lloyd Ingraham.Worth a look.

Republic Pictures first production, WESTWARD HO features great locations and photography for the time period. A strong performance from John Wayne, who at this time has been before the camera a little over ten years. John Wyatt(Wayne)vows to avenge the death of his rancher parents at the hands of cattle rustlers. Wyatt leads a group of vigilantes hell bent on finding the gang of outlaws. When the bad guys are rounded up, to Wyatt's surprise one of the bandits is his own long-lost brother Jim(Frank McGlynn Jr.) Its been about 73 years and this picture still holds entertainment value. Although it is a shame to watch the torturous scenes some of the horses went through. The cast also features: Glenn Strange, Jack Curtis, Hank Bell, Sheila Bromley, Jim Farley, Chuck Baldra, Yakima Canutt and Dickie Jones.

When new Republic Pictures was formed in 1935, they brought over a lot of talent from Lone Star Productions, including producers Trem Carr and Paul Malvern, director Robert North Bradbury, and box office draw John Wayne. All were involved in "Westward Ho", their first picture featuring 'The Duke'. Curiously, whether by accident or design, John Wayne's character goes by the name of John Wyatt, the same name he had in "Paradise Canyon", the final release from Lone Star.You can notice the improved production values and generally better story quality with Republic, even if the picture offers one of your standard brothers separated during youth tales. In this case, John Wyatt's family is ambushed by cattle rustlers in an opening scene, and younger brother Jim is taken by the gang, who's leader Whit Ballard (Jack Curtis) considers him feisty. Jim grows up an outlaw, while John, with the passing of years, is determined to find and get revenge on the bad guys who killed his parents. The young Jim was played by Dickie Jones, who grew up playing a whole host of cowboy and sidekick roles, and was probably the best stunt rider I've ever seen while backing up Jock Mahoney's 'Range Rider' in the 1950's.Probably the most unique feature of "Westward Ho" has to do with the idea of identifying John Wyatt's band of Vigilantes decked out in black shirts, white scarves and all riding white horses. My first thought was where did they ever get all those white horses from. They're an impressive sight, particularly when all lined up and ready to confront the bad guys. I had to stop and consider also how the term 'Vigilantes' seemed to carry a positive connotation in this story, unlike the more accepted definition one is used to. These vigilantes operated right out in the open and under the umbrella of the law, and most of the time made it look just a little bit too easy capturing the bad guys.One scene that will jump right out at you is when John Wayne's character serenades Sheila Mannors, more than obviously dubbed in a much deeper voice than Wayne's. It's not the first time Wayne is shown performing a song, it happened way back in his very first Lone Star picture, "Riders of Destiny". In fact, his character in that one was 'Singin' Sandy Saunders. Wayne was dubbed by a small handful of extras on the set, but you have to take your pick by film, as the guys weren't credited back then. In this one, the most probable suspect would have been Jack Kirk, who's in the cast as an uncredited Singing Rider. Director Bradbury's son Bill was the voice in 'Riders', who used the money he earned to help put himself through medical school.Oh yes, and I can't forget to mention Yakima Canutt, a regular in John Wayne's pictures, sometimes as a sidekick and sometimes as a heavy. In this one, he's one of Ballard's henchmen simply named Red, and I believe it's the only time I've ever seen him with a mustache. Probably to underscore the passing of years from the movie's opening scene to a span of some seventeen years later. Canutt's polished stunt work is evident throughout the story, especially in the old rope across the trail trick that takes out four of the bad guy posse. I still wince whenever I see one of those stunts, never knowing if any of the horses (or men) ever came out of the scene with a permanent injury.Here's something curious - why was it that when Ballard's gang held up the bank, the ruckus didn't start until they started riding away with guns blazing? They didn't shoot things up while robbing the bank, so why draw attention for the getaway? Something to think about.Anyway, if you're a fan of John Wayne, this one's not bad, offering a somewhat more mature and solidly built looking actor, even if it's only a couple of years beyond his starring roles for Lone Star. The finale of course by now is pretty standard, Wayne gets to hook up with his female co-star, and with Republic, he even gets to kiss her to close out the story!