West of the Divide (1934)

West of the Divide (1934). 54m | Approved

“This early John Wayne western sees Wayne playing Ted Hayden, a man who was left for dead as a boy when he father was killed. In the opening scene he discusses this with the man who looked after him. As they talk a man staggers towards then; he lives just long enough to hell them he has drunk water from a poisoned well. He is carrying papers that identify him as Gat Ganns, a wanted killer who was hoping to work for a certain Mr Gentry; the man who now owns the Hayden farm. As Hayden looks rather like Ganns he takes his place and sees Gentry about the job. It turns out Gentry is trying to acquire a neighbouring ranch and wants u0026#39;Gannsu0026#39; to kill the owner… he also has designs on the owneru0026#39;s attractive daughter. Hayden is determined to find a way to save them. He also learns the truth about who killed his father.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile this isnu0026#39;t exactly a great western it is rather fun. The plot may be fairly predictable but it provides some decent action; this includes fist fights and some solid horse stunts. In most films of this sort the attractive leading lady quickly falls for the handsome hero but here she doesnu0026#39;t even meet him till quite a way into the film… he finds her earlier but she is unconscious. There are some fairly weak points; the opening involves quite a coincidence and Hayden doesnu0026#39;t look particularly like Ganns; certainly not enough that anybody shown the photograph on the wanted poster, as Gentry was, would believe he was Ganns. The acting is decent enough; John Wayne is solid as Hayden and Virginia Brown Faire is suitably sparky as Fay Winters, daughter of the ranch owner Gentry had feelings for. Lloyd Whitlock was a solid bad guy although the character was almost a pantomime villain. Overall this isnu0026#39;t a must see but it is fun if you enjoy westerns and have an hour to kill.”