mrarn
Cinema Addict
Member Since: 11 Oct 2013
Location: Albuquerque, USA
Recent Ratings
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Desert Command (1946) - Rated 22 Jun 2025
"“Desert Command” is a condensed feature cut from the 1933 serial “The Three Musketeers”, with a young John Wayne in the lead. While the core story is simple, the editing makes it feel disjointed, a predictable result of condensing a 12-chapter serial into a single film. The pacing jumps between bursts of action, chases, brawls, and quick plot turns. Its slower moments are bogged down by clunky dialogue."
The Longest Day (1962) - Rated 22 Jun 2025
"“The Longest Day” is a sweeping World War II epic, filmed in black and white with a sprawling international cast and dialogue in English, French, and German. It covers the D-Day invasion from multiple viewpoints, offering a near-documentary portrayal of the day’s events. With no central protagonist, the film relies on broad character types rather than deeply developed roles, aiming more for historical scope than emotional resonance. While it lacks the personal intensity of modern war films, its"
The Lucky Texan (1934) - Rated 21 Jun 2025
"“The Lucky Texan” is a lean, no-frills John Wayne Western from his Poverty Row days, formulaic but effective. Gabby Hayes steals the spotlight with his scruffy charm, adding humor and grit to the mix. The plot follows classic B-Western lines: gold is discovered, greedy locals try to steal it, and our heroes must outsmart the villains and clear their names. It’s simple, fast-moving, and precisely what it sets out to be."
The Hurricane Express (1932) - Rated 21 Jun 2025
"“The Hurricane Express” originates from the early part of John Wayne’s career, during his tenure with Mascot Pictures. It’s very much a product of its era, light on depth, with basic effects, rough editing, and broad, theatrical performances. While it shows its age, it offers a glimpse into the kind of fast-paced, cliffhanger storytelling that defined early movie serials."
The Black Watch (1929) - Rated 21 Jun 2025
"“The Black Watch” marks John Ford’s first step into sound filmmaking, and while the visuals hint at the mastery to come, the film itself is uneven. The dialogue is often stilted or overwrought, and the pacing drags under the weight of theatrical performances. The acting feels stiff, and its portrayal of colonial India reflects the dated imperial attitudes of its time. Still, while the film is more important than enjoyable, it offers value for those tracing Ford’s evolution; it’s a glimpse of a g"
Directed by John Ford (1971) - Rated 20 Jun 2025
"“Directed by John Ford” is more than a documentary, it’s a heartfelt tribute from one generation of filmmakers to the man who helped define American cinema. Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, it carries even more weight today, over fifty years later, as we watch legends of the Golden Age reflect on Ford’s influence and legacy. It’s both a celebration and a quiet meditation on what it means to shape a medium from behind the camera."
Lady from Louisiana (1941) - Rated 20 Jun 2025
"“Lady from Louisiana” is a Southern melodrama that blends romance, tension, and a crime plot centered around the lottery. John Wayne plays a more polished, by-the-book character than usual, trading grit for formality. The romance leans on the classic love-hate dynamic, adding friction but not much depth. The climactic finale arrives abruptly and feels a bit forced, wrapping things up too neatly. While it’s far from essential, it’s a curious entry in Wayne’s filmography, more interesting for what"
War of the Wildcats (1943) - Rated 20 Jun 2025
"“In Old Oklahoma” is a Western that mixes frontier action, romance, and oil-boom ambition into a classic underdog tale. John Wayne, naturally, plays the cowboy hero, gruff, principled, and quicker with his fists than his words. The story leans into the familiar good-versus-greedy setup, with a romantic triangle thrown in to stir the pot. It’s not top-tier Wayne, but it’s well-paced and carries enough charm and character to keep you invested from start to finish."
Sagebrush Trail (1933) - Rated 19 Jun 2025
"“Sagebrush Trail” is an early John Wayne Western from his Monogram Pictures days, where he plays the wronged man caught up in a world of outlaws and mistaken identity. It’s a compact tale of frontier justice and unlikely friendship, shaped by tight budgets and a brisk runtime. While it’s far from essential viewing, it offers a glimpse of Wayne in the making, a small but telling step on his long road to stardom."
Lawless Range (1935) - Rated 19 Jun 2025
"“Lawless Range” is a quick-draw B-Western that tries to mold a young John Wayne into a singing cowboy, though the voice belongs to someone else. The story is thin, and the script feels hastily put together, but its saving grace is the brisk runtime, which clocks in at under an hour. It’s more of a curiosity for Wayne completists or old-school Western fans."
