Bill Slocum John Wayne B-movie path to stardom is clearly on the ascendant in this amiable, non-formulaic outing, thanks to fine support from Lane Chandler and the Republic Pictures team.John Blair (Wayne) and fellow Pony Express veteran Larry Adams (Chandler) are sold a bum stage route to ghost town Crescent City by the conniving tycoon of neighboring Buchanan, Cal Drake (Douglas Cosgrove). Drake later admits the deal was "a lemon," yet Blair and Adams count on capitalist know-how and their handiness with fist and gun to turn the tables on the crooked Drake.As reviewer John W Chance rightly notes, this is another of those B- movie Waynes where the title makes no sense. Later it was retitled "Stagecoach Run," which is more on the mark as well as suggestive of Wayne's big breakthrough in "Stagecoach" three years away. "Winds Of The Wasteland" is more concerned with the business of stage travel than that later western, and this focus provides "Winds" with much of its interest.The light comedic tone of the film is established early on, when Blair and Adams ride into Crescent City for the first time, shooting their guns into the air and expecting a hearty welcome from the healthy population Drake informed them reside there."Thirty-five hundred people don't make much noise," Blair notes as the gunsmoke blows through an empty street."Maybe they're out on a picnic," Adams suggests."Or just out," Blair responds.In fact, there are only two residents of Crescent City, a demoralized doctor (Sam Flint) and an eccentric coot (Lew Kelly) in the Gabby Hayes mold who styles himself mayor and pretty much everything else. In time, Blair and Adams set to making Crescent City a bustling hub of activity, which draws the deadly ire of Drake and his nefarious crew.A dedication in the beginning of the film memorializes the telegraph-line builders "who gave their lives to bring the thin strands of communication across the trackless wastes of the great American Desert." In fact, a plot point involves Blair using his gun to help these telegraph men, though hardly in the way you might expect. Nothing plays out exactly how you expect it to. Gunplay is kept at a minimum as Blair outfoxes his adversaries more with banter and wit. Wayne is in terrific early form here, showcasing his amiable side but hard when he needs to be."I didn't know school let out so early," he jibes one of Drake's henchmen.While entertaining, "Winds" has its share of story ellipses and contrivances. A medical crisis involving Adams is too speedily handled, as is a late-blooming romance between Blair and the doctor's daughter (Phyllis Fraser, Ginger Rogers' cousin). It definitely compresses a lot of story development to fit its hour- long frame.But the film moves well, culminating in an exciting stagecoach race between Blair and Drake that emphasizes character over gunplay. Though only a step or two above the Poverty Row westerns Wayne did earlier in the 1930s in terms of production values, the acting and story are both markedly superior. So is the direction of Mack V. Wright, who worked with Wayne before and knew how to use his star's burgeoning reactive acting talents to fine effect. If not quite a sleeper, this is a solid charmer worth your time.

classicsoncall John Wayne appeared in sixteen Westerns for Paul Malvern's Lone Star/Monogram Pictures, and stayed on for eight more films when the group merged with Republic in 1935. "Winds of the Wasteland" was the last one of these, and would be Wayne's final Western for a couple of years while working on six pictures for Universal in 1936/37. It's a lively story that teams The Duke up with Lane Chandler; they only appeared together once before in Lone Star's "Sagebrush Trail". With the dissolution of the Pony Express, the boys decide to form a stage line with the horses they receive in gratitude for their service.Wayne's character is John Blair, and along with Larry Adams (Chandler), the boys are quickly hoodwinked into buying a stagecoach route from Buchanan to Crescent City. The first sign of trouble comes when the signboard for Crescent City's population reads '2', ever since villain Cal Drake (Douglas Cosgrove) had a falling out with Doc Forsythe (Sam Flint), with the population of the town following him to Buchanan. It's a set up that doesn't make too much sense, but if you stay with it, you'll see that Blair stays one step ahead of Drake at every turn to revitalize Crescent City and win a government subsidy of twenty five thousand dollars.For those familiar with the work of stuntman extraordinaire Yakima Canutt, you'll recognize what might be considered a very early tryout for the chariot race in "Ben-Hur" some two decades later. The seeds of that epic movie scene might have been planted here with the thrilling stagecoach race to Sacramento between Blair and Drake. Blair outwits the villain's chicanery to win by a little more than a nose, thereby winning the government grant, along with Doc Forsythe's pretty daughter Barbara (Phyllis Fraser). In that respect, Wayne's character kept the streak intact of winning the lady's hand at the end of each of his early Westerns.Another reviewer for this film commented on Phyllis Fraser's resemblance to Ginger Rogers. Researching her background reveals that in fact, Fraser was a cousin of Rogers. Even more interesting, she was married to publisher Bennett Cerf for nearly thirty one years until his death in 1971, and then to former New York City mayor Robert Wagner until his death in 1991. Born Helen Nichols Brown, she used the name Phyllis Fraser for her entire film career. I'd be curious to know if the name derived from 'B' Western film director Harry Fraser, who did a couple of Wayne's Lone Star yarns.Anyway, getting back to the film, you should have some fun with this one, as Wayne keeps things upbeat even when he's being railroaded by baddie Drake throughout the story. Lew Kelly adds some comic relief as the mayor/postmaster/treasurer of Crescent City, who maintains a running gag with a skunk (the animal kind, not the human kind). It all comes in at a quick fifty four minute pace, quick enough to grow the population of Crescent from two to over four hundred in a blink. The only thing is, how did they ever come up with that title?

bkoganbing Former Pony Express Riders John Wayne and Lane Chandler get some free horses when the Pony Express disbands and decide to start a stagecoach line. Easier said than done when a crooked stagecoach entrepreneur, Douglas Cosgrove, sells them a worthless route to a ghost town.Well not quite a ghost town, there are two inhabitants there. But through good old American know how and some hard work, Wayne and Chandler make a go of it. The town springs back to life in the process. Though this is a poverty row B film with production values of same, this is one of the Duke's better B films of his pre-Stagecoach period. I like the plot very much and there is an exciting climax with a stagecoach race to see who wins the government mail contract.And why wouldn't it be exciting since the King of Stuntmen, Yakima Canutt who did the chariot race in Ben-Hur had a hand in this one.Also look for a very nice performance from character actor Lew Kelly, the "Mayor" of the ghost town who keeps having a run in with a persistent skunk who has taken up residence in the old stagecoach Wayne and Chandler buy.But that's no comment on the picture.

er681 Winds of The Wasteland is a vastly underappreciated film. Having seen most of John Wayne's pre 1939 westerns (including some of his more highly regarded ones such as Randy Rides Alone, Hell Town aka Born To The West, Blue Steel, West Of The Divide, Sagebrush Trail and Riders of Destiny) this is the most entertaining. It has a great story that is well played by the primary actors, though the doctor is a little wooden. Of all Wayne's shorts, I would first recommend this one. Get the colourized version if possible. It may be heretical to say, but the colourized shorts are more enjoyable and most are available.