Randy Rides Alone (1934)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Harry L. Fraser

Writers:

Lindsley Parsons (story)
Lindsley Parsons (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 June 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Fearless--- He Rode the Danger Trail!

Plot:

Jailed for murders he didn't commit, Randy escapes only to stumble into the den of the real murderers.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Escape | Gunfight | Outlaw | Mute

Cast

John Wayne	...	Randy Bowers
Alberta Vaughn	...	Sally Rogers
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Marvin Black aka Mat Mathews / Matt the Mute (as George Hayes)
Yakima Canutt	...	Henchman Spike
Earl Dwire	...	Sheriff
Artie Ortego	...	Deputy Al (as Arthur Artego)
Tex Phelps	...	Deputy

Runtime:

53 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:A (1935) | USA:Approved

Company:

Lone Star Productions (I)

Goofs:

Continuity: Toward the end of the film, Randy gets shot by Marvin and falls with the horse. First we see him trying to stand up behind a thicket. After he appears faint, with his back on the ground. But when he wakes up, he is with his chest on the ground.

Quotes:

Marvin Black, alias Matt Matthews: Well, where's the money?
Henchman Spike: We didn't get it. It wasn't in the safe.
Marvin Black, alias Matt Matthews: Whaddya mean, you didn't get it?
Henchman Spike: I'm telling you we couldn't find it.
Marvin Black, alias Matt Matthews: And you call yourselves "bad men"! I should have left you where I found you - brandin' calves!

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of John Wayne (2007) (TV)

Alternate title: The Forgotten Massacre At The Saloon

Another Wayne/Canutt/Hayes Lone Star entry, mostly enjoyable with the usual few tedious scenes thrown in. How any 52 minute movie can have tedious stretches is down to the love interest and various characters having to walk from one location to another. Riding is much more exciting after all!

It has a good start, with Wayne entering a saloon only to be greeted with a blood-bath, or was it just a good night previous? Chin-bald Hayes plays 2 characters, one the top baddie and the other a good-guy mute who has to write his words down on scraps of paper - more tedium. The key moment in RRA is after the heroine has said no to him as the good guy he starts to scribble an answer down to try to change her mind. Then he and the scriptwriter realise it won't do any good with only 5 minutes left so he petulantly blurts out "I'm fed up with this" and becomes his True Evil Self to her.

Some nice outdoor photography, nice print, nice scenes of the skinny Duke ambling around Alone before he's suddenly smitten with love. He improved his fight techniques in the coming years!