Westward Ho (1935)

As a youngster John Wyatt saw his parents killed and his brother kidnapped. On a wagon train heading West he meets his brother who is now a spy for the gang which originally did the dirty work. He and his brother both fall for Mary Gordon.

Director:

Robert N. Bradbury

Writers:

Robert Emmett Tansey (story), Lindsley Parsons (story),

Stars:

John Wayne, Sheila Bromley, Frank McGlynn Jr.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Wayne	...	John Wyatt
Sheila Bromley	...	Mary Gordon (as Sheila Mannors)
Frank McGlynn Jr.	...	Jim Wyatt
Jim Farley	...	Lafe Gordon (as James Farley)
Jack Curtis	...	Ballard
Bradley Metcalfe	...	John Wyatt as a Child
Dickie Jones	...	Jim Wyatt as a Child
Mary MacLaren	...	Ma Wyatt
Yakima Canutt	...	Henchman Red
Hank Bell	...	Mark Wyatt
Glenn Strange	...	Carter - Singing Rider
The Singing Riders	...	Vigilantes

Storyline

Ballard's trail jumpers attack the Wyatt Company wagon train, killing young John's parents and kidnaping his brother, Jim. In post-Civil War California, John Wyatt, now a man, pulls together a vigilante posse, The Singing Riders, who all ride white horses, dress alike, and ride the trails singing and rounding up outlaw gangs. Meanwhile, John is ever on the lookout for the gang that murdered his parents.

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Plot Keywords:

vigilante | white horse | outlaw | california | cowboy shirt | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Caça aos Bandidos

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

61 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Republic Pictures' first production.

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Goofs

The handwriting on the notes that John Wyatt distributes varies between different notes.

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Connections

Spoofed in Westward Whoa (1936)

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Soundtracks

"The Vigilantes"
(uncredited)
Written by Tim Spencer and Glenn Strange
Sung by The Singing Riders

User Reviews

Early Republic Western worthy of notice.

Newborn Republic Pictures utilizes the solid directoral ability of Robert Bradbury, and the presence of John Wayne along with Yakima Canutt and his troupe of stuntriders to produce this strongly scripted film of 1860s vigilante efforts to rid the Far West of outlaw bands that were involved in widespread robbery and cattle rustling. Bradbury, whose skill with Westerns dates back to the early silent period, directs and edits with a solid awareness of suspense, building his typically short scenes with sparse and, at times, stilted dialogue and an eye for proper cast placement which makes excellent use of defined personalities such as Wayne, Frank McGlynn Jr., and Glenn Strange, and gives particular value to the hard-riding stunt performers, who are splendid throughout this well-made (and musical) adventure filmed in California's Owens Valley, at the base of the Sierra Nevada.