Blue Steel (1934)

U.S. marshal John Carruthers observes a robbery and Sheriff Jake thinks he may be the culprit. Meanwhile the town's leading citizen is planning to rob everybody blind.

Director:

Robert N. Bradbury (as Robert Bradbury)

Writers:

Robert N. Bradbury (story) (as Robert Bradbury), Robert N. Bradbury (screen play) (as Robert Bradbury)

Stars:

John Wayne, Eleanor Hunt, George 'Gabby' Hayes

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Wayne	...	John Carruthers
Eleanor Hunt	...	Betty Mason
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Sheriff Jake Withers (as George Hayes)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Malgrove (as Edward Peil)
Yakima Canutt	...	Danti - the Polka Dot Bandit
Lafe McKee	...	Dan Mason
George Cleveland	...	Hank - Innkeeper
Earl Dwire	...	Henchman

Storyline

When Sheriff Jake sees a man at the safe and then finds the payroll gone, he trails him. Just as he is about to arrest him, the man saves his life. Still suspicious, he joins up with the man and later they learn that Melgrove, the towns leading citizen, is trying to take over the area's ranches by having his gang stop all incoming supply wagons. With the ranchers about to sell to Melgrove, the two newcomers say they will bring in provisions.

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Plot Keywords:

b movie | b western | poverty row film | low budget film | double feature film | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Lei do Gatilho

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paul Malvern Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

54 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The failure of the original copyright holder to renew the film's copyright resulted in it falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely (and usually badly) edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation (or more) copies of the film.

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Goofs

The guest signing book on the reception desk changes positions from the time Danti sneaks into the hotel to rob the safe, to when he accidentally knocks it off the desk, alerting Carruthers.

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Quotes

[the bridegroom returns to the front desk]
Hank, innkeeper: Well, speak up, young man. What is it?
The bridegroom: I can't find it.
Hank, innkeeper: You can't?
The bridegroom: Nope.
Hank, innkeeper: Well, whatever have you lost?
The bridegroom: I ain't lost nothin'!
Hank, innkeeper: Well, what in the world is it you can't find?
The bridegroom: Well, ah, you see its, ah...
[giggles]
[...]

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Remake of A Son of the Plains (1931)

User Reviews

One of the better Ones

Almost all the Lone Star John Wayne movies have one or two quite unusual and memorable scenes. Here, it is the bizarre opening scene and the beautiful last shot. The opening is actually quite a mess. It takes place in a hotel room on a rainy night and it is hard to tell what is going on for most of the scene. There is also the only risqué double-entendre that I've seen in a Lone Star film when a newlywed husband comes back downstairs from his bridal suite and announces "I can't find it." The ending shot is Wayne riding off into the mountains with his girl and it is just lovely.

The confusing and messy hotel sequence in the beginning is atoned for at the end with one of the best final chase sequences in the series. As mentions by other users, the stunt work is excellent and the scene of Wayne picking her his fallen lady from the ground while riding a team of galloping horses is still sweet, if not quite breath-taking.

As the ten minute final chase scene is a big element in all the Lone Star Westerns, I would have to rate this highly, although the other 40 minutes does drag a bit.

Edward Peil Sr. plays a great villain as he did in "Man from Utah". He was in some 375 films in his 40 year career.

Yakima Canutt, as usual, is effective as a bad guy too. With a little luck, he would have been as big a star as Wayne.

Not the best Lone Star, but it is effective.