The Man from Utah (1934)

In a horse-riding rodeo contest bad guys want John Weston to lose. When he doesn't go along they add some insurance: a poisoned needle just under his saddle.

Director:

Robert N. Bradbury (as Robert Bradbury)

Writers:

Lindsley Parsons (story), Lindsley Parsons (screenplay)

Stars:

John Wayne, Polly Ann Young, Anita Campillo

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Wayne	...	John Weston
Polly Ann Young	...	Marjorie Carter
Anita Campillo	...	Dolores (as Anita Compillo)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Spike Barton (as Edward Peil)
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Marshal George Higgins (as George Hayes)
Yakima Canutt	...	Cheyenne Kent
George Cleveland	...	Nevada Sheriff

Storyline

The Marshal sends John Weston to a rodeo to see if he can find out who is killing the rodeo riders who are about to win the prize money. Barton has organized the rodeo and plans to leave with all the prize money put up by the townspeople. When it appears that Weston will beat Barton's rider, he has his men prepare the same fate for him that befell the other riders.

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Plot Keywords:

b movie | poverty row film | henchman | song | singer | 

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Taglines:

FRAMED BY A GANG of Murdering Thieves! (1939 reissue poster)

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Romance | Sport | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rodeo

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paul Malvern Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

55 min 52 min (Encore-Westerns Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film received its initial telecasts in Syracuse Sunday 1 May 1949 on WHEN (Channel 8), in Detroit Tuesday 17 May 1949 on WXYZ (Channel 7), in Los Angeles Sunday 31 July 1949 on KTSL (Channel 2) and Saturday 4 March 1950 on KECA (Channel 7), in Cincinnati Monday 5 September 1949 on WCPO (Channel 7), and in Philadelphia Monday 5 December 1949 on WFIL (Channel 6); in New York City its earliest documented telecast occurred Monday 21 August 1950 on WOR (Channel 9).

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Goofs

The background behind the rodeo announcer differs depending upon whether it is a long shot or a close shot.

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Quotes

Marshal George Higgins: It seems mighty funny to me that every time this gang organizes a rodeo, their own men win all the first prizes. When it begins to look like an outsider is going to win, he gets sick. Two or three has even died from it.
John Weston: Well, you can't arrest them for that, Marshal.
Marshal George Higgins: No, maybe not. But it's might peculiar that when these outsides fall off them top broncs, they're suffering from snakebite. I tell ya, it just ain't natural.
John Weston: What do you want me to do? Get snake bit?

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

References West of the Divide (1934)

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Soundtracks

Sing Me a Song of the Wild
(uncredited)
Written by Robert N. Bradbury
Sung by John Wayne (dubbed by Jack Kirk) in the opening scene

User Reviews

Singing Cowboys

At the start of this Lone Star cheapie, the Duke strays into Roy Rogers territory as he warbles in a worryingly light voice while trotting along on his trusty steed - and one can only speculate on how foolish he must have felt. Thankfully, our hero quickly becomes too involved with a crooked rodeo gang to 'entertain' us with any more serenades as he 'bulldogs' and 'Roman Rides' and does all the other things an honest cowboy has to do to get in with a gang of crooks.

Subsequent fame has given us a kinder opinion of Wayne than he probably deserves in terms of his potential in these early days. Ford saw something there, but nobody else in Hollywood did, and Wayne spent most of the 30s trudging from one no-budget potboiler to another. He's better than most of the cast in this flick, but there's little to indicate the massive star power he would one day possess - it's only his size that seems to give him a presence (and that, if truth be told, is what Wayne was - a screen presence rather than an accomplished actor).

All these flicks were padded out with interminable shots of cowboys riding very fast on their horses, and this one's no different. But in this one we're also treated to lengthy scenes of rodeo riders - which are actually more interesting than the horse-riding fillers, even though the numerous shots of men twisting steers' necks to near-impossible angles in order to floor them and prove their macho status are not pleasant to watch. And the Indians - who were rarely a feature in the Lone Star flicks - are relegated to the status of rodeo sideshow acts here.

THE MAN FROM UTAH is by no means the worst of the Lone Stars pics (of the ones I've seen, that particular wooden spoon is reserved for RANDY RIDES ALONE) although the superhuman status given to Wayne's character is a bit over the top. Probably the best from this era is THE LUCKY TEXAN, so if, for some bizarre reason, you're in a position to choose between the two, be sure to plump for the Texan.