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

Writer:

Lindsley Parsons (story)

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:

rodeo | prize money | saddle | killing | wanted poster | 

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Taglines:

WHIRLING ROPES AND SNARLING GUNS IN THE GALLOPING GRIP OF A GLAMOROUS DRAMA! (original-release poster - all caps)

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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:

O Homem de Utah

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lone Star Productions (I), Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

55 min 52 min (Encore-Westerns Library Print)

Color:

Black and White Color (colorized)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The vegetation and geology near the river that Weston and Spike Barton fall into is different to the country through which they have been riding.

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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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Connections

Remade as Mesquite Buckaroo (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Sing Me a Song of the Wild"
(uncredited)
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.