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Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Good concept, poorly executed.

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Don't listen to the negative reviews

. . . sums up the plot of WINDS OF THE WASTELAND, as well as pretty much every other flick John Wayne made (except STAGECOACH) during the 1930s--about 70 pictures in all. Most folks think that Errol Flynn was the original Robin Hood, but Wayne was Redistributing Wealth with a panache that would make Karl Marx proud when Mr. Flynn was still Down Under. It wasn't until Mr. Wayne fell under the Fascist Spell of director John Ford in 1939 that he was transformed into the bloated buffoon and self-appointed U.S. Snitch-in-Chief that signified his Pact with Old Scratch during his decades as one of Lucifer's Minions. Perhaps it was not a Dory-like lack of short-term memory, but his Biblical Knowledge of every Working Girl on the California-Mexican border which had nearly all of Hollywood's screenwriters naming Mr. Wayne's characters "John," Question #8 of the "Trivia Quiz" on the 2000 Madacy Co. "John Wayne Collection, Volume 5" release reveals. This statement Madacy posits as TRUE: "John Wayne's second wife, whom he met in Mexico, was an expensive call girl by trade, and Wayne did not realize this until he was in love." Sure, Charlie Sheen, Rob Lowe, Tommy Lee, and Donald Trump have been similarly bamboozled more recently. But would you vote for any of THEM to be the American President?!

John Wayne B-movie path to stardom is clearly on the ascendant in this amiable, non-formulaic outing, thanks to fine support from Lane Chandler and the Republic Pictures team.John Blair (Wayne) and fellow Pony Express veteran Larry Adams (Chandler) are sold a bum stage route to ghost town Crescent City by the conniving tycoon of neighboring Buchanan, Cal Drake (Douglas Cosgrove). Drake later admits the deal was "a lemon," yet Blair and Adams count on capitalist know-how and their handiness with fist and gun to turn the tables on the crooked Drake.As reviewer John W Chance rightly notes, this is another of those B- movie Waynes where the title makes no sense. Later it was retitled "Stagecoach Run," which is more on the mark as well as suggestive of Wayne's big breakthrough in "Stagecoach" three years away. "Winds Of The Wasteland" is more concerned with the business of stage travel than that later western, and this focus provides "Winds" with much of its interest.The light comedic tone of the film is established early on, when Blair and Adams ride into Crescent City for the first time, shooting their guns into the air and expecting a hearty welcome from the healthy population Drake informed them reside there."Thirty-five hundred people don't make much noise," Blair notes as the gunsmoke blows through an empty street."Maybe they're out on a picnic," Adams suggests."Or just out," Blair responds.In fact, there are only two residents of Crescent City, a demoralized doctor (Sam Flint) and an eccentric coot (Lew Kelly) in the Gabby Hayes mold who styles himself mayor and pretty much everything else. In time, Blair and Adams set to making Crescent City a bustling hub of activity, which draws the deadly ire of Drake and his nefarious crew.A dedication in the beginning of the film memorializes the telegraph-line builders "who gave their lives to bring the thin strands of communication across the trackless wastes of the great American Desert." In fact, a plot point involves Blair using his gun to help these telegraph men, though hardly in the way you might expect. Nothing plays out exactly how you expect it to. Gunplay is kept at a minimum as Blair outfoxes his adversaries more with banter and wit. Wayne is in terrific early form here, showcasing his amiable side but hard when he needs to be."I didn't know school let out so early," he jibes one of Drake's henchmen.While entertaining, "Winds" has its share of story ellipses and contrivances. A medical crisis involving Adams is too speedily handled, as is a late-blooming romance between Blair and the doctor's daughter (Phyllis Fraser, Ginger Rogers' cousin). It definitely compresses a lot of story development to fit its hour- long frame.But the film moves well, culminating in an exciting stagecoach race between Blair and Drake that emphasizes character over gunplay. Though only a step or two above the Poverty Row westerns Wayne did earlier in the 1930s in terms of production values, the acting and story are both markedly superior. So is the direction of Mack V. Wright, who worked with Wayne before and knew how to use his star's burgeoning reactive acting talents to fine effect. If not quite a sleeper, this is a solid charmer worth your time.

Wow, I've watched a ton of John Wayne's B-westerns from the 1930s, but I have never seen one that featured such obscure actors throughout the film. Familiar faces like Gabby Hayes and Yakima Canut are no where to be seen, so it's obvious that this is an even lower budget film than usual for Wayne--an actor who made a bazillion B-westerns. Fortunately, despite the no-name cast, the film itself was pretty dandy--mostly because it was so unlike all the rest of these films.The film begins with the closing of the Pony Express--a service that actually only operated for about a year. Wayne and another ex-rider decide to go in to the stage coach business--even though they know absolutely NOTHING about it. It's because of this that they are so easily swindled by a jerk who owns many of the stage lines. He sells them a broken-down stage and a route for a ghost town! But, instead of giving up, the two work their butts off and through some ingenuity the business and the dead town start to come to life. However, the evil rich jerk is determined to ruin the partners--even if it means killing one of them! Despite the no-names, the film was entertaining--more than I had expected. With a fresh plot and Wayne's usual effortless performance, it's among the best B-westerns I've seen. Well worth seeing...and within only a few short years, Wayne would go on to A-pictures and stardom.

With the advent of the telegraph, Pony Express rider John Wayne and his friend find themselves out of work with a few horses as severance pay. The two purchase a stage line to Crecent City and find out they were swindled, as Crecent City turns out to be a ghost town! However, the two have a plan to make it work by winning a mail contract and bringing in the telegraph.One of Wayne's best B-pictures, Winds Of The Wasteland is irresistible, breezy fun, full of humor and can-do spirit, with a winning performance by the Duke.An exciting stagecoach race, full of villainous treachery and thunderous action makes for a good, satisfying climax.If you haven't seen any of Wayne's early westerns, this is a good place to start.