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Good movie but grossly overrated

As Good As It Gets

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

STOLEN GOODS is another early western for John Wayne. Like the others I've seen, it does the job ably enough and offers plenty of action in the form of stagecoach and horse chases, fist fights, and corruption to keep the viewer interested. Wayne does his square-jawed hero routine with ease and the film flies along with a short running time. This time around, our star is on the trail of a bandit gang and their job is to save and protect the local townsfolk. The supporting cast give mixed performances but this is harmless enough fun for the era.

Well, I've seen John Wayne's last movie ("The Shootist") and now in "Blue Steel" I've seen not his first by any means but one of his earlier movies and I've seen a few of his roles in between. I still can't figure it out. I can't deny that he was a mega-star, but he does absolutely nothing for me. Wayne aside, this movie didn't come across as a great vehicle for an actor anyway. It's rather dull (especially in its opening) and I have to admit that I never really did figure the details of the plot out, which is probably best explained by the fact that I kept nodding off throughout. In the beginning, Wayne's John Carruthers is mistaken by the local sheriff (Gabby Hayes) for a thief, but the two then form a partnership to stop the real bad guy of the movie from dishonestly forcing ranchers off their land and buying it up so that they can control a major gold mine.Frankly, I found nothing particularly exciting here, except perhaps for the fact that it's mercifully short at less than an hour, and the ending (as Carruthers rides off with Betty to get married) came across as silly to me. It's worth watching, I suppose, only if you're a big fan of John Wayne and want to see an early role of his. 2/10

Another great Lone Star western and another town under siege. John Carruthers (John Wayne) sneaks into town - just in time to see the hotel's safe being robbed. The thief leaves a spur and while Carruthers is investigating Old Timer (George "Gabby" Hayes) puts two and two together and concludes that John is the "polka dot" bandit. He plays along with Carruthers and together they try to get to the bottom of the mystery of why no stores can reach the town.Before that they are involved in a "shoot em up" involving Danti's gang. Yakima Canutt, a legendary stunt rider, who also doubled for John Wayne played Danti.Eleanor Hunt was first seen in "Whoopee" - she had been a chorus girl in the original Broadway show - in the movie she had the romantic lead.She plays Betty Mason, whose father is killed in the shoot out and Wayne and Old Timer are almost blamed for that until she comes to their aid. They are just in time to hear Malgrove (Edward Piel Snr.) make an offer for the few remaining homesteaders that are left in the town. He will buy up their ranches for $100 each. John and Old Timer beg to be given a chance to bring in the supply wagon.There is also a terrific piece of action involving a runaway wagon. Carruthers (Canutt) jumps into the runaway horses and rescues the heroine.They do bring in the supply wagon and also solve the riddle of the "polka dot" bandit - it was Danti!!! Old Timer is hard to convince that it is not John!!!I can recommend this film.

This western was the second significant film in the development of George "Gabby" Hayes' cantankerous character who emerged as the old whiskered comedy sidekick in the Hopalong Cassidy films. Gabby plays it straight here as a sheriff who even shoots a baddie. The only "funny" things about him are the hole filled hat he wears, his big walrus mustache, & his typical slurred speech. The acting is good all around, except for Eleanor Hunt, who has that cute Clara Bow look, but she's brought that old silent film style to this movie. I love the old B westerns, & aside from my favorite, Hopalong Cassidy, to me the early John Wayne series is the next best. This is not one of Wayne's best, but it's a must-see for Gabby Hayes fans. I rate it 6/10.