Ο Τυχερός Τεξανός

Dan Abel3.0

Jerry Mason finished his schooling and returned to town to fulfill his father's last request to help an old rancher named Jack Benson. It doesn't take long before they discover gold and the shady characters and devious schemes that come with it.I didn't have much time this morning but I did have a bit so I decided to get back to one of the early John Wayne / Robert Bradbury directed films produced by Lone star / Paul Malvern Productions. Most aren't all that good and clock in at less than an hour, in the case of The Lucky Texan it's fifty-four minutes and probably the best of these flicks that I have seen thus far.Sure it's hocky, cheesy, and rife with over acting but many of the Westerns of the 1920s and 1930s were presented that way because they weren't long removed from the silent film era. As far as the plot is concerned, this film may have been less than an hour long but it felt like they fit every bit as much as a modern day feature length production within it. Action, drama, budding romance, and a sinister scheme to overcome. Well done for the time. If you're ever interested in the checking out something from John Wayne's pre Stagecoach era this is a good one to go with.John Wayne Films Ranked and Reviewed

Jordan James Brooks2.5

“I ain’t no lady, I’m Jake Benson! And there’s the two coyotes that shot me!” Before entertaining the likes of Howard Hawks and John Ford, the Duke had a close filmmaking relationship with Robert N. Bradbury. Together, they made some of the most underwhelming, but strangely endurable and somewhat charming Westerns that will most likely only appeal to the extreme genre fan. The plot follows Jerry Mason (Wayne), a recent college graduate who gets into blacksmithing with help from his friend Jake (Gabby Hayes). After making a golden nugget discovery, they become of great interest to the wrong sort of people. As wooden as it all is, this one sees Wayne spurring a delightful relationship as the college graduate with his mentor in blacksmithing. It really is a different kind of film for the Duke, and not at all the sort of role you’d see him playing in his later years. What you’ll find here is a simple story, with simple characters; and sometimes that’s all you need.

JJ2.5

Was it good? Not really, but how many films have John Wayne riding down a mining sluice like a slip n slide? That has to account for something.