Randy Rides Alone

John Wayne made a slew of B Westerns for major and minor studios in the '30s before he hit it big with "Stagecoach" in 1939 for RKO. This was made for Monogram, a minor studio, and directed by Harry Fraser, a quirky director who spent his entire career grinding out B (and D, and Z . . . ) movies for long-forgotten studios like Resolute, Atlantic, PRC and Screen Guild. Working at a cheapo studio like Monogram would be considered the start of a downward slide for most directors; for Fraser it was a step up the career ladder, and he was ready for it. This could well be called one of, if the first, gothic Westerns; such things simply did not exist in 1934. It's eerie, atmospheric and has an especially shocking (for the time) opening scene. Randy (Wayne) rides into town after a long, dry trip and stops by the local saloon to wet his whistle. As he approaches it, he hears the tinkle of a piano coming from inside. Entering the establishment, however, he's greeted by a grisly sight: the piano is a player piano running by itself, and there are dead bodies lying everywhere. This film shows what can be done with almost no money but a lot of imagination and talent. This kind of movie wouldn't have been made at any of the big studios, but the independents could get away with a lot of things the majors couldn't (and wouldn't) do. This is an extremely offbeat, well done little film, not at all like Wayne's other westerns of the period. It's too bad Harry Fraser was never able to capitalize on the success of this movie (reportedly it made quite a bit of money and Wayne got along especially well with him); it would have been interesting to see what he would have been capable of with a bit more money and some major studio backing. Instead, he stayed pretty much where he was and ended his career making trash like "The White Gorilla" and "Chained for Life", about a murder committed by Siamese twins (!). Sorry, Harry.

Someone reported this as a goof but it isn't: "

"When Wayne pulls the wanted poster off the wall in the first scene, the bullet holes are in the poster but not in the wall behind."

Randy (Wayne) clearly notes that there are no holes in the wall; he touches the wall.

The wanted posters were posted to a tree at the gang's hideout and used for target practice. After the holes were shot out, the boss signed them, afterwards which they were left behind at crime scenes to taint the sheriff.

RANDY RIDES ALONE (Monogram Pictures, 1934), directed by Harry Fraser, stars John Wayne in his seventh "Lone Star" western presentation. With story/screenplay by Lindsley Parsons, production values still on a low-budget scale, but plot summary is tightly edited with everything told under an hour. Overall, it's still an interesting little item with a mixture of western and mystery.

The story introduces Randy Barlow (John Wayne), a lone cowboy riding through town to meet with Ed Rogers. Coming to the saloon called the Half-Way House which Rogers owns, Randy enters to the sound of piano playing music only to be surrounded by a massacre of dead bodies, one of them being Rogers. Unknown to him is a picture on the wall with moving eyes watching his every move. Moments later, the sheriff (Earl Dwire) and his deputies enter with Matt the Mute (George Hayes), who had earlier notified the sheriff of the gunshots. He insists the cowboy be arrested as a possible suspect connected with a gang of killers. While in jail, Randy is met with Sally Rogers (Alberta Vaughn), the niece of the deceased, whom she believes is not the guilty man. Sally arranges for Randy's escape and for him to meet with her at sunup. Sally is informed through a letter of introduction by the Adams Express Company in Denver, Colorado, that Randy is a government agent sent by Ed to investigate Marvin Black, a man pressuring him to sell him the saloon. After Randy is pursued on horseback by a posse, his escape leads him to the cave hideout of Marvin Black where he finds sally being held hostage. Supporting players include Yakima Canutt (Spike); Tex Phelps and Perry Murdock.

What makes RANDY RIDES ALONE watchable is the prescense of the unrecognizable George "Gabby" Hayes years before his bearded sidekick roles in a straight role playing a mute speaking through his written messages. Though never addressed verbally as Randy, Wayne's character is only known through camera closeup to his letter of introduction, otherwise to others he's simply a nameless cowboy who rides alone. Alberta Vaughn, the heroine in the story who hides in secret panels, whose distrust is on everybody except for a the cowboy stranger in town. Some good stunts with interesting finish make this worthwhile viewing.

A long unseen western turned up regularly on public television starting in the early 1980s, leading for its rediscovery on video cassette and later the DVD process. Cable television broadcasts include American Movie Classics (1996-2000), Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: May 1996) and Encore Westerns. Although clocked at 53 minutes, some sources time RANDY RIDES ALONE at 57 minutes, though jump cuts don't seem visible in existing prints. Beware of RANDY RIDES ALONE often shown with inferior intrusive underscoring added during its long muted sequences. (**)

This was a fun old time western that was well plotted and fast moving.

John Wayne enters a "deserted" bar that is host to dead men. It is eerily empty except for a player piano running through its program and a set of eyes peering through a picture. This was pretty cool stuff for a 1934 early talkie.

Shortly we find that the set of eyes belong to an attractive young female, Alberta Vaughn, who is sole owner of the tavern now that her father has been murdered. We are introduced to other major players. . The most interesting is Matt the Mute. He is played by Gabby Hayes who doesn't resemble the Gabby Hayes that we are used to. He has no beard. There are a few other differences that would give too much plot away.

We shortly find out that John is on the side of the good guys. Good triumphs over bad as it should in all good old westerns. Throw in the great stunt rider, Yakima Canutt and Earl Dwire, who looked like his character of the old time sheriff. And you've got a fun old time western.

"Randy Rides Alone" is one of the better entries in John Wayne's Lone Star westerns made in the early to mid 30s. And if you've ever wondered what George "Gabby" Hayes looked like without his whiskers, then this film is for you.

Wayne plays undercover investigator Randy Bowers who is sent to investigate a series of robberies committed by Marvin Black (Hayes) and his gang. He comes upon a half-way house which has apparently been robbed and everyone in it killed. But heroine Alberta Vaughn has escaped by hiding in a secret back room. Bowers meanwhile, is arrested for the carnage by the sheriff (Earl Dwire). Black masquerades as Marvin the Mute, the General Store owner, a respectable townsman. Bowers escapes jail and manages to infiltrate the gang and well, you probably can guess the rest.

John Wayne was in the midst of learning his craft in this series. This entry is better than most, particularly the "Singing Sandy" pictures. Hayes before he became "Gabby", played a variety of roles in the series. Sometimes he was the villain, other times the father of the heroine and sometimes a forerunner of the grizzled sidekick that we would soon come to know. Veteran stuntman Yakima Canutt also worked regularly in the series doubling just about everybody. He also played the parts of henchmen in several of them. In this one he's Hayes chief henchman "Spike".

Not a bad "B" western for its time.