Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

A Lone Star Western. Copyright 15 January 1935 by Monogram Pictures Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: 5 December 1934. U.K. release through Pathé : 12 August 1935. 6 reels. 52 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Wayne is the guardian of a little Indian girl, Shirley Jane Rickert, who is entitled to a royalty payment of $50,000 for an oil lease. Before she can get the money, however, Wayne needs to get a paper signed by her natural father, Earl Dwire. A gang of kidnappers led by Yakima Canutt also want the money. Matters are further complicated when a couple of bank robbers, Rockwell and Wilsey, cross paths.COMMENT: This would be a dull Lone Star were it not for the surprise appearance of George Hayes, playing pretty close to his "Gabby" character. Although prominently featured in re-issue posters and advertising, Hayes isn't even mentioned in the credits. Maybe his part was added as an afterthought. However it says much for the quality for the rest of the movie, that Hayes is the highlight of interest. True the pace is fairly rapid and the plot has more twists than a snake on an ants' nest, but the action spots - and admittedly there are many - are poorly and unexcitingly staged. Mr. Fraser is not one of the better directors in this field. Not only are the action scenes lacking in vigor and punch, but the level of acting is far more amateurish than usual. Even Canutt has little color, whilst Wayne himself lacks his usual assurance and sparkle. The heroine is somewhat dowdily costumed, though she has an attractive face, and as for Miss Rickert/Ricketts, it comes as no surprise to learn that she was a former member of the Our Gang series. She's one of those over-confident, over-forward but not particularly charismatic Hollywood kids which the studios seem to turn out by the cart-load. Still Buffalo Bill, Jr. was mean and shifty enough as the villain, and Earl Dwire had one or two good moments as the never-do-well turned playful dad. (No-one could complain that Dwire lacked variety in his various Lone Star roles). And maybe I imagined it, but "Sheriff" Jack Rockwell seemed uncomfortable in his unaccustomed role as a heavy.As for the Arizona skies, we're still waiting. The locations are singularly uninteresting, even by Poverty Row's Hollywood Hills standards. Yes, Yakima Canutt does do a couple of stunts, including two leaps from a cliff, one on horseback, doubling himself; and one solo, doubling Wayne. Thanks to Fraser's poor direction, both fail to impress.

Give John Wayne a horse and a kid, and you're a long ways already toward entertaining many a film-goer. Think "Hondo" or "The Searchers." Unfortunately, this Lone Star film forgot a coherent plot.Little Nina (Shirley Jean Rickart) is the half-Osage ward of Chris Morrell (Wayne) and sole legatee of a $50,000 oil-well payout. The money attracts the notice of bad guy Sam Black (Yakima Canutt) and his gang, who attempt to steal Nina away from Chris so they can claim the inheritance for themselves.Give the producers credit for mixing things up a bit this time, as the story veers from the usual bad-guy/shoot-em-up formula with the introduction of the kid angle. Rickart, an "Our Gang" veteran, is cute company even if she can't act, and gives Wayne a chance to showcase his natural screen warmth."Don't worry, little partner, I wouldn't give you up for anything!" Chris tells Nina, and you feel he means it.The real problem with the film is it tries to squeeze too much into 50 minutes, including both the Black gang and another pair of bad men who hold up a bank. Much of the early story features a lot of aimless chase scenes, along with short-bus exposition dialogue ("I had him alright. But I guess he got away"; "We better get Sam Black and go after him") and Lone Star's familiar mixed milieu of six- shooters and telephone poles. So when the film finally settles into a halfway interesting story, it's too late.Wayne is quite good here, as is George (not yet "Gabby") Hayes as a good-hearted ranch cook. Earl Dwire has a couple of spry scenes as Nina's real pa, though the film short-changes any budding interest you might have in him. There's really no time for anything when there's just ten minutes left.About the only remarkable things of note in this film are a couple of scenes where Rickart seems to really be riding a fast horse, and watching Morrell sneak up on a bad guy and use him as an express elevator with the help of a lasso. There's also a horse jumping off a lakeside cliff, which doesn't make much sense but was there no doubt to excite the nippers in the theater audience.It's odd saying a bad film should have been longer, but there's enough going on in "'Neath The Arizona Skies" to make me wish it had gotten a more expansive treatment. The ending actually has a lot of promise, with Morrell in a hot standoff against Black and his gang and down to his last bullet. But the set up is all you get; a final confrontation between Morrell and Black is not even seen as it occurs underwater.The best thing to be said for "'Neath The Arizona Skies" is it showcases Wayne's formidable star power even when he didn't have a decent script.

"Daddy" Chris Morrell (John Wayne) is the guardian of a young Indian girl who stands to inherit fifty thousand dollars, whether or not her rightful father is ever found. Bad guy Sam Black wants that money, and is hot on the trail of Morrell and the girl. The action takes place in Snake River, used as the locale in a much later (1951) Durango Kid film - "Snake River Desperados". Safe to say, with John Wayne in these mid 1930 Lone Star films, Yakima Canutt or George (later Gabby) Hayes are usually close by, in this case both are, Yakima as gang leader Sam Black. Sheila Terry portrays the love interest, as the sister of a local bandit who trades shirt and scarf with a battered Wayne early on, putting him on the defensive in a plot line that goes nowhere. There's a very cool horse dive off of a rock face near the end, that actually looks pretty exciting. But everything else is fairly standard for the day, as John Wayne ends up in a clinch with Terry in the closing scene, with Gabby and Indian girl Nina giggling their approval.

This early John Wayne film left a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, for a 1934 low-budget film, it wasn't all that bad. The film's saving grace is that it clocks in at just over 50 minutes. About the time you're getting bored with it and ready to move on, it is over.‘Neath Arizona Skies is badly in need of restoration. The image quality is fair at best and the sound track is scratchy throughout. However, despite the erosion of time, the story line remains interesting, if predictable. Your typical western, the story traces the hero's (Wayne) attempts to save a half-breed child whose worth $50,000 in oil money.The young Wayne shows promise of what was to come. He saves the show from otherwise stale acting. One notable exception is Gaby Hayes in an uncredited bit part. He is charming and provides Wayne with a solid support that makes Wayne look better than he probably was at that time. One obvious neglect is costume design. The woman (Shelia Terry) - Wayne's love interest - is dressed in very fashionable 1930s attire, and sticks out like a sore thumb against the men in their buckskins and cowboy hats.If you can stand bad costuming, fake sound effects and a grainy picture, the film is worth seeing. In others words, if you aren't a diehard Wayne fan, don't bother.