John Wyatt is a government agent sent to smash a counterfeiting operation near the Mexican border. Joining Doc Carter's medicine show they arrive in the town where Curly Joe, who once framed Carter, resides.
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I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
The Age of Commercialism
There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
John Wyatt is a government agent tasked with investigating the activities of a counterfeiting gang operating near the US/Mexican border. In the course of his investigations, Wyatt gets caught up with Doc Carter's travelling medicine show. Although Doc is an obvious fraud the film treats him as a lovable rogue, much less of a threat to society than the counterfeiters. Doc's attractive daughter Linda provides Wyatt's love interest. (Yes, Linda Carter. I thought of "Wonder Woman" too, even though that actress spelt her first name "Lynda"). The date at which the action takes place is never made clear. Wyatt wears standard cowboy gear suggesting a traditional late nineteenth century setting, but Doc travels round in a motor vehicle, the design of which suggests a date of at least 1920, as do the clothes worn by some of the other characters, especially Linda. My theory is that the action is supposed to take place during Prohibition and that Doc's supposed "medicine" (which we learn is 90% alcohol) is really only a ruse to get around the Volstead Act. This was one of many cheaply-made "Poverty Row" Westerns made by John Wayne in the years before he found stardom in "Stagecoach". Few of these were any good, and "Paradise Canyon" is not one of the exceptions. Apart from Wayne, the only well-known member of the cast is Yakima Canutt as the chief villain, and he was better known as a professional stunt man than as an actor. Wayne's acting is poor, giving little hint of the major star he was soon to become, and none of the other actors are any better. The plot is trite, the dialogue often ludicrous, the action scenes unconvincing and the fight scenes (a common fault on Poverty Row) badly choreographed with obviously pulled punches. Even confirmed John Wayne fans should steer clear of this movie. Or perhaps I should say, especially confirmed John Wayne fans should steer clear of this movie. Unless they want their illusions about their idol to be shattered. 3/10
For fans of Lone Star-Wayne only. It's a pretty slender installment from our friends at Paul Malvern's production company. Wayne's an undercover G-man on the trail of counterfeiter Yakima Canutt. On the way he hooks up with medicine man Doc Carter (Hodgins) and his sloe- eyed daughter (Burns). We see a lot of the medicine show and some of it is a hootThe Texas Two whose down-home ditties are memorably corny. But reviewer Chance is right: Hodgins takes up too much screen time for a brief 50-minute feature. Too bad producer Malvern didn't pop for a location shoot at scenic Lone Pine. That would have compensated for a lot. Instead, the boys have to ride around the scrubby un-scenic outskirts of LA. He did however pop for a well-staffed chase scene at the end. Then too, there is the usual hidden hideout that fascinated Front-Row kids like myself, along with a dramatic plunge off a cliff. But the sum-total is rather plodding and not up to the usual high-action standard. (In passing sorry to say I counted 3 "trip-wire" induced falls, which make for a dramatic tumble of horse and rider, but is unfortunately often fatal to the horse. Happily, these stunts were eventually banned. On a more upbeat note-- for a really entertaining look at how these Saturday afternoon specials were made, catch Hearts of the West {1975}.)
This film is structured like the formulaic Republic westerns to come from 1937 on. Too much talking, not enough action, unfunny comic relief, bad songs, and too many stationary locations. We can bid goodbye to the fast paced action of the earlier 'Lone Star' films.Here, while John Wayne is again a 'Federal' agent sent to track down a gang of, in this case, counterfeiters, the action gets bogged down in too many side characters and slow story. Wayne joins up with 'Doctor Carter's Medicine Show', which was somehow involved in the appearance of fake money. Finally he catches Curly Joe (Yakima Canutt), the head of the evil gang, who had captured and tied up Doctor Carter (Earle Hodgins) and his daughter Linda (Marion Burns). It's always great to hear Yakima Canutt as the villain, though, with that gravelly voice of his! Marion Burns and Reed Howes (here a 'henchman') helped to make 'The Dawn Riders' (1935) a much better film than this, since it was about a love triangle between her, Howes, and John Wayne. Everything in this one just plods along until it's action time going towards the end.One highlight is the extensive screen time given to Earle Hodgins as Doc. In one too long scene he goes on and on as a barker. The director, not R.N. Bradbury, probably said, "Let him go on! He does it so well!" Sure enough, he turned his carnival barker style of acting schtick into most of his over 300 movie and TV appearances! Although I love music, the duo singing here is strictly Republic (that is, highly forgettable). I give the film a 3.
John Wayne and a couple of reasonable action scenes are about all that keep this B-Western afloat. The plot is mildly interesting, with Wayne working undercover trying to break up a counterfeiting ring. But it strains credibility a little too often, and the goofy medicine show settings, while occasionally amusing, cause at least one too many groans. The action scenes are OK, thanks to Wayne and Yakima Canutt, who plays the bad guy. Wayne was still progressing as an actor himself, and would later have much more of a screen presence, but he was obviously above most of the material in this movie. The film itself is really only interesting because he was in it, and it gives you reason to be thankful that eventually he was given a chance to move on to better things.