In Old California *** (1942, John Wayne, Binnie Barnes, Albert Dekker) – Classic Movie Review 8541

Director William C McGann’s 1942 action romance Western In Old California stars John Wayne, trying to stretch his range and acting muscles a little to play a Boston pharmacist!

Wayne, not your usual Hollywood bespectacled pharmacist, plays the Bostonian Brylcreemed wizard of the phials Tom Craig, who goes West and is caught up in both the California Gold Rush of 1849 and a typhoid epidemic, along with delightful Lacey Miller (Binnie Barnes) and devious political boss Britt Dawson (Albert Dekker).

Tom Craig (Wayne) is on his way to Sacramento to open a drugstore when he falls foul of politically powerful gunman and gambler Dawson (Dekker), in this modest but sturdy Western, shot in black and white by Jack A Marta because it is made and released by cost-cutting Republic Pictures. It comes complete with archive footage and is noticeably short at only 88 minutes. By contrast, by the way, the poster could not be more colourful. Is that false advertising?

Also in the cast are Helen Parrish, Patsy Kelly, Edgar Kennedy, Dick Purcell, Charles Halton, Harry Shannon, Milton Kibbee, Robert McKenzie, Paul Sutton, Emmett Lynn, Minerva Urecal and Lynne Carver.

In Old California is directed by William C McGann, 88 minutes, is made and released by Republic Pictures, is written by Gertrude Purcel, Frances Hyland, J Robert Bren, and Gladys Atwater, is shot in black and white by Jack A Marta, is produced by Robert North and is scored by David Buttolph.

A computer colorized version is available.

Wayne and Dekker returned the following year for In Old Oklahoma [War of the Wildcats] (1943).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8541

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