The Lucky Texan ** (1934, John Wayne, Barbara Sheldon, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Yakima Canutt, Lloyd Whitlock, Eddie Parker, Earl Dwire) – Classic Movie Review 7170

Lobby card for The Lucky Texan (1934).

Writer-director Robert N Bradbury’s 1933 The Lucky Texan stars John Wayne as young Texan Jerry Mason, who strikes gold with his miner sidekick Jake ‘Grandy’  Benson (George ‘Gabby’ Hayes).

Then they make the mistake of trusting the local assayer when they stake their claim and turn in their gold at the assay office. But the assay officials track old Grandy back to the mine, where they shoot him, and Jerry is arrested for murder. However, Grandy survived and plans a surprise at Jerry’s trial.

The Lucky Texan is familiar and saddle-sore, low-budget Lone Star/ Monogram Pictures Western hokum. But it is still amusing anyway, especially of course for Wayne fans, and there is a good chase finale. It also stars legendary stuntman and actor Yakima Canutt as Joe Cole, Barbara Sheldon as Betty Benson, Lloyd Whitlock as Harris, Eddie Parker as Al Miller, Gordon De Main as banker Williams and Earl Dwire.

It is Hayes’s first film as the comedy-relief sidekick, which he then played for 20 years. Scarily, at one point he appears without a beard and in drag!

Also in the cast are Phil Dunham, John Ince, Julie Kingdon, George Morrell, Artie Ortego, Tex Palmer and Tex Phelps.

The Lucky Texan is directed by Robert N Bradbury, runs 56 minutes, is made by Lone Star, released by Monogram Pictures, is written by Robert N Bradbury, based on a story by Robert N Bradbury, is shot by Archie J Stout and produced by Paul Malvern.

The Lucky Texan is available for free download at the Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/TheLuckyTexan

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7170

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