THE NEW FRONTIER (1935)

Atypical B-Western from John Wayne’s Poverty Row ‘galley years’* (post Raoul Walsh BIG TRAIL/’30 flop; pre John Ford STAGECOACH/’39 career rescue) holds unlikely interest in the unlikeliest of places: film technique. In most ways, a standard program ‘Oater’: Wayne’s dad murdered in town by crooked saloon owners while Wayne is off working as trail guide. He comes back and cleans things up. Minimal production values offset by good locations, and a rough-and-ready pace that can now be better seen (and appreciated) in a fine Olive Films DVD after decades of subfusc Public Domain copies. (On the other hand, you can hear all those amateurish line-readings even more clearly.) But who was responsible for the sophisticated character shadings of Al Bridges ‘good’ bad guy? (Bridges later a stock player for Preston Sturges.) And who the heck is director Carl Pierson? A vet journeyman film editor, for some unknown reason, he made all his three films as director in 1935 (two Wayne quickies, one Gene Autry), all for Republic, and he seems determined to make something of the opportunity. With surprising camera moves, a daring nightime climax (a holocaust of fire-bearing renegades on horseback), unexpected tracking shots, quick swish-pans in place of regular edits (the sort of thing William K. Howard might have tried), and ultra-screen-filing closer-than-close-ups to prefigure Sergio Leone. None of it quite integrated into a film style, but just the attempt is worth noting. No wonder the execs at Republic pics put a quick stop to his directing; this guy was far too imaginative for their production line.

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Pierson’s attempts at style must have been even harder to spot, and easy to ignore, in lousy Public Domain VHS dupe prints.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: In a saloon fight, when Wayne gets knocked out by a lead pipe, note the big black ten-gallon hat. Hard to imagine any blow making it thru all that shock-absorbing felt.

DOUBLE-BILL: *Wayne ended his galley years with NEW FRONTIER/’39. Familiar title, no? This one standard doings in his lighthearted ‘Three Mesquiteers’ series.