West of the Divide (1934)

Director:

Robert N. Bradbury

Writer:

Robert N. Bradbury (story)

Release Date:

15 February 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

A Two Gun Son Of The West Takes The Law Into His Own Hands! (1940 reissue poster)

Plot:

Ted Hayden impersonates a wanted man and joins Gentry's gang only to learn later that Gentry was the one who killed his father...

Plot Keywords:

1930s | Land Grab | Sidekick | Duplicity | Homestead

Cast

John Wayne	...	Ted Hayden, posing as Gat Ganns
Virginia Brown Faire	...	Fay Winters (as Virginia Faire Brown)
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	'Dusty' Rhodes (as George Hayes)
Lloyd Whitlock	...	Mr. Gentry (as Loyd Whitlock)
Yakima Canutt	...	Hank (Gentry Henchman)
Lafe McKee	...	Mr. Winters
Billy O'Brien	...	Spuds (later Jim Hayden) (as Billie O'Brien)
Dick Dickinson	...	Henchman Joe
Earl Dwire	...	Sheriff

Runtime:

54 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Kernville, California, USA

Company:

Lone Star Productions (I)

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During a fight between Ted Hayden and Butch, Spuds shouts, "Come on, Ted!" Actually, Ted has been introduced to him and all others at the gangsters' hide-out as Gat Ganns. His real identity is in fact revealed later.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008) (TV)

Gabby Hayes fans need to see this one

I bought this film because a book I read stated that it was the first

film that was important in the development of the "Gabby" (George)

Hayes character who was so enjoyable in the Hopalong Cassidy &

Roy Rogers (& others) films of the 1930s & 1940s. Hayes here

plays a character named "Dusty." He has a scruffy, grizzled look,

but doesn't yet have the beard that came later. Hayes has the

same voice & intonation as he used later, but engages in none of

the comedic antics that where such a big part of his "Gabby"

character. Is it a coincidence that John Wayne rides a white horse,

wears a big 10 gallon black hat & black shirt, & has the same

sidekick as Hopalong Cassidy did, all two years before Hoppy got

started in the movies? The Hopalong Cassidy movie character

seems to bear more resemblance to John Wayne in this movie

than he does to the Hoppy character as portrayed in the Clarence

Mulford books! Blooper: John Wayne's kid brother calls him "Dad"

in one scene! This is an enjoyable film, especially if you like Gabby

Hayes. What ruined it for me was a new soundtrack (basically,

swirling organ music) that was unnecessary & detracted from the

movie. I have the SONY release, copyrighted 1985 by Fox/Lorber,

so beware of that version if you like your old movies to be

unadulterated, as I do.