User reviews

_Overland Stage Raiders_ marks the convergence of two great performers, one on her way out of film, the other about to begin the most successful run in film history. Louise Brooks, star of G.W. Papst's erotic masterpiece _Pandora's Box_, makes her last appearance in this run-of-the-mill, twentieth-century entry in the "Three Mesqueeters" series. Though the plot is a preposterous hodgepodge involving the opening of air freight service to an isolated cattle town, Brooks is ever the stunner next to John Wayne, who was still a year away from A-line box office success in _Stagecoach_.

I recommend this film for three reasons:

1. The sheer curiousity value. The greatest western actor opposite the greatest actress in the history of German Expressionism while he was on his way up and she was on her way out. They met in obscurity and went on to immortality.

2. The chance to see the raw potential of John Wayne before his work with John Ford. The presence, the charisma, and the physicality that would make him a colossus are all here. Under a competent directior, these would bloom from reliable entertainment into art.

3. Everyone should see a "Three Mesqueeters" movie. This is probably the best series of the 1930s "poverty row" films, and it is a pure joy to see the workmanlike love put into these programmers. They aren't auteur classics, but for many viewers in the period, they were what movies were all about.

Continuity was not a big thing back in the day with A films let alone B film serials. The Three Mesquiteers in their various adventures flipped back and forth between the old west and the modern west. Overland Stage Raiders is about as modern as you can get in their stories though.

The boys have decided to invest in an airline in this film. It seems as though the modern stage, make that bus, is constantly being held up and this seems a practical way to avoid robbers. Not to mention that Louise Brooks kind of perks John Wayne's interest.

The robbers however are not to be denied. I have to say that this is the only western I know with a plane holdup. That in and of itself is enough reason to try and see this film.

The once in a lifetime teaming of John Wayne and silent screen legend Louise Brooks is also a reason to see Overland Stage Raiders. Who would ever have figured on them as a screen team.

Overland Stage Raiders is one of the best of the three Mesquiteer series with a very novel setting for a story.

A very competent B western, well edited and scored, but of no consequence, beyond entertainment.

Wayne is charming, Brooks in her 13 scenes in a supporting role, is vocally and facially competent as a sound film actress, but not in any way special. Any back lot actress could have acted the role as well. Her last film, and indeed, it was not a loss. She was special as a silent actress, but on the sound screen, she was mediocre to competent at best.

A real solid class "B" western with a pre-John Ford John Wayne at his shooting and roping best. Second of the "Three Mesquiteers" series, the plot is both far-fetched and intriguing for its ingenuity. Who would expect to go to a Saturday matinée and see a second billed western that involves the tactical integration of aerial spotting in defense of overland lines of communication, communications deception, gas hand grenades used to defend an improvised landing strip, parachuting cowboys and passengers, the hijacking and retaking of a cattle train, a talking ventriloquist's dummy in flight gear, and an in-flight robbery -- all within less than an hour! A more thorough examination of the plot reveals that John Wayne is aligned with the common folks against the evil and unscrupulous capitalist bus company owner who will go to no end to prevent the loss of his lucrative contract to carry the gold. I mean this movie introduces some basic economic theory into its entertainment. Quite a lot to process within such a short time. The bad guys are either shot outright, roped and hog-tied, or beaten into submission. Oh yes, Louise Brooks plays a quite forgettable part as the sister of the pilot. Not your run of the mill film. Not well made with a very lackluster ending, but worth your time. This one is a hoot!

When a bus is held up and robbed of its gold bullion, the local mining company are persuaded into using alternative transport - an airplane service sponsored by the Three Mesquiteers. But the bus operators plan to sabotage their efforts .

The 3 mesquiteers are a combination of modern west and old west, the former takes more prominence in this entry with a plane being used for shipping gold, and what you get is a hijacking, great aerial views, parachuting, and communication deception - not to forget plenty of shooting and chasing, the standard features in this fun escapist adventure. And that's how you should see them as - pure escapism.

Silent movie actress Louise Brooks co-stars and does a good job, though it not a too showy role. John Wayne and co. Are on top form, riding, shooting, even using smoke grenades to get the job done - and that is to stop the baddies.

An American Western; A story set in a gold mining town in the Mojave Desert about hijacked gold bullion shipments reclaimed by three cowboys who have to fight off mobsters when it goes on transit. An unremarkable and predictable feature with plot-heavy dialogue, but it plays out with some vigour. There are the requisite fights, chases, shoot-outs, impressive horseplay and stunts. John Wayne as the leader of "The Three Mesquiteers" is pleasing. Louise Brooks's glamour is gilt-edged here but as a romantic lead she is not given much to do. Its modern setting with traditional Western film tropes is novel.

A 30's Western where there are cars, there is a train... and there is a plane! Well, a Western with an airplane is quite unusual. Despite that, it is a very conventional and unpretensious Western, whitout any deepness or subtancial innovation. This B-Western from "Three Mesquiteers" franchise is starred by John Wayne as the leading man of the three (the three raiders changed from film to film, but the two other actors were the most frequently recurring in the series; Wayne played Stony Brooke in seven other flicks). Young and still cheerful John Wayne, with his long white good-cowboy hat, and with his equally white horse to highlight him among all the others (as if his height were not enough!), has all opportunities to ride, chase, flirt, fight, shoot, propose partnership in aircraft business, investigate, and protect mining company's gold, followed by his two sidekicks. In the very latest film of her career, silent cinema star Loise Brooks has a unremarkable supporting role.

After several buses carrying a large payroll are ambushed by some bandits on horseback, a man by the name "Ned Hoyt" (Anthony Marsh) convinces the company that depends on the bus line, to utilize his new airplane instead. Needless to say, this doesn't sit well with the owner of the bus company who has been secretly working with the bandits all this time. So, when he learns that Ned will be transporting almost $100,000 on his next flight, he sends some men to skyjack that flight and steal the money it is transporting. What he doesn't count on, however, is that Ned is a good friend of the Three Mesquiteers who have invested a large amount of their own money on Ned's new airline, and they are determined to make sure it's a success. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay Western which seemed to lean more heavily upon John Wayne (as "Stony Brooke") than the other two Mesquiteers. Not that this was a bad thing, necessarily, as he put in a reasonably solid performance overall. Be that as it may, even though the film is rather short (55 minutes) and rather dated, it still managed to pass the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

An interesting movie in that this was the swan song of silent star Louise Brooks and John Wayne was on his way to great stardom. Also, Stony, Tucson, and Lullaby are doing their old west cattle business but get involved in the 20th century airline business. First they have to convince their fellow ranchers to give up everything to join them. It's revealed to the viewer early on that criminal pilot, played by Anthony Marsh is flying their gold and the henchmen are in hot pursuit. The plot thickens as crooked bus operator played by Gordon Hart has his hooks on the cattle train. The stage is set for the Three Mesquiteers to be flying high in this great adventure.

During the course of the Three Mesquiteers series from Republic Studios, the lineup of the three leads changed often. For a short time, John Wayne even was the main star in this series.....and "Overland Stage Raiders" is one of these films.

The story is a weird sort of amalgum of the old west and modern times....sometime Republic also sometimes did with their Gene Autry and Roy Rogers westerns. For example, you see folks riding about on their horses, using their six-shooters and sporting cowboy hats....but you also have buses, airplanes and telephones! Weird...that's for sure.

Well, this odd plot begins with an attempted robbery on the bus...and the Mesquiteers manage to arrive just in time to thwart it. Stony (Wayne) has an idea to avoid such robberies...to fly the gold shipments out instead of taking them by bus. The local ranchers all agree to help fund the air service...but, of course, you have a baddie who is determined to make it fail. And, in a ridiculous scene, you have a member of this air service griping and saying that he'll one day get his revenge. Take a WILD guess who the turncoat will happen to be who helps the baddies steal the plane?! Can the Mesquiteers manage to make things right?

This is pretty much what you see in any Mesquiteer film...a fast-paced plot, decent acting AND bad plot holes as well as Max Terhune using his ventriloquism skills! I have no idea WHY they had Terhune's character bringing his dummy Elmer with him everywhere and it's pretty stupid. It ONLY might have worked if in the final showdown you see Elmer taking shots at the baddies with a gun...that would have been marvelous. As it is, it's a flawed but agreeable B-western and no more...and a chance to see Wayne just before he hit super-stardom.

Other commentators have mentioned just about everything I would have noted about this kid western. Such westerns were made from the 20's through the 50's and featured cowboy heroes who generally wore white hats or rode white horses or both. Forget plot logic, characterization, and focus on horse riding, chases, and shoot 'em ups. The curious mix of the modern (a motor bus and an airplane) and the old (cowboys on horseback) in this film never makes you forget the traditional format of six guns shooting forever like a video game weapon and no visible damage to valuable props. Watch the airplane door used as a shield against bullets in one of the final scenes. No damage whatever.

Louise Brooks is no more distinctive than any other leading lady in any other grade B westerns of the era. Yes, she does have long brown hair, almost shoulder length, not her trademark bangs; and she is slender and lissome. But her voice does not match her silent screen image. It surprises, if you have not heard it before. It is low pitched, not melodious, not distinctive in any way. Listen to Jean Arthur, Hepburn, Davis, oh, so many others, for example, and in a blind hearing there would be no mistaking the personality. The voice of Brooks is not memorable, nor in any way like the Lulu of our dreams. But, hey, it's her last screen appearance (other than the documentary many years later), and so it is prized.

A slow moving film with a VERY predictable plot. Not a worthy role for John Wayne OR Louise Brooks. A disappointment in every way. Only a western/ John Wayne/Louise Brooks completist should own this film.

Maybe it comes down to semantics, but I feel like there's a distinct difference between Westerns, neo-Westerns - and movies that "kind of sort of" mix elements of both. Reading a little bit about other titles in the loose "Three Mesquiteers" series of films, I gather that 'Overland stage raiders' isn't the only one to stir "traditional" cowboy outfits, horseback riding, and wrangling livestock with, say, automobiles, and airplanes. It's an odd amalgamation that somehow maintains the spirit of the Western, (and arguably predating modern conceptions of the neo-Western), but without truly selling it. In a more general sense, so it is as well for the air of entertainment here: I wouldn't say this is outright bad, but it just rather fails to inspire in any meaningful sense.

The plot is fine, with marginal cleverness sprinkled at a few points. George Sherman's direction seems capable and practiced in lively moments of action - though feels rather lackadaisical when that vigor cools off. Scene writing, and the execution thereof, feels notably contrived in the same pattern, and moments of levity range from very (barely) mildly amusing, to awkwardly ham-handed. Character writing and dialogue - well, mostly they just serve their purpose, with only a couple figures herein possibly fitting a category more sophisticated than "hero," "villain," or "civilian."

If I seem blasé toward 'Overland stage raiders' in these matters, my feelings about the acting is much more one-sided. To say that the performances are weak, halfhearted, and unconvincing is maybe a bit generous. There are a few sparing instances scattered throughout that get my attention - primarily the smarmy demeanor of radio operator Waddell, ably realized with Arch Hall Sr.'s portrayal. For the most part though, the assembled cast just doesn't seem to be particularly invested in their own feature. Although - between Sherman's dubious direction and the movie's meek material, it's not necessarily their fault.

And that brings me to my two chief interests in watching this. Whatever else is true of 'Overland stage raiders,' it's one of movie icon John Wayne's many appearances on screen. Even without going out of my way to either watch or avoid his pictures, I readily admit I don't have a high opinion of Wayne himself, his acting, or the overblown, fallacious archetype he represents in culture. Meanwhile, this feature is very noteworthy as the last appearance on screen of silent film legend Louise Brooks. In sharp contrast to Wayne, I readily admit I hold Brooks in only the highest regard - a woman ahead of her time professionally and (I'd argue) personally, with the acting skills to match. What an odd juxtaposition, yes, to have these two players share scenes.

I've seen Wayne's visage described as "chiseled." I suppose that's one word for it; "stone-faced" and "unmoving" are two others. Even reduced to a mostly unimportant supporting part, and bereft of her trademark bob haircut, in my opinion Brooks runs circles around Wayne with her acting. Given the constraints of the flimsy writing and direction, her contribution overall comes across as little more than average - but it's a strong average, and significantly better than what the top-billed stars offer. I suppose, in fairness, that I'd have to watch more of Wayne's movies to get a true sense of his abilities - yet, having watched this, I don't know why I'd want to do that to myself.

(And - I suppose, in fairness, that Mr. Wayne was ahead of his time, too. He would fit right in with a movie from The Asylum!)

I entered with set expectations, make no mistake: an average movie, a mediocre star, a brilliant co-star reduced to little impression at all. Those expectations were squarely met. I do think the action scenes are done very well - pretty exciting at large, and easily the best part of the feature. However, all else here is quite middling, and with that balance in effect 'Overland stage raiders' couldn't be described as anything greater than "so-so" or "middle of the road." It's far from the worst picture you might ever watch, but its most appealing aspects alone are not enough to make this especially worthwhile - and those same qualities can be found in greater abundance elsewhere. This is a softly suggested view for anyone with special interest in some facet of the production - for anyone else, though, your time is probably best spent otherwise.

I will focus mostly on Louise Brooks performance in the movie. Overall, the film is more than enjoyable, mixing elements of classic western and modern hard boiled scripts. It kept me interested in the developing narrative. The DVD edition available on Amazon for $ 14 has a very good transfer quality and excellent sound and dialogue. They must have found a good quality, early generation copy of the film for the transfer. Louise is impeccable in her performance and well worth the price of the DVD. She has lost that timeless iconic quality present in the 1920's movies (well visible when you watch them, and her persona is inevitably shining and stealing the scene, her acting decades ahead of the time). However she is very coherent with the narrative and she develops well the character of a sister of the airplane pilot trying her best to improve the odds of a budding business. It is amazing to think she was just one year older than John Wayne. Could Overland Stage Raiders have represented a new career start for Louise? Yes, yes and yes. However it would have required a better understanding, in 1938, of her State of the Art performance in her 1920's movies. I believe the cult of silent movies performances was far away from the public and the critics of the late 1930's, and the expertise necessary to bridge her career to a new beginning lacking in most, if not all, Hollywood's directors and Studios. In my opinion, she could have well continued acting had she met, say, Ingmar Bergman or Michelangelo Antonioni, and continued to gift us with superb performances and roles for the next forty years.