The Star Packer (1934)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Robert N. Bradbury

Writers:

Robert N. Bradbury (story)
Robert N. Bradbury (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 July 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Western | Romance

Tagline:

He Dared Death In The Outlaw's Lair!

Plot:

A gang working for The Shadow is terrorizing the town. John Travers decides to take on the job of sheriff and do something about it.

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Hostage | Male Female Relationship | Saloon | Outlaw

Cast

John Wayne	...	U.S. Marshal John Travers
Verna Hillie	...	Anita Matlock, Matt Matlock's Niece
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Matt Matlock (as George Hayes)
Yakima Canutt	...	Yak, Travers' Indian Sidekick
Billy Franey	...	Henchman in the stump
Eddie Parker	...	Henchman Parker (as Ed Parker)
Earl Dwire	...	Henchman Mason
Thomas G. Lingham	...	Sheriff Al Davis (as Tom Lingham)

Also Known As:

He Wore a Star (UK)

Runtime:

53 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

General Service Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lone Star Productions (I)

Trivia:

The Matlock ranch-house is the same house as Juanita's house in The Desert Trail (1935) and as Malgrove's house in Blue Steel (1934).

Goofs:

Plot holes: Despite the title "The Star Packer", Travers never wears a badge at any time in the film.

Quotes:

U.S. Marshal John Travers: Whaddya find out?
Yak: Two men gonna hold up stage - Coyote Canyon. Much money on stage.
U.S. Marshal John Travers: Well, it looks like we're going to have our hands full.
Yak: More trouble - more fun!
U.S. Marshal John Travers: That's one way to look at it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of John Wayne (2007) (TV)

I love all thirties B Westerns

The reason I like these matinée westerns from this era is probably because they make me feel like a kid again but I have other reasons that I think are pretty good. For one thing they are utterly without pretense. They do not pretend to be anything but entertainment for kids and unpretentiousness is real hard to find. There may be some out there but if you look for it you will find that it doesn't grow on trees. And they're just fun. The female lead is always charming, and the horsemanship, these films are always loaded with extras that are real cowboys. Apparently the reduction of manpower needed on the large cattle ranches coincided with the rise of the film industry so all these unemployed cowboys went to Hollywood. And could they ride. They just tore around like a house on fire and the ease and control that they demonstrate with these horses is a wonder to watch for a tenderfoot like me. But the plots get a little monotonous, I think there's only about two of them or three, maybe. You have to kind of overlook that. Anyway Star Packer is no exception. What makes it stand out is for one thing it has George "Gabby" Hayes one of the greatest character actors ever. But the main thing is that it has one of my Hollywood favorites, Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo champion and pioneer stuntman Yakima Canutt. Now John Wayne made a lot of westerns in this era and Yakima Canutt was in every one of them as Wayne's stunt double. He was also in practically every one of the as one of them as one of the bad guys, usually the leader. What makes this movie special is that, as far as I know, this is the only time he ever appears as a good guy.He has a very entertaining part as John Wayne's Tonto-like side kick. This includes an extremely charming and hilarious final scene in which he completely enthralls Wayne's young son with his Indian dancing and attempts to corrupt him into becoming an Indian himself. This is much to the amusement of Wayne and his wife, Verna Hillie. I have noticed that a bunch of these John Waynes have been colorized. My brother won't look at them but I think that as long as I have access to the original, I like having them. The landscapes are particularly beautiful. It's the sound that's bad. They dub in new voices that are terrible. And the music, it's some kind of spaghetti western sounding stuff that has nothing with the charm of the era. View at your peril.