Is 1934's Blue Steel worth a watch? My honest take on early John Wayne.

You should probably watch Blue Steel today if you actually like Westerns that feel like they were filmed during someone's lunch break. It’s perfect for people who enjoy seeing a movie star before they really knew they were a star yet.

If you hate scratchy audio and plots that don't always make sense, you will definitely hate this. It is very old and shows its age every few seconds. 🤠

John Wayne is John Carruthers here. He’s a U.S. Marshal, but nobody knows that for most of the movie.

He just kind of wanders into town. He looks so young here that it is actually kind of distracting.

His face hasn't turned into that craggy landscape we all know from his later years. He’s just a tall guy in a big hat trying to figure out where to put his hands.

The whole thing kicks off with a robbery. Carruthers is staying at this hotel and he sees someone mess with the safe.

The Sheriff, played by George 'Gabby' Hayes, thinks Carruthers did it. This was before Gabby Hayes had his famous beard, by the way.

He looks weirdly naked without the facial hair. It’s like seeing a different person entirely.

The Villain and the Land Grab

The bad guy is this guy Malgrove. He’s the 'leading citizen' of the town, which is movie code for 'total jerk who wants to steal everything.'

He knows the town is sitting on something valuable. I think it’s a railroad route or maybe just good land?

The movie isn't super clear about the why. It just wants you to know he’s bad because he wears a nice suit in the middle of the desert.

He tries to starve the townspeople out by cutting off their supplies. It’s a pretty mean plan for a 1934 movie.

There is this one scene where the townspeople are all standing around looking sad. It feels like the director told them to 'look hungry' and they just looked bored instead.

• The horses are the real MVPs of this movie.
• John Wayne does a lot of running and jumping.
• The music is way too loud compared to the talking.
• Yakima Canutt does some insane stunts.

Speaking of Yakima Canutt, he plays one of the henchmen. He was a legendary stuntman and you can tell whenever he's on screen.

He falls off horses in ways that look like they should have broken every bone in his body. It’s the most exciting part of the film, honestly. 🐎

A Weird Moment with a Safe

There is a scene near the start where Carruthers is watching the safe being robbed. The room is totally silent except for the crackle of the old film.

He just stands there. For a long time.

I kept waiting for him to do something, but he just watches. It makes him seem like a really bad marshal at first.

Then the Sheriff comes in and finds him. The logic of how the Sheriff decides he’s the thief is... well, it’s not really there.

He just points a finger and that’s that. Anyway, it leads to a lot of chasing which is what people paid to see back then.

The movie reminds me a little bit of the vibe in Inside the Lines. Just that early sound-era awkwardness where nobody is quite sure how fast to talk.

Sometimes there are these huge pauses between lines. You can almost hear the actors waiting for their cue.

It’s not like Song o' My Heart where everything feels a bit more intentional. This feels like they had two days to finish and a very small pile of money.

"I don't like the way you look, stranger." - The Sheriff (probably)

The romance subplot with Eleanor Hunt is barely there. She plays the daughter of someone important, I think.

They have zero chemistry. John Wayne looks more interested in his horse than in her, which is kind of funny to watch.

There’s this part where they are riding together and the background is clearly a screen. It’s so obvious it makes you smile.

The light doesn't match at all. One shot they are in bright sun, the next they are in a dark studio. ☀️

The Action is Actually Okay

Despite the weird editing, the action holds up. They used real locations and real dust.

When they say a town is in the middle of nowhere, it really looks like it. No paved roads or power lines in the distance here.

The final shootout is a bit of a mess, though. People are just shooting into the air and falling over.

I noticed one guy falls over before the gun even goes off. He was just ready to go home, I guess. 😂

It's weird how these old movies just end. There is no long goodbye.

The bad guys are caught, John Wayne says a line, and boom—The End. I kind of wish modern movies did that more often.

If you've seen other Lone Star Westerns, this is one of the better ones. It’s not great, but it’s fine.

It’s a good 'laundry movie.' You can fold your clothes and not miss much if you look away for five minutes.

Actually, I missed a whole character's name because I was looking for my remote. It didn't matter.

The movie is only about 50 minutes long anyway. It's shorter than an episode of most TV shows now.

Final Thoughts on the Duke

It’s just fascinating to see the raw materials of John Wayne. He’s got the walk, but he hasn't perfected the voice yet.

He sounds much higher pitched than he does in the 50s. It’s like his voice hadn't dropped all the way yet or something.

Also, his hat is huge. It looks like it’s trying to eat his head in some shots.

Is it a masterpiece? No way. Is it a fun piece of history? Yeah, mostly.

Just don't expect it to change your life. It’s just a story about a guy, a horse, and some bad guys in the dirt.

Sometimes that is all you really need on a Tuesday night. 🌵

I’m gonna go find something else to watch now. Maybe something with more than three sets.