The Telegraph Trail: A Wayne Western That's... Just Okay?

If you're into those really old Westerns, the kind where the bad guy twirls his mustache and the hero is impossibly good, then The Telegraph Trail might just hit a certain spot. It's not exactly a hidden gem you need to drop everything for. But if you're a John Wayne completist or just want a chill Sunday afternoon watch with a big bowl of popcorn, it’s… fine. Folks expecting nuanced plots or big action sequences will probably get a bit bored, though. Don't go in expecting that. 🤠

The whole thing kicks off with the idea of bringing the telegraph to the frontier. Pretty neat concept for the time, you know? It’s all about progress and connecting people.

Then we meet Gus Cole, the main bad guy here. And oh boy, he's just so obviously bad. His motivations are crystal clear: he wants to keep his monopoly on freight and communication. No subtlety at all, which is almost charming in a way.

John Wayne, as John Trent, rides in to save the day, naturally. He’s got that young, earnest thing going on, still developing into the Duke we all know. He mostly just… is the hero, you know?

The plot centers around Cole trying to stir up a local Indian uprising. This part, honestly, feels very much a product of its time. The Native American characters are mostly there to be incited, to be the 'threat' against progress. It’s a bit uncomfortable to watch through modern eyes. 😬

Action scenes? Yep, they're exactly what you’d expect from a 1933 Western. Lots of horses galloping, some rough-and-tumble fistfights. You can almost feel the dust kicked up, and sometimes, you can even spot the stuntmen taking a tumble.

There’s a moment when a wagon tips over in one scene. It looked like it took a few tries to get that shot right. Little details like that just stick with you.

The dialogue is very much of its era, too. People speak in complete, often quite formal sentences. Not a lot of casual chatter, which can make things feel a bit stiff.

Pacing wise, it’s… well, it’s not exactly fast. The movie takes its time. Sometimes it feels like they’re just riding to fill time between plot points. But then, that’s kind of part of the charm of these old Westerns, isn’t it?

The ending is pretty predictable. Good guys win, bad guys lose. No real surprises there. But sometimes, that's exactly what you want from a movie like this.

It’s interesting to watch Wayne in one of his earlier roles. You can see the beginnings of his iconic swagger, but it’s still got a fresh, less polished edge to it. He’s got the presence, but the character isn't super deep. Just a good guy.

The side characters are mostly there to serve the plot. Slim Whitaker, for example, does his usual gruff villain-type thing. He's always good for that.

One weird thing, the sound design is pretty basic. Hoofbeats, gunshots, some simple score. It makes you realize how much sound has evolved in movies. 🎧

Little Things That Caught My Eye

• That one extra near the beginning, he seemed to be looking right at the camera for a second. 👀
• The horses, honestly, they seemed to do most of the real acting sometimes. They were quite expressive!
• The scene where they’re stringing the actual telegraph wire, it felt so slow, but also kinda cool, seeing the effort involved back then.
• Gus Cole's henchmen are just so easily swayed. Like, they're bad, but not *that* committed.
• There's a moment when Trent is talking to the chief, trying to explain the telegraph. The chief's reaction shot just holds for a beat too long. You just wonder what he's thinking, really.

The Telegraph Trail is certainly a product of its time. It’s a simple story, simply told. Not a masterpiece, but not terrible either. If you’re a fan of old Westerns, or just curious about John Wayne's early work, it’s a perfectly acceptable way to spend an hour. Just go in with the right expectations, you know?