Search - Winds of the Wasteland on DVD

Good Early DUKE Vehicle...

Mark Savary | Seattle, WA | 06/03/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Just three years or so away from stardom in "Stagecoach", this 1936 movie shows all of the things that made fans love John Wayne.The story follows John Blair (Wayne), and his pal Larry Adams as they leave the Pony Express when it folds. Given two thoroughbred horses each by the defunct mail service, The DUKE sets his mind to opening up a stage line. When crooked stage line operator Drake sells them the Crecent City run, it looks like John and Larry have wasted their money. Crecent City went bust after the local gold mine played out, and Drake forced all the business to his city. Too bad Drake didn't know he was tangling with The DUKE! Blair almost singlehandedly brings the town back to life one piece at a time. The one final step in his plan is a stage line mail contract, and it's the Drake line vs. Blair & Adams in a race to Sacremento. The winner gets the big contract, and Drake is out to stop DUKE by hook or by crook!There's a pretty good plot in this one, and a surprising amount of humor along with the action. Although clocking in at only 55 minutes, there's a lot of young DUKE action!A fun ride, "Winds of the Wasteland" on this DVD is a great bargain for the price, and no DUKE fan should miss it."

Wells Fargo?

Teresa Anson | Michigan, USA | 12/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stagecoach Run, 1936's appropriately renamed Winds of the Wasteland, is one of John Wayne's greatest B-grade Western efforts, and one of the last such performances he would give before moving on to the later highlights we typically associate with his career. In part, this success is due to the notable improvement in quality (from writing to sound to setting) over the rest of its Lone Star Productions counterparts. The film's highlight is an amazing (trust me) stagecoach race through the gorgeous valleys of northern California that foreshadows Ben Hur's epic race several decades later (appropriate, given that Yakima Canutt was involved with both projects). Very Wells Fargo of them!

This is probably one of the more family-friendly Wayne films, for several reasons. First, it carries a positive message about perseverance through adversity (a dying town) and "making lemons out of lemonade" that is atypical of the western genre, which is often focused on revenge and the like. Secondly, Stagecoach Run is in color, making it more accessible to the younger generation, who too often has no patience or interest in anything black and white. Of course, it's worth mentioning that this DVD contains both the black and white and the colorized versions, so you're blessed with the option of choice. Finally, there's an excellent John Wayne trivia game buried in the bonus features that is quite fun to play with your family, particularly if they happen to be film buffs as well.

If you're in the market for a B-Western, Stagecoach Run will not disappoint."

Winds of the Wasteland

E. Logan | Jacksonville, FL | 01/28/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a super awesome movie for all those "John Wayne" fans. Anyone who likes John Wayne and westerns will be sure to love this one. Filled with lots of excitement from the beginning...watch it and find out=)"