Covering 5 of Wayne's starring roles from 1933-1936, John Wayne: The Early Years Collection begins with The Lucky Texan (1933). John Wayne plays Jerry Mason, a young, educated man returning to his hometown after many years. Finding his old friend Jake fallen on hard times, the two men decide to open a Blacksmith shop. After digging a gold nugget out from under a horse's hoof, the two track down the mine it came from and realize they've struck it rich. Jake isn't too sure he wants to announce their windfall so soon, after all, he's wary of claim jumpers, but the Assayer they take the gold to turns out to be their worst nightmare. Not only does he have the idea to take their claim, but he's also the man who rustled all of Jake's cattle, driving him to the brink of ruin. After some attempted murders, false accusations, fistfights and chases (One of which I've never seen in a movie before, in which John Wayne uses a branch to slalom down an aqueduct into a reservoir, and heads'em off at the pass!) things end well with Jake and Jerry keeping the mine, foiling the bad guys and Jerry even marries Jake's Granddaughter! Total running time is 54 minutes.

In West of the Divide (1933), John Wayne plays Ted Hayden, who we learn almost lost his life the same night that his father was murdered in cold blood. Dusty, an old cowboy and now Ted's friend found him and nursed him back to health. Ted has been searching ever since for the man who killed his father, and his long lost baby brother who was orphaned that same night. Fate intervenes when wanted murderer, Gat Ganns, drops dead at their feet. Turns out that, not only was Ganns on his way to join the local gang of outlaws, but he's also a dead ringer (no pun intended) for Ted. It seems that the outlaws are being led by a man named Gantry, the same man who now owns Ted's fathers ranch. Assuming Ganns' identity to infiltrate the gang, Ted quickly locates his brother, Spud, who has been raised by a cruel farm hand. A few fistfights later, Ted and Dusty foil Gantry's plan to rob a landowner of his ranch and his daughter, with Ted, Spud and the Rancher's daughter living happily ever after. Total running time is 52 minutes.

Blue Steel (1934) finds John Wayne in the wrong place at the wrong time as he's waiting out a terrible storm in the relative comfort of an Inn. When the Inn is robbed, the Sheriff thinks Wayne is his man, the notorious "Polka Dot Bandit". We soon learn that the money that was stolen from the safe was supposed to be used to purchase food and badly needed supplies for the townsfolk who are sickly and starving. It seems that a local band of outlaws have been ransacking the supply trains and delivery wagons preventing anything from getting into the town. A local land baron named Melrose offers each of the townsfolk $100 for their homes with which they could move to a better place. What they don't realize, but John Wayne suspects, is that Melrose is actually the cause of the town's misery. It seems that a huge gold deposit, big enough to make everyone in town millionaires, has been discovered running right through the middle of town and Melrose wants it all for himself. Wayne and the Sheriff team up to bring back supplies into the town, which they do, foiling Melrose's plan in the process. Total running time is 50 minutes.

Paradise Canyon features John Wayne as a US Marshall on the trail of some counterfeiters working along the Mexican border. The suspects are purported to be working out of a traveling medicine show. Wayne goes undercover and joins the show as a cowboy and marksman. The show is run by the eccentric Dr. Cohen and his beautiful daughter, Linda. It seems that Curly Joe, Dr. Cohen's Ex-Partner in the medicine show is the real culprit, safely secluded in a Mexican town right across the US Border. Wayne goes to the Mexican authorities to try and get their help to extradite him, but the authorities fail time and again, even arresting Wayne at one point. After the case of mistaken identity is cleared up, Wayne and the only competent member of the Mexican police ride out to Curly Joe's hide-out and nab the crooks. With fistfights, chases and even a marriage at the end, this is another Wayne classic. Total running time is 53 minutes. Of the 5 movies on this disc, this is the only one which had a less than perfect transfer, with lots of jitters after the first half of the film.

In terms of chronology, Hell Town (1936) comes last in this collection. We meet Dale Rudd (John Wayne), a gambler, and his friend Dink as they try to intercede and stop a cattle rustling in progress. Turns out the cattle belong to Dale's cousin, Tom. He decides to give Dale and Dink jobs cooking for the rest of his cowhands. Before too long, Dale has fallen for Tom's girl, Julie. When Dale is entrusted to take the herd to town for sale, he ends up getting tricked into playing in a fixed poker game where he can only lose. Just as things look their bleakest and Dale is almost broke, Tom joins the game and proceeds to win back all of Dale's money, and then some! Revealing that Dale had been getting cheated the whole time he was playing, guns are drawn and Tom gets shot. A chase and gunfight ensues, but things turn out all right. I guess for saving his life, Tom gives Dale and Julie's relationship his blessing. Total running time is 55 minutes.

The DVD:

Picture: Every movie is presented in a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. The transfers are all rock solid (except for some jitters half-way through Paradise Canyon) with the B&W picture often crisp and clear.

Audio: Every film on this DVD is in 2.0 Dolby Digital Mono.

Extras: There are no Extras on this DVD.

Conclusion: Westerns have never been my favorite, but I do love old movies and how could I pass up a John Wayne collection? Roan did not disappoint with the John Wayne: The Early Years Collection DVD, although it is definitely a case of quantity over quality. It's just really great to have all of these films on one disc. The transfers were all well done, with the exception of Paradise Canyon, and the prints they were taken from weren't too bad either. I can't help but recommend this disc to anyone with more than a passing interest in John Wayne or Old Westerns.