JohnHowardReid
SYNOPSIS: Sheriff tries to keep peace between two warring cattlemen.
COMMENT: We have John Wayne's popularity to thank for the video release of this unusual item. (A good print too). I have remarked before that all Buck Jones' films are worth seeing and that many of them are quite unusual. Range Feud bears out that statement. What other westerns can you cite that start right off in a church? What other early sound westerns are so gripping and make such astoundingly smooth use of sharp editing and cross-cutting and pacily employ such realistic sound effects that the complete absence of background music is undetectable? What other westerns have such a grittily realistic mood and atmosphere? And in what other westerns can you find John Wayne playing the romantic lead but not the hero?It's hard to believe that this often stylishly directed piece had any connection with the usually pedestrian D. Ross Lederman. Or that a movie of such expertise could lie forgotten for so long in Hollywood vaults. For instance, Don Miller mentions the movie only in passing (because of Wayne's subsidiary role) in his marvelous book Hollywood Corral.
Edgar Allan Pooh
. . . is titled THE RANGE FU3D, and is included on a Disc Plaza Entertainment "Made in Canada" product labeled "John Wayne Movie Collectibles, Volume One." Besides RANGE FU3D, Vol. 1 includes THE LAWLESS RANGE, TWO FISTED LAW, and THE LUCKY TEXAN (all crammed onto a single DVD with NO Special Feature Extra Bonuses--not so much as a theatrical trailer or still photo gallery). Since I'd already seen these latter three Wayne films on professionally produced American home entertainment offerings, I did NOT try to sit through an inferior Canadian version of them (which I assume sported title cards reading THE BRALESS RANGE, TWO FISTED AWL, and THE DUCKY EXMAN). When Disc Plaza's clowns at "Cascadia Labs" threw FU3D into their Volume One, they forgot to include the original music soundtrack (except for 16 seconds at the very beginning and 13 at the end). Also missing is Mr. Wayne's hanging, which seems to be the whole point of this story. Somehow, the picture goes out-of-frame at the key moment, after the Duck has been Noosed for his Final Dance. Disc Plaza omits a release year on its Volume One package, but I have a hunch that Vol. 2 is due out any day now. Then perhaps we'll see such Wayne titles as RIDERS OF TIFFANY, KING OF THE PECAN, THE LONELY TAIL, and WINDS OF THE WAISTBAND.
MartinHafer
Most people today don't realize that for over a decade, John Wayne appeared mostly in cheaply made B-westerns. While none of John Wayne's Bs from the 1930s are great, they were, by and large, very enjoyable and provided a lot of entertainment---all within a tightly written an hour. Although Wayne DID star in a major film early in his career ("The Big Trail"), because of the film's failure he was soon cast as a sidekick--with stars such as Tim McCoy and Buck Jones. But, because of his great screen presence, within two years, he was starring in his own Bs."Range Feud" is one of those films made between "The Big Trail" and Wayne's starring Bs. In this movie, he is Buck Jones' sidekick--and clearly he is the subordinate in the plot and spends much of the film in jail--in other words, not doing much of anything through the middle of the film. BUT, for Wayne fans this isn't all bad, as the movie IS more interesting than the average Wayne movie and I just found it exciting to watch him hone his craft and play a role with which we aren't terribly familiar.The plot isn't the most original I've seen. It concerns two bosses of rival ranches--a common theme (such as in "The Big Country") but how it was handled was uncommon. See the film to see what I mean--and to discover how Wayne's character is convicted of murder!!By the way, the opening credits appear to have been added later...and by an idiot. That's because they misspelled the name of the movie! See what I mean when the film begins and it reads "Range Feud".
beejer
Competent little "B" oater with Buck Jones as the heroic sheriff and John Wayne as his friend falsely accused of murder. When you see Harry Wood's name in the cast, it doesn't take long to figure out who is behind all the rustling and killing.This was one of the Duke's first westerns following "The Big Trail"(1930). It was the beginning of a long apprenticeship in the "B" western field. His parts became increasingly smaller in the balance of his work for Columbia due to a conflict with the legendary Harry Cohn, Head of the studio.On the video release issued by Columbia/Tri-Star Home Video notice the title card at the beginning. It gives the title as Range Fued. How did that one ever get by the quality control people?
AD
