Linkshoch Wonderful Movie

VividSimon Simply Perfect

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

MattyGibbs Neath the Arizona skies is one of the better early John Wayne efforts. It is clear watching this film that he was growing in stature as an actor since the very early efforts where he was often a bit wooden. It's quite crisply filmed and has a more interesting if still quite clumsy plot than many of his early efforts. Here he attempts to keep safe a little Indian girl ( a cute Shirley Jean Rickett) who who a price on her head. There are the familiar stunts including one great one near the end, the obligatory shootout and of course his usual sidekick Gabby Hughes manages to get involved as well. This is another one that is really just for John Wayne fans only but if you are one this is worth watching.

kidboots Someone once said the only good thing Lone Star ever did was to keep John Wayne employed during the thirties but I disagree heartily. My favourite John Wayne westerns are Lone Stars. I thought I would watch this movie today as a tribute to Shirley Jean Rickert, who died recently. Although she was in a couple of Little Rascal shorts, her main claim to fame was as Tomboy Taylor in the Mickey McGuire shorts. These shorts were similar to Our Gang and were made around the same time (late 20s to early 30s) but benefited enormously from having Mickey Rooney in the title role. "'Neath the Arizona Skies" was one of the very few credited parts in feature films that Shirley played in.When oil is found on Indian land, Chris Morrell (John Wayne) is sent to try to locate Nina's (Shirley Jean Rickert, playing a part Indian child) father so they can inherit the $50,000 payment. Of course the bad guys, led by Sam Black (Yakima Canutt) are hot on his trail and determined to kidnap the little girl. As with all Lone Stars, there is plenty of action, roping, stampeding, shoot outs etc.Nina is sent to a house Chris thinks will be safe but when she gets there although it has been taken over, Matt (Gabby Hayes) the cook, takes her under his wing and protects her. Meanwhile Chris is mistaken for a bank robber. The real robber fleeing the scene comes across Chris who has passed out from fatigue and changes shirts!!! Clara finds Chris and realises he was her dead brother's best friend. Unfortunately her other brother, Jim, is the real robber. This plot, strangely goes nowhere. Tom, Nina's real father, appears on the scene and while in the past he has been a ne'er do well, he now joins forces with Chris to protect his little daughter.She may not have had many credited parts but Shirley was an important part of this film. It must have been a memorable movie for her - she rode horses, rode in rivers, was in the middle of a shoot out!!! She must have had grand fun!!!Recommended.

Jay Raskin I tend to fade in and out of attention while watching most of the Lonestar Wayne movies and this was not an exception. There were some wonderful moments and individual scenes, but some of it was pretty dull.Shirley Jean Rickett, who also appeared in the "Our Gang" series, gives a sweet and memorable performance as a Betty Boop eyed half-Indian girl. When Wayne tells her in the beginning that she can't be a cowboy, she snaps back that she rides horses better than him. Cute stuff!Yakima Canutt has a nice roll as the chief bad guy intent on kidnapping Shirley Jean for the money she'll fetch.The movie picks up in the last ten minutes and there's actually some clever plot twists involving a hostage situation.

bsmith5552 "Neath the Arizona Skies" was one of the series of Lone Star Westerns that Wayne made between 1933 and 1935. It contains plenty of action and stunts. Wayne was looking more comfortable and less awkward as the hero. Sheila Terry, who had worked with Wayne at Columbia and in one of his serials is the heroine. Yakima Canutt is the chief heavy and George Hayes appears unbilled playing a character very close to the "Gabby" character that he would play exclusively from about 1936 onward. In this series Hayes played a variety of roles from sidekick, to father of the heroine, to the villain.The best that can be said of Canutt's performance is that as an actor, he made a great stuntman. He performs a number of his trademark stunts in this film from the horse and rider going over over the cliff, to numerous horse falls and fights. The chase sequences were well photographed and staged. the plot involving the protection by Wayne of a little girl who stands to inherit oil wells, moves along and is believable. All in all, 'Neath the Arizona Skies is a competent little actioner.