John Wayne

'NEATH THE ARIZONA SKIES

Monogram Pictures, Corp., 1934.  Directed by Harry Fraser.  Camera:  Archie Stout.  With John Wayne, Sheila Terry, Yakima Canutt, Shirley Jean Rickert, George 'Gabby' Hayes.

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Cowboy Chris Morrell and Nina, his adopted half-Indian daughter, prepare to leave town to find Nina's long-lost father, whom they need to sign papers that will entitle Nina to a $50,000 Indian oil claim.  They are accosted by Sam Black and his gang. After an exhausting chase, Chris tells Nina to take their horse and ride to a ranch owned by friend Bud Moore, while he stalks the gang on foot.

In a grove, Chris lures the men off their horses, then causes the animals to stampede.  Although Chris manages to take one horse for himself, he is injured while escaping and eventually falls off the horse, unconscious.  While on the ground, Chris is approached by a man who has just robbed an express office.  The man, believing Chris is still unconscious, switches clothes with him and leaves him to be discovered by Clara Moore, Bud's sister.

After Chris introduces himself, Clara tells him that Bud was killed in a range war, and that Vic Byrd has since taken over their ranch.  Clara then takes Chris to her homestead and introduces him to her brother Jim, whom Chris recognizes as the robber.  While Chris tells Clara about Nina and Sam Black, Jim and Vic Byrd, who is holding Nina at his ranch, eavesdrop through an open window.

On the range, Byrd and Jim locate Black and his still stranded gang and offer to exchange Nina for $10,000 and Chris's scalp.  Then Chris, who has met up with Matt Downing, an old friend who works as a cook at Byrd's ranch, sees Byrd kill Jim and flee with the stolen express money.  Byrd returns to his ranch to fetch Nina but is killed by Tom, one of his hands, who is also Nina's real father.

As Black and his men arrive at Byrd's ranch with Clara as hostage, Chris and Tom confront the gang with gunshot.  Once the showdown stalemates, Chris offers to exchange himself for Clara but, with Tom's help, tricks the outlaws and storms the house where Nina is hiding.  During the ensuing scuffle, Tom is fatally shot and Byrd escapes with Nina on horseback.  Chris eventually overtakes Byrd, who falls into a river with Nina, and drowns him during a fierce fight.

Happily reunited with Nina, Chris returns to Clara's loving arms.

American Film Institute Catalog