'Neath the Arizona Skies (1934)
Chris Morrell shields an orphaned girl whose oil-rich land makes her a target for outlaw Sam Black, discovering her long-lost father among the ranch hands sheltering them before a showdown beneath a waterfall settles the matter.
Its plot turns on the kind of premise only a Depression-era audience would take in stride — an orphaned child sitting on an oil fortune — but ‘Neath the Arizona Skies is chiefly remembered today as one of several Lone Star quickies where Yakima Canutt swapped his stuntman’s rigging for a speaking role as the heavy.
Background
‘Neath the Arizona Skies is one of the Lone Star quickies made with John Wayne in the early 1930s, directed by Harry L. Fraser. Yakima Canutt, the stuntman, plays the villain in a speaking role, and George ‘Gabby’ Hayes appears in the cast. Its plot, an orphaned child sitting on oil-rich land, reflects the Depression-era taste for simple, sensational premises. Wayne was still early in his screen career and working for small independent producers. The film is chiefly remembered today for the pairing of Wayne and Canutt.
What to watch for
Chris Morrell shields an orphaned girl whose oil-rich land makes her a target for the outlaw Sam Black, and he discovers her long-lost father among the ranch hands sheltering them. Watch how Canutt’s villain role contrasts with his famous stunt work, and the showdown beneath a waterfall that settles the story. The plain-spoken hero and the straightforward plot are typical of the series. Because the film was made quickly and cheaply, its staging is direct, and its action scenes rely on horses, fights and the natural outdoor locations.
