The Star Packer (1934)
Newly sworn-in marshal John Travers sets out to unmask a hooded gang boss known only as 'The Shadow,' who is terrorizing the town through a network of secret tunnels beneath the local saloon.
The Star Packer stands out among Wayne’s Lone Star westerns for casting stunt legend Yakima Canutt as his sidekick rather than his double, giving Hollywood’s foremost action coordinator rare screen time to act rather than simply fall off a horse.
Background
The Star Packer is a 1934 Western made by Monogram’s Lone Star unit and directed by Robert N. Bradbury. John Wayne stars as John Travers, a newly sworn-in marshal, in one of the series of low-budget Westerns that gave him steady work in the early 1930s while he was building his name. George ‘Gabby’ Hayes appears as a sidekick, and the film is notable for casting stunt coordinator Yakima Canutt in a speaking role rather than only as a stand-in. The film runs about fifty-three minutes. Its story is a standard hooded-gang mystery with a secret tunnel network under a saloon, and it reflects the efficient production model of the series.
What to watch for
Look for the mystery of the hooded villain known as The Shadow, whose identity is hidden until the marshal’s investigation reaches the end of the tunnels. The plot follows a familiar formula, and its suspense comes from the question of who is behind the masks rather than from elaborate action. Canutt’s experience as an action director shows in the fight and horse sequences, which are staged with clear geography. The saloon and the tunnels give the film a claustrophobic, gothic quality that stands out against the open ranges of most Westerns. Compare Wayne’s presence here with his later Westerns to see how his screen persona developed.
