Westward Ho is a pretty good Western, but a short subject. The Fighting Kentuckian is good for the teaming of Wayne and Hardy, but Vera Ralston again sank the picture for me. Luckily, it seemed to me that Hardy and Wayne got the most screen time.
Bottom line: (I’m going to put this in all my Lionsgate Duke reviews so skip down if you want to hear my thoughts on the actual films) Lionsgate just repackages the titles that they’ve already released (under the Artisan/Republic Pictures banner). Those hoping for new transfers will be most disappointed. However, those Duke fans that don’t own these titles might want to take a look because they’ve doubled them up and reduced the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price).
What the back of the box says:
While searching for the brother he has been separated from since childhood, John Wayne forms a vigilante group to catch a vicious gang of outlaws. On the trail of the bandits, Wayne comes face-to-face with his biggest fear: the brother he has been trying to find is the leader of the gang.
The Fighting Kentuckian (3 stars): John Wayne sets the wild “frontier” ablaze in this thrilling romantic adventure! Leading a regiment of Kentucky rifleman, Wayne passes through a settlement of dispatriaed French families, all wealthy refugees of war from Napoleon’s court. When there, Wayne’s heart is captured by the French general’s daughter.
But a rich and powerful rival, Blake Randolph, also has his heart set on her. As the two suitors lock horns, Wayne discovers his rival has a nefarious scheme up his sleeve, and soon the courtship battle escalates into a full-scale war. It’s “The Duke” at his best as the fighting Kentuckian battles for his love and the land of the free!”
The Duke stars in one of his “singing cowboy” pictures in Westward Ho (obviously dubbed because I doubt the Duke could sing that good). It’s a short one at 61 minutes but has the Duke forming a band of singing vigilantes to rid the West of evildoers. His brother was taken by a group of outlaws and has turned to the wrong side of the law and of course his brother is in the gang that he goes up against. The Fighting Kentuckian finds the oddest of pairings as the Duke is partnered with Oliver Hardy (of Laurel and Hardy fame).
The problem is Vera Ralston again, who is just awful. It’s telling that her film career ended when husband Herbert Yates, the head of Republic Studios, was no longer running the studio. Also look for Jack Pennick, a favorite of director John Ford, in a small role. Wayne and Hardy are great together, but Ralston is such an awkward love interest (and actress) for the Duke that it lowers the picture. The transfer is also terrible, looking about VHS quality to my eye.
Westward Ho and The Fighting Kentuckian are presented in fullscreen. The Kentuckian feature textual production notes and a behind-the-scenes photo gallery.
Westward Ho/The Fighting Kentuckian is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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