Film #215 - The Star Packer (1934)
The Star Packer is one of John Wayne’s early, early westerns and, as such, is as formulaic as they come. It features Wayne alongside regular sidekick George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, with whom he made fifteen films from 1933 to 1943, although this time he’s the baddie. It tells the tale of stranger who comes to town and decides to take on the local bad guys, blah, blah, blah.
It’s pretty good for the kind of low-rent picture that it is, but there’s nothing really exciting about it. In fact, the only really notable thing is the chance to see Hayes as a villain and the many stunts performed by notable stunt man Yakima Canutt, who also plays Wayne’s indian sidekick, Yak.
Otherwise, it’s formulaic and dull. John Wayne fans will enjoy it for what it is, but others will be stunned with how wooden he was in the early days. It’s actually hard to see at this point what made John Ford think he was the man for Stagecoach, the film that would really start Wayne’s career. So, if you’re a fan, see The Star Packer for its historic value, in not, it’s one you can give a miss.