I believe this film is in the public domain but since I am editorializing based on it – I only intend fair use. JP

Business trends can be tricky. Right now, virtually every business in the world is thinking of jumping on the bandwagon of AI which is undoubtedly right for some and wrong for many others. I consider John Wayne’s foray into the genre of the singing cowboy, a cautionary tale. Not every business trend suits every business.

In the years of the 1930’s, the Western was already well established as a genre. The advent of sound had changed the stories only a little, and they were looking for some new angle to bring people into the theatre. Bob Steele and Ken Maynard had starting singing in their roles as cowboy heroes as early as 1930 and by the year 1933, the trend was well established.

Wayne’s career was deep in the doldrums in ’33. He had starred in Raoul Walsh’s “The Big Trail” in 1930. It was supposed to be his big break but the film was made to be seen in a new broad screen format and the Depression made theatres reluctant to make the investment. So the film’s failure had nothing to do with his performance but nevertheless it put his career back into b-movies until his next big break, “Stagecoach.”

So, in 1933, we have John Wayne embarking on a role as the character, “Singin’ Sandy Saunders,” in a series of eight motion pictures. His take on the genre was more pessimistic than the others. He wore dark clothing and sang songs with serious undertones. Wayne was unhappy in the genre and decided not to renew his contract when it expired. He continued making b-films until “Stagecoach” which re-defined his career.

I have added a link to the first of his singing cowboy films, “Riders of Destiny.” I enjoyed it. It was much better than I expected considering the low budget and high speed at which the film was made.

But if you don’t mind my suggestion, whenever you think of going with the latest business fad or any other fad, you might think about “Singin Sandy” and re-consider.

James Pilant