Winds of the Wasteland - 1936 [Kosjeyr]

Winds of the Wasteland is a 1936 Western film, starring John Wayne and Phyllis Fraser. The film was directed by Mack V. Wright, and was released by Republic Pictures. The rights on this movie haven't been renewed, so this movie is legally free to watch on various internet sites, and Hulu.com sometimes features a colorized version under the title Stagecoach Run.

The film is set in 1861. John Blair (Wayne) and his partner, Larry Adams (Lane Chandler) are dismayed when the arrival of telegraph ends the Pony Express. Hoping to utilize their horse-riding skills, they decide to start a stage coach transportation business. They go to Buchanan City and ask local magnate Cal Drake (Douglas Cosgrove) if he is willing to sell them a stage coach. Instead, Drake offers them a franchise from his own stage coach line - a line out to bustling Crescent City.

Upon arriving at Crescent City, Blair and Adams quickly realize that had been bamboozled into paying the line as Crescent City is a ghost town. The only residents are the mayor, Rocky O'Brien (Lew Kelly), and Dr. William Forsythe (Sam Flint). The mayor is thrilled to get not only new residents to double the size of the town, but a stage coach line too. Blair disparages as there are no customers to transport and will have to lose his business so quickly. The mayor says there is a way for Blair to get all the money he owes and more. There will be a contest in the next few days where the fastest team in a race will win a $25,000 government contract to deliver mail to the area. With Blair's luck returning, he also meets a telegraph crew, who he saves from poisoning after drinking from a local water hole. In appreciation, the telegraph crew offers to run the line through Crescent City if Blair will give them laborers to build the telegraph line.

Blair is able to get laborers to build the telegraph line and the population of Crescent City begins to skyrocket. Drake, upset that Blair is actually a competing business out of his lie, then decides to hire Blair to drive a gold shipment to Sacramento only to ambush him. If Blair can get the gold to the destination, Drake will take off $1,000 off of the original loan. Blair escapes the ambush and collects the money at gunpoint. Drake nexts hopes to stop Blair at the race. He gets his henchman to throw obstacles in Blair's way and hoping to defeat him by any means necessary. But despite all odds, Blair wins the race and the $25,000 reward.

John Wayne as John Blair
Phyllis Fraser as Barbara Forsythe
Lew Kelly as Mayor Rocky O'Brien
Douglas Cosgrove as Cal Drake (Buchanan Stage Line)
Lane Chandler as Larry Adams (Blair's partner)
Sam Flint as Dr. William "Doc" Forsythe
Bob Kortman as Cherokee Joe (henchman)
Ed Cassidy as Mr. Dodge (Pony Express manager)
Jon Hall as Jim (Pony Express rider)
Merrill McCormick as Henchman Pete
Christian J. Frank as Telegraph crew chief
Jack Rockwell as Buchanan City Marshal
Arthur Millett as Postmaster In Buchanan City
Tracy Layne as Reed