26 Year old John Wayne is Captain Holmes in this short shortie from Warner Brothers. The US guv-ment is trying to convince land-owners to register their land, or it will be declared open land. Holmes has been ordered to get the large ranchers to register their land to avoid property wars, and his first challenge is "Castanares", owner of a very large ranch. Slim Whitaker is "Morgan", who wants to make sure the landowners DON'T register their deed, so they can get the ranch and the land, free of charge. Would be interesting to know the locations, but was probably the director's house or maybe Corriganville in north LA. It's all okay. Wayne is still the young, energetic, wide-eyed kid, on a mission. He's not yet the older, wiser, all-knowing gentleman of an older generation. He comes to the rescue of Dolores ( Ruth Hall ), the don's daughter. and SOMEONE is dressed up in drag, but we're not sure quite who! Kind of a funny bit where Holmes and the good guys are running from room to room to escape the bad guys, and it looks like a scene from Scooby Doo. or maybe the three stooges. and a sword fight breaks out. and Duke the horse goes for help as oats are being burned by the bushel. It's not bad. shows on Turner Classic. directed by Mack Wright. certainly important for john wayne fans.
19 Reviews
Last Of Wayne's Vitagraph Films
CitizenCaine8 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
John Wayne made a series of six films for Vitagraph from 1932-1933. The Man From Monterey was the last of the bunch and no better or worse than the others. Wayne stars as a cavalry officer in old California and tries to help a Spanish landowner from land-grabbers. The chief villain is played by Francis Ford, brother of the great western film giant: John Ford, who would later play a role in establishing Wayne as a mythic western hero as well as a legitimate actor. The film moves quickly but contains amateurish acting from the supporting cast, missing Spanish accents, non-Spanish-looking actresses, and laughable swordplay. Wayne's sidekick does offer up a few laughs though, especially when in drag. *1/2 of 4 stars.
Short B western from Duke in his 1930s WB days
AlsExGal3 June 2023
In 1848, Spanish landowners are losing their lands when the US government refuses to acknowledge the land grants given years before to the citizens. Some unscrupulous types are also using the upheaval as an opportunity to swindle others. Cavalry officer John Holmes (John Wayne) is sent to make sure that the land owners know that they have a chance to register their lands with the government, which upsets scheming bad guys Don Luis (Donald Reed) and Don Pablo (Francis Ford). Holmes tries to outwit them while also wooing local beauty Dolores (Ruth Hall).
This is a little better than many of the other Wayne/Duke movies, with an emphasis on character, and better costumes and sets. It's still pretty bad, though, with stilted acting and an uninspired script. Luis Alberni gets a scene in drag. It's largely interesting from a standpoint of seeing what John Wayne was doing between The Big Trail and Stagecoach.
This is a little better than many of the other Wayne/Duke movies, with an emphasis on character, and better costumes and sets. It's still pretty bad, though, with stilted acting and an uninspired script. Luis Alberni gets a scene in drag. It's largely interesting from a standpoint of seeing what John Wayne was doing between The Big Trail and Stagecoach.
Don't bother
chris-486 September 1998
The Man from Monterey has virtually nothing to offer the movie fan, not even the John Wayne completist. Its story is hackneyed, its actor's mostly amateurish and their character's boring. On the plus side, the exterior scenery is pleasant and Luis Alberni gives a comic performance that, while not especially funny, seems positively inspired compared with the rest of the cast. But undoubtedly the movie's greatest asset is that it lasts less than an hour.
John Wayne - Swashbuckler?
bsmith555216 December 2006
"The Man From Monterey" was the last of six "B" features that John Wayne (and his horse "Duke") made for Warner Bros. for the 1932-33 season. Warners would get out of the series "B" westerns for a while until they made a series with Dick Foran later on in the 30s.
This story takes place in 1848 California after the state joined the USA. Landowners with old Spanish land grants are being asked to register their properties with the government or else the land will fall into public domain and be there for the taking.
Don Pablo Gonzales (Francis Ford) is trying to discourage fellow landowner Don Jose Castanares (Lafe McKee) from registering his property and then grabbing it for himself. His son Don Luis (Donald Reed) is courting Castanares' daughter Dolores (Ruth Hall) hoping to join the two families (and their properties) through marriage, if all else fails.
Captain John Holmes (Wayne) is sent to see why certain property owners have not registered their land. Naturally, Holmes is headed for the Castanares spread.
In the local town saloon, a wayfaring troubadour named Felipe (Luis Alberni) has a confrontation with Don Luis who has come to see his love sick girl friend Anita Garcia (Nena Quartero). Holmes intervenes and he and Felipe team up together.
On the way to the ranch, Holmes manages to rescue Dolores from a bogus attack on her coach by Don Luis' men designed to make him out a hero in Dolores' eyes.
Holmes manages to convince Don Jose to register his land before the impending deadline. On his way to register, Don Jose is kidnapped and imprisoned by Don Pablo's men. Meanwhile Holmes and Felipe have befriended an American bandit named Jake Morgan (Slim Whitaker) and his men who also plan to move on any unregistered properties.
In the ensuing action to free Don Jose we get to see John Wayne wield a sword. Let's just say that as a swashbuckler, Wayne made a great gunfighter.
The "acting" in this oater is uniformly awful. The attempts at Spanish accents are laughable. Wayne still had a long six years ahead of him in "B" westerns before achieving stardom in John Ford's "Stagecoach" (1939). Coincidently, Francis Ford, John Ford's brother appears in this film. Also in the cast are Chris Pin Martin as Manuel, Don Pablo's foreman and Tom London as Lt. Adams. Ken Maynard and his horse "Tarzan" appear in stock footage from their silent movie days.
This story takes place in 1848 California after the state joined the USA. Landowners with old Spanish land grants are being asked to register their properties with the government or else the land will fall into public domain and be there for the taking.
Don Pablo Gonzales (Francis Ford) is trying to discourage fellow landowner Don Jose Castanares (Lafe McKee) from registering his property and then grabbing it for himself. His son Don Luis (Donald Reed) is courting Castanares' daughter Dolores (Ruth Hall) hoping to join the two families (and their properties) through marriage, if all else fails.
Captain John Holmes (Wayne) is sent to see why certain property owners have not registered their land. Naturally, Holmes is headed for the Castanares spread.
In the local town saloon, a wayfaring troubadour named Felipe (Luis Alberni) has a confrontation with Don Luis who has come to see his love sick girl friend Anita Garcia (Nena Quartero). Holmes intervenes and he and Felipe team up together.
On the way to the ranch, Holmes manages to rescue Dolores from a bogus attack on her coach by Don Luis' men designed to make him out a hero in Dolores' eyes.
Holmes manages to convince Don Jose to register his land before the impending deadline. On his way to register, Don Jose is kidnapped and imprisoned by Don Pablo's men. Meanwhile Holmes and Felipe have befriended an American bandit named Jake Morgan (Slim Whitaker) and his men who also plan to move on any unregistered properties.
In the ensuing action to free Don Jose we get to see John Wayne wield a sword. Let's just say that as a swashbuckler, Wayne made a great gunfighter.
The "acting" in this oater is uniformly awful. The attempts at Spanish accents are laughable. Wayne still had a long six years ahead of him in "B" westerns before achieving stardom in John Ford's "Stagecoach" (1939). Coincidently, Francis Ford, John Ford's brother appears in this film. Also in the cast are Chris Pin Martin as Manuel, Don Pablo's foreman and Tom London as Lt. Adams. Ken Maynard and his horse "Tarzan" appear in stock footage from their silent movie days.
John Wayne in one of his early forgettable B-westerns
Art-2231 December 1998
The only way I can watch any one of the early B-westerns is by deciding in advance to treat it as high camp, although occasionally a good one pops up. This film is not one of those, but I still had a few chuckles at the goings on, looking for outrageous items. John Wayne is an army captain sent from a fort in Monterey to convince Spanish land owner Lafe McKee to register his claim, else it will become public domain. Land grabbers Francis Ford and his son Donald Reed try to keep McKee from doing so in order to get the land for themselves. The only comic relief in the film came from Luis Alberni, who reads palms, continuously introduces himself as "Felipe Guadelupe Constanche Delgado Santa Cruz" in a flourish, and dresses in drag. Almost everyone else, including Wayne, is so serious it was somewhat funny. I had fun with the good bad guy (Slim Whitaker), the all-too-easy escapes, the stilted dialog, the obligatory love-interest (with Ruth Hall), the peculiar sword fighting, and best of all, Wayne's mind-reading horse, Duke. When Wayne was captured, he tells Alberni (who is outside the locked room where there are no guards) to send Duke to get Whitaker's men. All Alberni does is pat the horse on his rear end and say "go on, Duke."
This was set right after California entered the Union when the Spanish land owners distrusted the "gringos," and filmmakers used the theme of land grabbing quite often.
This was set right after California entered the Union when the Spanish land owners distrusted the "gringos," and filmmakers used the theme of land grabbing quite often.
"I've got a wild scheme in my head, and just a chance that it'll work!"
classicsoncall7 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This John Wayne film from Four Star Westerns has a decidedly Spanish flavor, even more so than the picture that came before, "Somewhere in Sonora", and that one actually took place south of the border. The story has to do with large scale Spanish Grant landholders who are required to register their land with the U.S. government, but in typical fashion, there are holdouts who must be persuaded to comply.
John Wayne is Captain John Holmes, who's mission is to get the land owners to fall in line by persuading one of the biggest operators to register. However Don Jose Castanares (Lafe McKee) is reluctant to do so, and his friend Don Pablo Gonzalez (Francis Ford) urges him not to. Some friend, Don Pablo intends to move in on the property by registering it himself if it should fall into public domain by a certain date.
This time out, the romantic interest for John Wayne's character is pretty senorita Dolores Castanares (Ruth Hall), daughter of Don Jose. There will be some complications, since the Don intends for his daughter to marry Don Luis (Donald Reed), son of Don Pablo, thereby further guaranteeing an interest in the Castaneras property for the Gonzalez family. For his part, Captain Holmes avails himself of a Mexican sidekick by teaming up with Felipe Guadalupe Constacio Delgado Santa Cruz de la Verranca (Luis Alberni). I included all those names for Felipe because despite all of them, Holmes wound up calling him 'Leo' a couple of times and I couldn't figure out where that came from.
Well for an early oater like this there's a lot of goofy stuff going on, whether intentional or not. When Captain Holmes is locked up in a home made dungeon at one point, the bars on the cell are made of wood! A cantina gal named Anita (Nina Quartero), who claims to be engaged to Don Luis, somehow manages to pull a switcheroo during the wedding ceremony and marries Don Luis herself. And in a sword-fight against Don Luis's henchmen, John Wayne proves he's no Errol Flynn by waving his sword back and forth in a manner best designed not to hurt himself.
Well look, virtually all of these early oaters were pretty sub-standard by most accounts, even John Wayne's. But the good news for Wayne was that he had only about forty of these types of flicks to go before hitting it big with "Stagecoach" in 1939. Right after completing this stint with Warners' Four Star Westerns unit, he signed up with Paul Malvern's Lone Star Productions where he plied his craft in sixteen more, mostly forgettable Westerns.
John Wayne is Captain John Holmes, who's mission is to get the land owners to fall in line by persuading one of the biggest operators to register. However Don Jose Castanares (Lafe McKee) is reluctant to do so, and his friend Don Pablo Gonzalez (Francis Ford) urges him not to. Some friend, Don Pablo intends to move in on the property by registering it himself if it should fall into public domain by a certain date.
This time out, the romantic interest for John Wayne's character is pretty senorita Dolores Castanares (Ruth Hall), daughter of Don Jose. There will be some complications, since the Don intends for his daughter to marry Don Luis (Donald Reed), son of Don Pablo, thereby further guaranteeing an interest in the Castaneras property for the Gonzalez family. For his part, Captain Holmes avails himself of a Mexican sidekick by teaming up with Felipe Guadalupe Constacio Delgado Santa Cruz de la Verranca (Luis Alberni). I included all those names for Felipe because despite all of them, Holmes wound up calling him 'Leo' a couple of times and I couldn't figure out where that came from.
Well for an early oater like this there's a lot of goofy stuff going on, whether intentional or not. When Captain Holmes is locked up in a home made dungeon at one point, the bars on the cell are made of wood! A cantina gal named Anita (Nina Quartero), who claims to be engaged to Don Luis, somehow manages to pull a switcheroo during the wedding ceremony and marries Don Luis herself. And in a sword-fight against Don Luis's henchmen, John Wayne proves he's no Errol Flynn by waving his sword back and forth in a manner best designed not to hurt himself.
Well look, virtually all of these early oaters were pretty sub-standard by most accounts, even John Wayne's. But the good news for Wayne was that he had only about forty of these types of flicks to go before hitting it big with "Stagecoach" in 1939. Right after completing this stint with Warners' Four Star Westerns unit, he signed up with Paul Malvern's Lone Star Productions where he plied his craft in sixteen more, mostly forgettable Westerns.
Preserving Those Spanish Land Grants
bkoganbing26 May 2006
The setting is 1848 and the U.S. government sends Captain John Wayne to the newly conquered territory of California from the Mexican War. His job is to win over the Spanish Dons to register their land grant property with our government or else they'll be declared public domain.
Of course there are some nasty claim jumpers there who are both gringo and Latino ready to foil our hero. One particularly nasty one is another Spanish Don played by Francis Ford. He's got his eyes on his neighbor's property another Don with an attractive daughter, Ruth Hall. If Ford can't get it one way, he'll get it by marrying his son Donald Reed to Hall.
That changes when John Wayne comes on the scene and Hall crushes on him big time. Of course Wayne is riding on Duke the Wonder Horse and Duke once again proves of invaluable assistance in foiling the bad guys.
Best performance in the film goes to Luis Alberni who to foil the bad guys has to get into drag at the wedding scene of Reed and Hall. He's downright hilarious.
This marked the fourth and last film John Wayne did for Warner Brothers with Duke the Wonder Horse. Later on in his career John Wayne was not noted for particular attachment to his horses. They were a tool of the cowboy trade, nothing more in his films. In fact if my memory serves me I can only recall three films in his later years where the horse's had names and therefore horsenalities to him. That would be True Grit, The Shootist and A Lady Takes A Chance. I'm sure if I'm wrong, John Wayne fans will let me know.
Of course John Wayne moved on to Monogram films and Lone Star westerns and the quality of production went down a few pegs. Bigger and better things were in store for him. But what ever happened to Duke the Wonder Horse?
Of course there are some nasty claim jumpers there who are both gringo and Latino ready to foil our hero. One particularly nasty one is another Spanish Don played by Francis Ford. He's got his eyes on his neighbor's property another Don with an attractive daughter, Ruth Hall. If Ford can't get it one way, he'll get it by marrying his son Donald Reed to Hall.
That changes when John Wayne comes on the scene and Hall crushes on him big time. Of course Wayne is riding on Duke the Wonder Horse and Duke once again proves of invaluable assistance in foiling the bad guys.
Best performance in the film goes to Luis Alberni who to foil the bad guys has to get into drag at the wedding scene of Reed and Hall. He's downright hilarious.
This marked the fourth and last film John Wayne did for Warner Brothers with Duke the Wonder Horse. Later on in his career John Wayne was not noted for particular attachment to his horses. They were a tool of the cowboy trade, nothing more in his films. In fact if my memory serves me I can only recall three films in his later years where the horse's had names and therefore horsenalities to him. That would be True Grit, The Shootist and A Lady Takes A Chance. I'm sure if I'm wrong, John Wayne fans will let me know.
Of course John Wayne moved on to Monogram films and Lone Star westerns and the quality of production went down a few pegs. Bigger and better things were in store for him. But what ever happened to Duke the Wonder Horse?
The Man from Monterey review
JoeytheBrit15 April 2020
A typical John Wayne movie from the years during which it looked as if his career would be spent churning out an endless chain of low-budget programmers, The Man from Monterey boasts better production values than most of his movies from this period, but the plot is no better than the cheapest of his output. He plays a cavalry officer who seeks to protect a family from scheming neighbours trying to grab their land. Naturally, there's a pretty daughter (Ruth Hall) for him to fall for and on whom the moustachioed baddie (Donald Reed) has designs, and the obligatory comic relief (Luis Alberti). Inoffensive and forgettable
A silly but very entertaining early John Wayne vehicle
ajabrams13423 December 2010
OK - This is obviously not a great film by any stretch of the imagination but in its own silly way, it's a tremendously entertaining one. It reminds me of an early film operetta (like the original RIO RITA) except without the songs. The acting and script are, for the most part, pretty bad but that's part of the charm. John Wayne's performances certainly improved in later years but he was at his most handsome here--oozing sex appeal. And Luis Alberni has to be one of the great unsung character actors in Hollywood history. He is genuinely funny in this film---almost equaling his hilarious performance in THE GREAT GARRICK. The production values are surprisingly good for such a low budget effort, the print shown on TCM (which I assume is the same as the Warner DVD)is pristine and the plot moves like lightning. Give it a shot--you might have fun.
"Since these cursed Americanos came, there's been no time for play, for love, for anything!"
utgard1423 April 2014
Cavalry officer John Wayne fights Spaniards over land rights and over a pretty senorita. Early baby-faced Wayne doesn't do much to hint at what's to come later in his career. Luis Alberni is fun at times. Ruth Hall and Nina Quartero pretty things up. One of a half-dozen B westerns John Wayne made for Leon Schlesinger and WB in the early '30s. These are all watchable but ultimately forgettable. This one's not great and has some particularly spotty stunt work. If you're a John Wayne completist and you want to see all of his films, go right ahead and watch this. Everybody else should probably look elsewhere for something with more meat on the bone.
John Wayne as Zorro
frank412227 August 2019
The Duke eschews his pistol for a sword to fight to preserve the Spanish land grants. Helping the most beautiful señorita, Dolores Castanares (Ruth Hall) escape the clutches of Donald Reed and be at the side of her father, Don Jose Castanares (Lafe McKee) before his ranch goes over to public domain. But whose side is the most prolific B-western actor, Slim Whitaker on and can Duke, the horse pull through when it counts? Nina Quartero also plays a great role as the jilted girl friend who just won't quit. With all the wonderful acting, Luis Alberni really stole the show with his great comic timing. He was really needed in the surprise ending when all the warring factions go head to head. Quite a different film for a young John Wayne but one that is most enjoyable and endearing.
A good western B-movie and early John Wayne Film.
lhmcm3 September 2022
'The Man from Monterey' follows a captain who tries to save Mexican landowners from having their land taken, and falls in love with one's daughter.
The film is like a normal western B-film, but carries more charm than most you'll find. John Wayne's 26th credited role and a very entertaining film, this is one that everyone with a sweet spot for classic frontier-set films should see. While it is of course just a cheap film in a wide sea of a mass-produced genre, it stands out because it has fun moments. Such as when Felipe gets his revenge by breaking a guitar, or when John Wayne's character first saves Dolores.
All in all, this film is worth watching if you like this kind of stuff. Sure, it's mostly just fluffy fun, but what else can you ask for from a cheap 30's western B-movie? Some films like that can manage to be boring, but this one goes in the right direction, including all of the great action and a small touch of humor.
In conclusion, the 1933 John Wayne western B-film 'The Man From Monterey' provides good B entertainment. A solid, if low budget and small piece of entertainment.
The film is like a normal western B-film, but carries more charm than most you'll find. John Wayne's 26th credited role and a very entertaining film, this is one that everyone with a sweet spot for classic frontier-set films should see. While it is of course just a cheap film in a wide sea of a mass-produced genre, it stands out because it has fun moments. Such as when Felipe gets his revenge by breaking a guitar, or when John Wayne's character first saves Dolores.
All in all, this film is worth watching if you like this kind of stuff. Sure, it's mostly just fluffy fun, but what else can you ask for from a cheap 30's western B-movie? Some films like that can manage to be boring, but this one goes in the right direction, including all of the great action and a small touch of humor.
In conclusion, the 1933 John Wayne western B-film 'The Man From Monterey' provides good B entertainment. A solid, if low budget and small piece of entertainment.
This is a pretty bad film for John Wayne.
planktonrules29 September 2010
Throughout the 1930s, John Wayne made a steady stream of cheap B-westerns. While none of these were classics, they were enjoyable little films--much like those of Gene Autry or Roy Rogers, though Wayne's films rarely had any singing. However, early in his career, he was still learning his craft as an actor and a few of these films are rough and just not up to the standards of his films just a year or two later. I've seen several dozen of these films and I think "The Man From Monterey" might be the worst of the bunch. Here are some examples of how bad this film is:
At the 11 minute mark, there's some really bad acting and terrible action. A jerk beats a poor guy over the head with a guitar. He actually hits the guy in slow-motion and Wayne's reaction is amateurish as well--it's obvious he still has a lot to learn as an actor and the entire scene looked fake.
A few times, lines were flubbed but the director didn't care enough to re-film the scene.
Few of the Hispanics in the film seemed of Spanish origin! They often lacked accents and couldn't speak the language in the least. In one scene, a supposedly Hispanic lady says that "hasta luego is 'see you later'". No, in Spanish, hasta luego means 'see you later' and hasta pronto is 'see you soon'. Another 'Spanish' lady gets angry and shouts "...enough of your impudence!!". Heck, most native Americans don't even use the word impudence!!
Wayne is taken prisoner by a gang who threatens to kill him. When his fellow US Cavalry troops arrive, Wayne LIES--telling the men he is okay and not being held prisoner! Why would he do this?!
The WORST sword fighting scene in history--many high school plays feature more realistic sword-play!
Stock footage from a silent film is used in one scene. You can tell because the speed is way too fast--the result of using silent stock on sound machines.
The only GOOD thing about the film is Philippe in drag. Seeing this ALMOST made this bland film worth seeing...almost.
At the 11 minute mark, there's some really bad acting and terrible action. A jerk beats a poor guy over the head with a guitar. He actually hits the guy in slow-motion and Wayne's reaction is amateurish as well--it's obvious he still has a lot to learn as an actor and the entire scene looked fake.
A few times, lines were flubbed but the director didn't care enough to re-film the scene.
Few of the Hispanics in the film seemed of Spanish origin! They often lacked accents and couldn't speak the language in the least. In one scene, a supposedly Hispanic lady says that "hasta luego is 'see you later'". No, in Spanish, hasta luego means 'see you later' and hasta pronto is 'see you soon'. Another 'Spanish' lady gets angry and shouts "...enough of your impudence!!". Heck, most native Americans don't even use the word impudence!!
Wayne is taken prisoner by a gang who threatens to kill him. When his fellow US Cavalry troops arrive, Wayne LIES--telling the men he is okay and not being held prisoner! Why would he do this?!
The WORST sword fighting scene in history--many high school plays feature more realistic sword-play!
Stock footage from a silent film is used in one scene. You can tell because the speed is way too fast--the result of using silent stock on sound machines.
The only GOOD thing about the film is Philippe in drag. Seeing this ALMOST made this bland film worth seeing...almost.
Bland Western
Michael_Elliott9 June 2010
Man from Monterey, The (1933)
** (out of 4)
"B" Western has Captain John Holmes (John Wayne) being sent by the government to try and explain to some Spanish folks that they must register their land grants or they will end up losing them by them falling into the public domain. Holmes must battle some greedy land stealers who want the most valuable land to fall into the public domain so that they can get it at a better price. This was one of six early films Wayne made for Warner and it's not one of the best. I think it goes without saying that many of the "B" Westerns from this era were very short on plot and many of them didn't differentiate themselves from countless others that were being released. This one here features Wayne with Duke and that's pretty much it. Usually I find myself entertained during these films but that wasn't the case here as I found the story to be interesting but that's about it. The movie didn't contain any good action scenes, the fights were rather boring and the entire subplot with the love story was deadly boring. The most energy comes from some unintentionally funny moments including one sequence where Wayne saves his love interest (Ruth Hall) only to have her jealous, wannabe boyfriend (Donald Reed) stick him up. How Wayne keeps flirting with the woman even though he has a gun on him had me laughing out loud. Even funnier is that the so-called boyfriend keeps getting more and more steamed yet Wayne never seems to notice. Other funny moments come from a troubadour (Luis Alberni) who actually keeps the film moving with his performance. Wayne isn't too bad, although he really doesn't have much to do except stand tall and act tough. Hall isn't too bad as the love interest but the screenplay doesn't do her any favors. Reed is pretty bland as the bad guy, although the unintentional laughs are actually needed here. The story of the land falling into the public domain could have made for an entertaining story but director Wright brings no life or energy to the film and in the end it's just too boring even at only 57-minutes.
** (out of 4)
"B" Western has Captain John Holmes (John Wayne) being sent by the government to try and explain to some Spanish folks that they must register their land grants or they will end up losing them by them falling into the public domain. Holmes must battle some greedy land stealers who want the most valuable land to fall into the public domain so that they can get it at a better price. This was one of six early films Wayne made for Warner and it's not one of the best. I think it goes without saying that many of the "B" Westerns from this era were very short on plot and many of them didn't differentiate themselves from countless others that were being released. This one here features Wayne with Duke and that's pretty much it. Usually I find myself entertained during these films but that wasn't the case here as I found the story to be interesting but that's about it. The movie didn't contain any good action scenes, the fights were rather boring and the entire subplot with the love story was deadly boring. The most energy comes from some unintentionally funny moments including one sequence where Wayne saves his love interest (Ruth Hall) only to have her jealous, wannabe boyfriend (Donald Reed) stick him up. How Wayne keeps flirting with the woman even though he has a gun on him had me laughing out loud. Even funnier is that the so-called boyfriend keeps getting more and more steamed yet Wayne never seems to notice. Other funny moments come from a troubadour (Luis Alberni) who actually keeps the film moving with his performance. Wayne isn't too bad, although he really doesn't have much to do except stand tall and act tough. Hall isn't too bad as the love interest but the screenplay doesn't do her any favors. Reed is pretty bland as the bad guy, although the unintentional laughs are actually needed here. The story of the land falling into the public domain could have made for an entertaining story but director Wright brings no life or energy to the film and in the end it's just too boring even at only 57-minutes.
Goofy sagebrush melodrama
shakercoola17 May 2022
An American Western; A story set in 1848 about a cavalry officer assigned to notify settlers that they must register their land because California has joined the United States of America, and he tries to help to save a family's ranch from land grabbers. This B-movie swashbuckler has an interesting premise which sparks interest in the early scenes but it is poorly conceived and weakly scripted. Despite the playful tone, the performances are either unconvincing, stiff, overplayed or over-the-top. John Wayne looks ill-suited to his role but he offers up some good spirit even if his romance with Ruth Hall is tepid.
Mediocre script and directing lead to surprisingly dull John Wayne movie
morrisonhimself30 July 2022
Generally good cast is misused, and a BIG hole in the script make this rather mediocre.
Hard to believe "dull" and "John Wayne movie" can fit into the same sentence.
Plus it's misleading: Even though Duke, the beautiful horse, is listed second in the credits, he does almost nothing.
OK, not to leave you hanging: One person is killed in a botched attempt at a raid, and his body is just left lying there and no one says a word. That is probably the worst of the script and directing.
Hank Bell, the GREAT Hank Bell, is again uncredited, and that is such a shame it's almost a crime. Same for Chris-Pin Martin and Tom London.
And Nina Quartero has one scene that ... well, seeing her just about by itself makes this movie worth watching. And re-watching.
It's hard to believe something this mediocre could come from Leon Schlesinger, Warners, Mack Wright, Leo Forbstein, and have a cast that includes Slim Whittaker.
Let me stress it's not terrible, but just a little more effort from director and, especially, writer would have made a world of difference.
Hard to believe "dull" and "John Wayne movie" can fit into the same sentence.
Plus it's misleading: Even though Duke, the beautiful horse, is listed second in the credits, he does almost nothing.
OK, not to leave you hanging: One person is killed in a botched attempt at a raid, and his body is just left lying there and no one says a word. That is probably the worst of the script and directing.
Hank Bell, the GREAT Hank Bell, is again uncredited, and that is such a shame it's almost a crime. Same for Chris-Pin Martin and Tom London.
And Nina Quartero has one scene that ... well, seeing her just about by itself makes this movie worth watching. And re-watching.
It's hard to believe something this mediocre could come from Leon Schlesinger, Warners, Mack Wright, Leo Forbstein, and have a cast that includes Slim Whittaker.
Let me stress it's not terrible, but just a little more effort from director and, especially, writer would have made a world of difference.
A Fun Movie
januszlvii30 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The Man From Monterey is a John Wayne Film not to be taken seriously. It is a flat out comedy with Wayne's horse "Duke The Wonder Horse" saving the day, Luis Alberni in drag most of the film, outlaws led by Jake Morgan ( Slim Whitaker) as heroes, and a sword fight that belongs in Leon Schlesinger's Merrie Melodies ( yes he produced this movie and Bugs Bunny cartoons), instead of say an Errol Flynn movie). Captain John Holmes ( Wayne) is also a much lighter Wayne character then you see in most of his pre-codes. Here he plays an army captain, Post Mexican/American War who needs to have Spanish Land Holders record their land with the US Government to protect them from carpetbaggers and crooks. Of course, he does have time to romance Delores ( Ruth Hall), who is actually in the Top 20 Wayne Love Interests ever, whose father Don Jose is one of the landowners. Of course, there are problems. Don Jose's supposed best friend Don Pablo opposes the recording so he can steal Don Jose's land, and his son Don Luis wants to marry Delores for her money while still fooling around with Anita ( Nina Quartero). Spoilers ahead: As you can guess the bad guys are captured, Don Jose's land is saved, and John ends up with Delores. All of this in less then an hour. Again a fun movie. 9/10 stars
"John Holmes" IS the Cock-Sure MAN FROM MONTEREY . . .
oscaralbert1 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
. . . in Warner Bros. eerily prophetic Real Life Bio-Pic of Marion Morrison, a.k.a. John Holmes, a.k.a., John Wayne. It's an extensively researched fact that throughout his life, the quintessential "Whited Sepulchre" Marion was Hollywood's Number One Patron of the Border Town Bordellos an hour or two South. Multiple reputable sources have documented that at least one of Marion's three Hispanic spouses (that would be Wife #2) was a Real Life Working Girl when Marion met her. This fits in with MONTEREY's plot, when Marion's "John Holmes" character finds his squeeze Dolores ready to turn on a dime and marry "Luis" for her financial advantage. It's no wonder that when Hollywood's most famous "John Holmes" Googled "WOMANIZING PR*CK" in searching for a good porn name, Marion's bride-seducing earlier star turn was the top result. The rest is History, as is Marion's invention of Secret Agent 007's Catch-Phrase 30:30 into MONTEREY. Delores queries Marion's character, "Capitan ----?", not knowing her "Gringo" seducer's name. Marion's exact reply? "Holmes. John Holmes."
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