Hell Town (1937)

My Review

All sorts of “heck” breaks loose when John Wayne is put in charge of a cattle drive in “Hell Town.” This low-budget, B-Western was originally titled “Born to the West,” which director Charles Barton should have stuck with. Writers Stuart Anthony and Robert Yost put together an acceptable screenplay, which not only includes turmoil in a Montana town but also a love triangle.

The cast includes John Wayne, Marsha Hunt, John Mack Brown, Monte Blue, Lucien Littlefield, Syd Saylor, James Craig, and Earl Dwire as a cowhand. “Hell Town” was one of many B-films the Duke starred in before hitting it big in “Stagecoach” (1939). The 59 minute black-and-white movie was produced by Paramount Pictures, filmed in Lone Pine, California.