Santa Fe Stampede – a cowboy story with that old B-western sparkle

Right, so, Santa Fe Stampede from 1938. What a title. It sounds like you’re gonna watch trains and cattle and maybe a couple of fistfights – which, honestly, is kinda true. Now, John Wayne is here, not yet the big-shot he’d become, but he’s got that stubborn jaw already. George Sherman’s directing, a proper workhorse of a guy. I feel like you know you’re in steady hands, or… well, at least hands that know where the fake moustaches are kept.

The film itself: it’s short, it’s snappy, and, erm, boy the plot moves like a Swedish subway train in winter – quick, with the occasional shudder. Wayne’s Stony Brooke (that name!) and the “Three Mesquiteers” – honestly, sounds like a band from Östersund I saw in ’94. They ride into Santa Fe, there’s crooked politicians, someone’s framed for murder… you get it. Dust, horses, shifty eyes. It’s simple – maybe too simple? But charming. A bit like eating knäckebröd with only a thin slice of cheese. Satisfying, but you want a bit more.

A memory (from a rainy Tuesday, 2006):

Watched this with my old mate Lasse out in Småland. He’d never seen a western. Five minutes in: “Why does nobody ever eat in these films? Don’t they get hungry?” It’s true – everyone’s shooting or riding, no one even grabs a korv med bröd. I couldn’t stop laughing.

Anyway, what sticks is the pace and that no-nonsense, almost naive sense of justice. It’s not saying anything deep – just good guys, bad guys, and some excellent hats. Sometimes life’s a bit like that. Makes you wish you had a horse and a bit more purpose, maybe. Or at least a decent cowboy shirt.

Watch it if you’re up for something simple, or to see young Duke Wayne before all the legend stuff. Maybe bring your own coffee and sandwich, though. These cowboys sure won’t invite you.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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