Review of Allegheny Uprising (1939) by Stephen T — 15 May 2015

1939 was a certainly a good year for Westerns. John Ford's Stagecoach took the Western genre from pulpy, B-picture status to mainstream entertainment. Allegheny Uprising used the Western formula except it set the time in the 1750s and the location to western Pennsylvania (neither the traditional Wild West).

It could be argued that Allegheny Uprising is an historical adventure/romance rather than a true Western, but that's splitting hairs. Unfortunately, unlike Stagecoach, Allegheny Uprising failed to make a profit at the box office and Warner Bros.

Studio opted for more traditional Westerns. Although not super memorable, the John Wayne/Claire Trevor pairing gave the film some desperately needed chemistry between the stoic hero and the feisty heroine.

While the Trevor and Wayne combo produced the desired chemistry, it never drew the sparks of a John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara matchup. Wayne still seems to be finding his footing as a leading man in this role and it definitely shows; what is perceived to be stoicism comes off as reticence.

Nevertheless, it is definitely a film to check out if you're interested in alternative Westerns and early John Wayne.