Review of Haunted Gold (1932) by Jonathan B — 12 Jul 2016

John Wayne investigates the mysterious goings on in relation to a mine-shaft, a ghost and a land-grant. It's basically a live action version of Scooby-Doo. While that is likely a turn off to most, I found this to be quite fun and enduring. While the Duke availed himself to shades of American Gothic and Bronte like Romance (THE SEARCHERS and THE QUIET MAN); it's the closest John Wayne ever got to being in a horror movie. It's certainly fun to see him in a "Weird Western" or a "Spook-Show Western". As this was not a thriving genre but substantial one and ever present through the decades with movies like MYSTERY RANCH, THE WHITE BUFFALO, TRACK OF THE CAT and RIDERS OF THE WHISTLING SKULL/ PINES.

John Mason (John Wayne) along his horse, Duke, and side kick Clarence Brown (Blue Washington) team up with the daughter (Sheila Terry) of a deceased land mine owner to find out who the Phantom is. It's as simple as that. This defines the Dime Store Plot. Actually a lot of the 1930s westerns have some sort of Masked Villain or a Grand Architect of Crime (by small town standards) with pseudonyms and aliases, with names like The Hawk, The Shadow, Matt the Mute etc. In this case, it's the Phantom.

The movie has what you want, hidden chambers, a cemetery, a spooky house with spooky servants. The atmosphere is a bit dry but not far removed from the likes of THE BAT or THE OLD DARK HOUSE. We even have a cartoon bat!

It's also fun to see the Duke, as in John Wayne's horse, doing the Lassie shtick. The horse really is a character and is even second billed, not an uncommon practice back then.

One aspect that can be difficult is the John Wayne's co-star Blue Washington. He part is played for laughs some of it just downright racist. Generally, I try not re-act strongly to these things but it does have to be noted. It can offend people. At least, his character actually helps solve the mystery, not unlike the "gay" secretary from DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON. The actor, Blue Washington, spent years in bit parts from the Silent Days into the early 1960s with THE HUSTLER. He can be seen in a variety of movies from John Ford, and in the series of Charlie Chan and Tarzan. At least in HAUNTED GOLD he has a big part.

A remake of Ken Maynard' silent western THE PHANTOM CITY; Yes, that is Ken Maynard in the wide shots.