I am convinced by watching this film that it was the talented writers around the 30 year old John Wayne that immortalized his career as the American cowboy. If you were to isolate his acting from the novelists, short story writers and screenplay writers that contributed to his career, you would have a clumsy looking, ungainly university drop-out who can't speak properly. This film is a classic example. It doesn't have the support of talented writers behind it, and so therefore, we are free to observe Wayne's acting rather than concentrate on the story. He lets you done by revealing his weakness as a thespian, but the industry was still kind to him by keeping him in regular work.