Riders of Destiny

Riders of Destiny (1933)

A Great Western Star in a WHIRLWIND of ACTION!

James Kincaid controls the local water supply and plans to do away with the other ranchers. Government agent Sandy Saunders arrives undercover to investigate Kincaid's land swindle scheme, and win the heart of one of his victims, Fay Denton.

Date of release
1933-10-10
TMDB
5.3 / 10 (32)
Runtime
55m
Genres
Action, Western
Director
Robert N. Bradbury

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Filmed in: Kernville, Lancaster, and Palmdale

Riders of Destiny is a 1933 pre-Code Western musical film starring 26-year-old John Wayne as Singin' Sandy Saunders, and is one of the earliest examples of the singing cowboy movie. It was the first of a series of sixteen Lone Star Westerns made for Monogram Pictures between 1933 and 1935 by writer and director Robert N. Bradbury, and the first pairing of Wayne with George "Gabby" Hayes.

Production

The movie was written and directed by Robert N. Bradbury and is one of the earliest examples of the singing cowboy movie. The role of Singin' Sandy Saunders was created for Wayne by Bradbury, who saw a market niche for the singing cowboy.

It was the first of the Lone Star Productions released through Monogram Pictures. The supporting cast included George "Gabby" Hayes, the acrobatic comedian Al St. John, and the stuntman Yakima Canutt. This was Hayes's first movie with Wayne. Canutt's stunts were extraordinary.

Wayne's singing voice was dubbed and bore no resemblance to his unique speaking voice. The actual singer was Bill Bradbury, son of director Robert N. Bradbury and brother of Bob Steele. The character of Singin' Sandy was not used again, but it paved the way for Gene Autry and other singing cowboys.

Riders of Destiny is a standard cowyboy picture, complete with action, romance, and humor. The film helped establish Wayne as a B-Western cowboy. In the film, Wayne dons the rugged cowboy stereotype with tight jeans, plain shirt, and a black hat, wearing a holstered six-gun and riding a white horse.

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