Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

JohnHowardReid Copyright 15 September 1934 by Monogram Pictures Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: 22 October 1934. U.K. release through Pathé: 27 May 1935. 55 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Cowboy journeys to Canada to track down a missing heiress. His quest is complicated when a young friend accidentally kills a card sharp and the two are forced to flee across country.COMMENT: Hard to believe this is a "Lone Star Western". Even the music is different and the budget is pretty close to borderline "A". True, director Bradbury is up to his usual editing tricks, including disconcerting whip pans that don't quite work and odd wipes, but otherwise technical credits, including music scoring and sound recording, are of a much higher standard than usual. The Canadian locations are also mighty impressive, especially as an action background. There are plenty of chases both on horse and canoe, with running inserts and some truly spectacular stunts, leading up to an action-packed double climax in which the thrills are crosscut between the Mounties cleaning up the renegades and our hero pursuing the chief villain. Although heavy on co-incidence, the fast-moving plot holds the attention. Wayne is doubtless doubled for the high diving shots, but he does an impressive amount of swimming. Miss Hillie makes an attractive heroine, and it's good to see both Noahs, father and son. (Is this their only film together?) On the other hand, Frazer makes a somewhat lackluster villain. This must be one of the few westerns in which the heavies are well and truly outclassed in charisma by the good guys. Admittedly the baddies are hampered by some pretty ridiculous dialogue and dopey accents.Despite these examples of amateurish acting, The Trail Beyond all told is a superior western. In fact one of the best of Wayne's early "B"-hero career.

wes-connors In western gear, brawny John Wayne (as Rod Drew) is asked to find a missing woman. Donning modern dress, he takes a train to Canada. On board, Mr. Wayne meets similarly-suited college pal Noah Beery Jr. (as Wabi). Mr. Berry's participation in a crooked poker game gets the two men off the train. They change into western outfits, and are on the run from the law.In an abandoned cabin, Wayne and Berry find a map to some gold, along with the skeletal remains of some unfortunates. They go to hide the map in a store run by pretty blonde Verna Hillie (as Felice) and papa Noah Beery Sr. (as George Newsome). The prospects of gold and a pretty woman attract the attention of dastardly Robert Frazer (as Jules LaRocque) and his gang… This "Lone Star Productions" film has a simple plot that keeps you forgetting where they've been and why they're going wherever they're going. The focus is on Wayne and "half breed" (huh?) sidekick Berry Jr., with the latter's real-life father in a few scenes. A very mild subplot involves their competition for the lovely Ms. Hillie. The film gets by on stunts and scenery.*** The Trail Beyond (10/22/34) Robert N. Bradbury ~ John Wayne, Noah Beery Jr., Verna Hillie, Noah Beery

bkoganbing Within the first 10 minutes of The Trail Beyond, John Wayne gets a chore from a friend to locate the friend's friend and his daughter in the Canadian woods, meets another friend Noah Beery, Jr. from college, gets innocently involved in a murder and is fleeing up to Canada with Beery.There's almost as much canoe paddling as horseback riding in The Trail Beyond for our intrepid heroes. They've got to keep on the move from the Mounties who are looking to extradite both of them to America and Wayne's still got his mission on his mind.And if that ain't enough they get involved in a feud between the Hudson Bay Company local trading post owner, Noah Beery Sr. and some French Meti trappers. They're the bad guys and as another reviewer remarked their accents are pretty bad. Like Pepe Le Pew.Other than Island in the Sky, I believe this might be the only John Wayne film with a Canadian location. Even though they got no farther to Canada than the Sierras in California.What this film does give, is an opportunity to see both Noah Beerys, senior and junior in the same film. I saw that they have about seven screen credits jointly and this I believe is the only one available on VHS and DVD. Furthermore for once the senior Beery is not playing a bad guy.So while this one won't even make the top Fifty of John Wayne's films for all those reasons it might be worth a look.

Garvis Frazier Getting this John Wayne early film on DVD as a gift was one that brought back pleasant memories from my childhood. I realize that it's not "Oscar" quality but it was the kind of thing a six year old kid took pleasure in. John Wayne shows a strong hint of the super stardom to come.