One of several films that would unite Buck Jones with a young John Wayne,
Range Feud was released on December 2nd, 1931. Produced by Columbia Pictures and directed by D. Ross Lederman it follows Sheriff Buck Gordon (Jones) who must clear his best friend and adopted brother Clint Turner (Wayne) when he is accused of the murder of local rancher John Walton (Edward LeSaint). It was later remade as
The Red Rider, a 15-chapter serial produced by Republic and also starring Jones.
Range Feud is a surprisingly dark and mature tale for a Buck Jones western. It features very little action, instead focusing on Gordon's internal conflict as he struggles to reconcile his duty as Sheriff and his loyalty to his family. His adoptive father, played by Will Walling, is in the midst of a range war with Walton and, further complicating matters, is Clint's romance with Walton's daughter Judy (Susan Fleming). When Walton is mysteriously murdered moments after angrily dismissing Clint from his property, the young man becomes the prime suspect.
Buck spends most of the film brooding over the impending execution of his friend. He does very little to try and clear his name until the last act. This makes for a rather torpid drama and, coupled with the few bits of lackluster action, the film never really comes together. Despite this, Jones still puts in a solid performance and it's nice to see him take on a more dramatic role. Wayne is also solid as the young romantic lead though, again, he's given very little to do for most of the film's runtime. Susan Fleming has decent enough chemistry with Wayne and does a good job with the material she's given. Will Walling gets, probably, the most juicy role as the hotheaded Dad Turner. Finally, Harry Woods is wasted as the rather lackluster villain, Vandall.
Though worth watching for the novelty of seeing Buck Jones and John Wayne in the same picture,
Range Feud is too per-occupied with its languid dramatic story to work as a film in it's own right.
Score: 5/10
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