Tonight's Movie: The Shepherd of the Hills (1941) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

For the past couple of years, one of my viewing goals has been to catch up with all of the 1940s John Wayne films I've not yet seen.  

The list has been surprisingly lengthy, but Kino Lorber releases have helped me check off several titles: SEVEN SINNERS (1940), THE SPOILERS (1942), PITTSBURGH (1942), and DAKOTA (1945).

I've now seen another of Wayne's '40s films thanks to another Kino Lorber release, THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS (1941). 

THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS was a fairly unusual film, based on a novel by Harold Bell Wright.  It's set in a community of backwoods moonshiners, where knowledge of the outside world is limited, ways of speaking are unfamiliar to newcomers, and superstitions persist.

Into this closed-off rural village comes Daniel Howitt (Harry Carey Sr.), who happens to show up at a cabin one day just in time to help Jim Lane (Tom Fadden), who's been shot by the "revenuers" patroling for moonshiners.  

Daniel develops a friendship with Jim and his daughter Sammy (Betty Field), and Sammy helps Daniel navigate among her neighbors, who are suspicious of outsiders.  

Daniel saves the life of a little girl (Virita Campbell), earning the gratitude of her parents (Dorothy Adams and John Qualen) and grandmother (Marjorie Main), but Young Matt Matthews (John Wayne) and his family continue to view the outsider with a wary eye.  That said, Matt's Aunt Mollie (Beulah Bondi) is willing to sell Daniel some land when he offers a thousand dollars -- especially as the land is considered haunted. 

Young Matt has sworn to kill his long-absent father, whom he blames for indirectly causing his mother's death.  Little does Matt know that Daniel might be able to help him resolve that issue.

It's a fairly odd story and setting, but the willing viewer soon settles into the film's rhythm and style.  The cast couldn't be better, and much of the film was shot in Technicolor in the Big Bear area of Southern California, which adds greatly to the film's appeal. 

In addition to being beautifully made, the film has a worthwhile message about love versus hate.  Young Matt, caught between his bitter, angry aunt and the kindly Daniel, must choose which path to follow.  One will result in an unhappy, empty life like his aunt's and the other will end with him having the love of a wife and family.

I doubt Carey ever gave a bad performance; large role or small, he always commands the screen.  

It's wonderful seeing the young Wayne filmed outdoors in such brilliant color, and I was surprisingly impressed with Field's performance.  In the wrong role she's a disaster (I'm particularly thinking of the otherwise excellent THE GREAT GATSBY), but her rather off-kilter persona fits this film perfectly.  She's quite likable as the young woman who cares for both Matt and Daniel.

Marjorie Main has a fine scene as Grandma Becky, whose eyesight is restored thanks to an operation paid for by Daniel.  The deep cast also includes Ward Bond, Samuel S. Hinds, Olin Howland, Fuzzy Knight, James Barton, Marc Lawrence, Henry Brandon, and Selmer Jackson.

THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS was directed by Henry Hathaway.  It was filmed by W. Howard Greene and Charles Lang.  The screenplay of this 98-minute film was by Grover Jones and Stuart Anthony.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print is gorgeous.  There is one scene towards the end where there are some faint, odd-looking red streaks, but otherwise I thought it was beautiful.  The sound is also excellent; despite most of the characters speaking in a rather convoluted fashion, I had no difficulty understanding anyone.

The Blu-ray includes a commentary track by Simon Abrams, the trailer, and a trailer gallery for half a dozen additional films available from Kino Lorber.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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