Trail Beyond, The

2470. THE TRAIL BEYOND (1934-USA). With JOHN WAYNE, NOAH BEERY, SR., NOAH BEERY, JR. This action-filled Western adventure stars legendary movie cowboy John Wayne in one of the most exciting roles of his early career. He plays Rod Drew, a young man who travels to the French Canadian north country to locate the niece of his father’s best friend. Rod boards the northbound Hudson Bay Express. On the train, he meets his “halfbreed” college chum Wabi (nicely played by boyishly handsome Noah Beery, Jr.). When Wabi becomes involved in a poker game with a cheat, a gunfight develops and Rod and Wabi make a daring escape. They jump from the moving train as it crosses an elevated bridge, and, land in the rough waters below. That bit is only the first in a series of extraordinary stunts, which purportedly were conceived and performed by renowned sluntman YAKIMA CANUTT. In a deserted cabin where they take refuge, they find a pair of dusty old human skeletons and a map that marks the location of a gold mine. Before they can locate the mine, the trusting adventurers accidentally tip their hand to a member of a thieving gang led by a renegade trapper. Now they are wanted by the MountiesÑ and by the crooks as well! They flee to the wild north country, where the chase intensifies. Be sure to look for one rare instance in which a stuntman tries to leap from horseback onto a fast-moving buggy. He misses and hits the dirt. Luckily, the cinematographer kept the camera running during this life-threatening moment and the footage appears on screen intact! For fans of Western thrills and spills, this is one movie, that should not be missed! 54 minutes. Western