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The Lonely Trail

Directed by Joseph Kane

Passed

1936 56mDrama, Western

5.640%

Though he fought for the North in the Civil War, John is asked by the Governor of Texas to get rid of some troublesome carpetbaggers. He enlists the help of Holden before learning that Holden too is plundering the local folk.

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Cast of The Lonely Trail

John WayneCaptain John Ashley
Ann RutherfordVirginia Terry
Cy KendallAdjutant General Benedict Holden
Bob KortmanCaptain Hays
Fred 'Snowflake' ToonesSnowflake
Sam FlintGovernor of Texas
Dennis MooreDick Terry
Jim ToneyJed Calicutt
Etta McDanielMammy
Yakima CanuttBull Horrell
Lloyd IngrahamTucker
James A. MarcusMayor
Rodney HildebrandtCavalry Captain
Eugene JacksonHarmonica Player / Dancer
Floyd ShackelfordArmstrong
Nina Mae McKinneyDancer (uncredited)
Bob BurnsJeff Pruitt
Joseph KaneDirector
Bernard McConvilleWriter
Jack NattefordWriter
Nat LevineProducer

The Lonely Trail Ratings & Reviews

Mister ArnJuly 1, 2025
“The Lonely Trail” stars John Wayne as a former Union officer returning to post–Civil War Texas. While it attempts to explore themes of loyalty, regional division, and race, its handling is shallow and reflective of the biases of its time. The film offers a dated glimpse into how early Hollywood framed Reconstruction-era tensions. Still, its oversimplified storytelling and lack of nuance keep it from making a lasting or positive impression.

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