A Mule In Horse Harness

Republic Wastes Wayne in Lady For A Night (1942)

Had John Wayne done many more like this, there might have been no John Wayne. Come to think on it, he did, and virtually all for Republic, the lower trough company to which he was bound after transform of Stagecoach, and with which he stayed on non-exclusive pact when better judgment might have got him far as possible from limp vehicles like this. Lady For A Night was among worst of them, more a showcase for Joan Blondell in any event, Wayne offscreen for extended sections and ill-used when he's on. Blondell was about through with starring parts, or they with her, but was notably billed here over Wayne, and dominated virtually all ad art. But what madness cast this quintessential urban dweller in Dixie crinoline mode? Money was spent toward covering lack of much else, Republic tendering this Lady in terms of Scarlett O'Hara and Jezebel.

Epoch-making Gone With The Wind led many to try at repeated records. Republic blew trumpet of GWTW costume designer Walter Plunkett performing same duty on Lady's behalf. Parallels halted there, however, Lady For A Night being fancy dress on store dummies, and dull besides. Post-Stagecoach Wayne/Republics tended that way, few of their "specials" special despite Herb Yates' willingness to crowd space with extras. Lady For A Night continues to let down Wayne watchers for its total lack of action --- not a shot is fired --- and there's but a single horse chase Republic must have worn out for trailers. Olive has recently let out Lady For A Night on Blu-Ray, for no plausible reason other than Wayne being in it, bulk of his good Republics (The Quiet Man, Rio Grande,  forthcoming Flying Tigers) having been accounted for.