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In Old California

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Tomatometer 1 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Tom Craig (John Wayne) is just a modest pharmacist in gold-rush-era California until he discovers saloon owner Britt Dawson (Albert Dekker) is getting rich by forcing the local ranchers to pay protection money. Not one to stand for injustice, Craig rallies the ranchers and attempts to overthrow Dawson's rule. To turn the mob against Craig, Dawson poisons one of Craig's patients and frames the pharmacist, but when illness breaks out, Craig is the only one who can help.
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In Old California

Critics Reviews

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Jose Maria Santos Cine-Mundial 09/16/2019
This movie is one of those so-called Westerns that has a cast of notable artists and a truly original and interesting plot. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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steve d @RT35616104 07/22/2020 The Same thing Wayne did over and over. See more 07/21/2015 John Wayne did this movie in honor of his father who was a pharmacist! See more 06/08/2014 Give me a beer. Make it long and make it wet. A Boston pharmacist moves to Sacramento during the height of the gold rush. He sells an elixir of sorts to cure what ills you. A politician wants the pharmacist out of Sacramento and blames him for an epidemic that breaks out in the miners. The pharmacist works quickly to cure the workers and clear his name. "I want cut glass, chandeliers, and gold knobs." William McGann, director of Highway West, We Go Fast, Wolf of New York, Frontier Badman, A Shot in the Dark, and Alcatraz Island, delivers In Old California. The storyline for this picture is fun to watch unfold and a very different character for John Wayne. The settings are okay and the drama wasn't as intense as it could have been. The acting was pretty good and the cast includes Wayne, Patsy Kelly, Albert Decker, and Paul Sutton. "Are you in the mood for a very important question?" I had bookmarked this movie off Netflix because it starred John Wayne and I had never seen it. This was interesting and fun to watch unfold. It wasn't my favorite Wayne movie, but I will say seeing him as something besides a stuffy, wise cracking cowboy was fascinating. Overall, this is worth a viewing but not one of my favorite pictures from this era. "I don't see the point of no joke!" Grade: C+ See more 03/31/2014 Young John Wayne at his best! All the old-timey western character archetypes are present and done well. Very fun, simple plot, great movie! See more 06/15/2011 It's too inconsistent in tone and over-plotted to be successful. It tries to be a romantic comedy, a serious Western, and a corn-ball comedy. See more 03/21/2011 great laugh, fun characters, nice action, slick pace See more Read all reviews
In Old California

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Cast & Crew

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William McGann

Director

John Wayne

Tom Craig

Binnie Barnes

Lacey Miller

Albert Dekker

Britt Dawson

Helen Parrish

Ellen Sanfordf

Patsy Kelly

Helga
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In Old California

In Old California (1942) In Old California (1942) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Tom Craig (John Wayne) is just a modest pharmacist in gold-rush-era California until he discovers saloon owner Britt Dawson (Albert Dekker) is getting rich by forcing the local ranchers to pay protection money. Not one to stand for injustice, Craig rallies the ranchers and attempts to overthrow Dawson's rule. To turn the mob against Craig, Dawson poisons one of Craig's patients and frames the pharmacist, but when illness breaks out, Craig is the only one who can help.
Director
William McGann
Producer
Robert North
Screenwriter
Gertrude Purcell, Frances Hyland
Distributor
Republic Pictures
Production Co
Republic Pictures Corporation
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 31, 1942, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 12, 2014
Runtime
1h 28m
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