The Shepherd of the Hills Reviews

This was the third, and probably best, attempt to film Wright's popular novel about life in the backwoods of Missouri. Wayne plays a young moonshiner out for revenge. His father deserted him at an early age, causing his mother's untimely death. He vows to someday find his father and kill him, which keeps Field, the girl he loves, from marrying him because she does not wish to contend with the hate he's possessed by. The father, played by Carey, eventually comes back to the Ozarks and quickly makes friends with the entire community. He becomes known as "the Shepherd" because of his many acts of kindness among the people living there. Wayne hits it off with Carey until he discovers that the old man is actually his father. Wayne attempts to kill him in a duel but is unable to do so when he discovers that Carey did not desert his family, but rather has spent all this time in jail for killing another man. Wayne and Carey resolve their differences, leaving Field free to marry Wayne. Cast is strong, with minor characters displaying realistic and touching performances of the backwoods people. This film helped give Wayne's career a healthy boost, as it followed his first major role in the successful movie STAGECOACH.