Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

JohnHowardReid SYNOPSIS: Just as the good citizens are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of New Hope (which occurred shortly after the end of the Civil War), word is brought that a neighboring city intends to flood the valley to ensure its water supply.NOTES: Number 25 of the 52-picture Three Mesquiteers series, and Wayne's last "B" western. The print under review is from the Republic Collection. Although the cassette blurb claims the print was "mastered from original film negatives", this is demonstrably untrue. It was in fact obviously duped from a 16mm television print, and not from the original 35mm negative, let alone the 36mm theatrical print. The grading is terrible, the lack of contrast so bad that many shots look almost completely washed out.COMMENT: A John Wayne-Jennifer Jones picture? Yes indeed. Actually it was her first film and she appeared under her real name, Phylis Isley. She is billed after Wayne, Corrigan and Hatton and her role is fairly large, though she has but a few lines and only one close-up, and I think only three brief scenes with Wayne. The producers seem unsure what to do with her. In her introductory and longest scene, she has her hair long and dark. In her next scene and throughout the rest of the film she wears it short and light. We wonder if it's the same girl. She often stands in a shot while Eddie Waller does all or most of the talking. His is really the main role after Wayne's. Both Corrigan and Hatton have so little to do, it's hardly fair to call this a Three Mesquiteers movie. Even Sammy McKim has a bigger part than Corrigan.As with Miss Jones, the script bears every evidence of being changed or made up on the run. A couple of good guys unexpectedly change into villains and the plot leads into a series of climaxes, all of which unexpectedly fizzle out or come to nothing. Oddly, for a western, although plenty of confrontations occur, there is no bloodshed at all. Not a drop. The villains are routed with no more than a dozen or so fists raised in anger, and the climax, instead of an expected Poverty Row duplication of The Rains of Ranchipur, comes to nothing. All the lead-up with the dam waters being released raises expectations. We assume the farmsteads have been swept away before Wayne turns the water off. But, would you believe, the flood waters are neither shown wreaking havoc (no Lydecker special effects or miniatures in this movie) or even mentioned.Aside from its cleverly contrived introduction when the audience is fooled into thinking a recreation of the Pony Express run is the actual McGuffin, the plot manages to whip up surprisingly little interest. Lackluster direction, dull locations and the paucity of action doesn't help. It's fortunate Miss Jones was cast in the film because the novelty of her presence is just about the only reason anyone would want to watch it from start to end. Even Wayne himself is less forceful than usual. Of course, fans of garrulously verbose Eddy Waller will be cheering themselves hoarse, but if Eddy's total fan following overflows a phone booth, I'd be very surprised.Note the prominence given Wayne's name in the poster. Also that Phylis Isley is pictured pointing a rifle when in fact, true to her Jennifer Jones screen image, she does no such thing.

Leofwine_draca FRONTIER HORIZON is the last in a series of B-movie westerns teaming John Wayne with stuntman Ray Corrigan and Raymond Hatton as a trio of crime-fighters in the Old West. This time around, they're called in to help prevent land owners being harassed by a crooked real estate boss and his men, but the whole thing feels entirely cheap and unfocused. Long segments of the running time stretch out without much going on and the heroes have little to do except occasionally jump into action. Watch out for Hollywood starlet Jennifer Jones in her screen debut.

wes-connors "Impoverished by civil war, and faced with the painful labor of reconstruction, thousands of Americans cut the old tries and took the immigrant trail to the free lands of the far west – and a new beginning," according to the opening...A pioneering family led by soldier Eddy Waller (as Steven Braddock) finds a beautiful area to settle and they name the place "New Hope Valley" because if symbolizes new hope. Fifty years later, the family and other residents celebrate the town's golden anniversary. On hand are Republic Pictures' "The Three Mesquiteers" – leader John Wayne (as Stony Brooke), partner Ray Corrigan (as Tucson Smith) and comic sidekick Raymond Hatton (as Rusty Joslin). They seem to be, herein, based in "New Hope" and riding the (?) Pony Express. Trouble arrives when nasty government men and land contractors declare "New Hope Valley" is condemned, so they can level the town and build a damn. Outraged citizens convince Mr. Wayne to lead the opposition...This routine round-up was the last series appearance for two of the Mesquiteers. Wayne was obviously off to greener pastures due to his choice role in director John Ford's "Stagecoach" (1939). He would be replaced by returning "Stony" Robert Livingston. Also calling it quits, Mr. Corrigan went on to star in his own series, with Bob Steele taking over the "Tucson" role. Republic remembered they already had a "New Frontier" (1935) starring John Wayne, so they re-titled this "Frontier Horizon". Making her film debut herein is pretty young Phylis Isley, who became very popular after changing her name to "Jennifer Jones" and hooking up with producer David O. Selznick. In Hollywood, being noticed by John Ford or David Selznick certainly helped.*** New Frontier Horizon (8/10/39) George Sherman ~ John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, Raymond Hatton, Jennifer Jones

bkoganbing John Wayne said farewell to the Three Mesquiteers film series and to the character of Stoney Burke he had played in them. The Mesquiteers would continue on without the Duke as they had before him. Herbert J. Yates and Republic finally decided that Wayne had become too big a star to continue him in B westerns. His next film after this was a loan out to RKO, Allegheny Uprising.In fact there was another change in the cast, Max Terhune left the series even before this and was replaced by Raymond Hatton.New Frontier, not to be confused with the Kennedy administration, also has Phyllis Isley as the leading lady. Her next film would win her an Academy Award and a name change to Jennifer Jones. Of course that is the Song of Bernadette. She never did do a film with Wayne after this, but I'm guessing it was because the Duke didn't want to work for David O. Selznick.This entry in the Mesquiteers films deals with the right of eminent domain. The Mesquiteers ranch and the property of all the others in New Hope Valley has been condemned because the state wants to build a dam for a large city and create a reservoir where their property is. This subject was dealt with in a quite serious way in Elia Kazan's film Wild River about the Tennessee Valley Authority. Of course here it's all part of land swindle, but Stoney, Tucson, and Rusty put things to right in the end and do it with the same pioneer spirit their ancestors showed.You would expect anything else from a John Wayne film?