The Disastrous Movie John Wayne Said He Was “F—ing Embarrassed By”

John Wayne's place in the history of cinema as the rugged, laconic cowboy has no rival. Whether in Stagecoach, Red River or The Searchers, he gave us a capable gunslinger of few words and even fewer apologies. But on his way to this iconic archetypal western hero status, he stumbled on some roles that were far from this persona. One of them is in 1933’s Riders of Destiny, in which Wayne plays “Singin’ Sandy,” a cowboy who strums a guitar, croons romantic ballads, and breaks into song between shootouts. Yes, he is still a reputable gunman riding into town, but it is a bizarre attempt to capitalize on the new “singing cowboy” trend, first tried in a western by Ken Maynard in The Wagon Master.