In one of his earliest starring roles, John Wayne plays Lt. Bob Denton, a West Point football star who gets assigned to a post in Arizona where he’ll be under the command of his mentor, Colonel Frank Bonham (Forrest Stanley). Bonham is married to Evelyn (Laura La Plante), who is Bob’s former girlfriend and who only married Bonham after Denton told her that he didn’t even intend to marry anyone. In Arizona, Denton meets Bonnie (June Clyde), who is the younger sister of Evelyn. Bonnie and Denton fall for each other so the jealous Evelyn rips her dress and accuses Denton of trying to force himself on her. Bonham is ready to drum Denton out of the service but then Evelyn learns that Denton and Bonnie are secretly married and destroying Denton’s life will also mean destroying Bonnie’s happiness.
Arizona is a simplistic melodrama and probably one that wouldn’t be made today. Denton is undeniably a cad, telling Evelyn that he didn’t want to make a commitment to her after dating her for two years and then turning right around and deciding to pursue Evelyn’s sister. But Evelyn’s reaction goes overboard. She marries an older man just to get back at Denton (even though Denton didn’t want to marry her so why would he care?) and then she accuses Denton of trying to force himself on her. Evelyn needs to move on and Bonham needs to get a divorce. Instead, Evelyn tries to destroy one man’s life and Col. Bonham is very understanding. What’s a false accusation of rape between friends?
This was one of John Wayne’s first starring roles in a major studio production. The film was produced by Columbia, where Harry Cohn did seven films with Wayne before exiling him back to Poverty Row, where Wayne did B-pictures before John Ford finally cast him in Stagecoach. Wayne seems awkward and uncomfortable in much of Arizona. Top-billed Laura La Plante does a better job as Evelyn but the way the film ultimately shrugs off her false accusations just doesn’t feel right.
Arizona is a misfire in the Duke’s early filmography.
