herbert j. yates of republic picture must have get a tidy sum from paramount for the use of his number one star for his first technicolor feature film . shepherd of the hill be the first film in which john wayne work with director henry hathaway . they do not work together again for another 19 year and then in the sixty do four film culminate with wayne oscar win performance in true grit . in fact hathaway have direct the first outdoor technicolor film in the same ozark area for paramount five year earlier in the trail of the lonesome pine . you think of this area of the country and you either think of the comic character of the beverly hillbilly or the inbred freak of deliverance . in both film hathaway avoids those stereotype and he create character of dignity and strength . john wayne be matt matthew whose father leave his mother before she be bear and she die leave him to be raise by his aunt beulah bondi . bondi a bitter old woman who fill the duke head with evil thought about his father . a stranger come to their valley and have a lot of money and buy a piece of property from the matthew clan and settle there . harry carey win over most of the people there with several act of kindness and charity . he especially make a big fan of betty field who a hankerin after the duke . carey get a past secret and i think if you read the review you can figure out what it be without me be explicit . but all be reveal in the end and it worth the wait . wayne and carey have a great chemistry between them because next to john ford and harry carey be probably the single big influence in create a star name john wayne from a usc football player name marion michael morrison who earn some extra money work a a prop man on silent movie set . the same rapport between them be also carry over to the angel and the badman which wayne produce himself . shepherd of the hill be a good film about some simple people with some great performance by the entire cast .