Westerns
This is my project to watch all major westerns, and some not so major, starting with the first sound films. To avoid losing focus, I'll be looking at movies set in the Old West (no modern westerns, therefore), and without fantasy, horror or science fiction elements. Comedies or musicals won't be the focus either, although I'll watch a few.
I have tried to rate them in the context of the time they were made, so for example I won't penalize early talkies for their more theatrical style of acting. Because of this you'll see, for example, that I have given the same rating to the 1929 and 1946 versions of The Virginian, even though the 1946 version is clearly more modern in its cinematic storytelling.
A rating below 5 means that I actively dislike the movie. 5 means reasonably entertaining but nothing more. 7 is a good movie. 8 and 9 are really good movies, and 10 is a masterpiece.
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I have tried to rate them in the context of the time they were made, so for example I won't penalize early talkies for their more theatrical style of acting. Because of this you'll see, for example, that I have given the same rating to the 1929 and 1946 versions of The Virginian, even though the 1946 version is clearly more modern in its cinematic storytelling.
A rating below 5 means that I actively dislike the movie. 5 means reasonably entertaining but nothing more. 7 is a good movie. 8 and 9 are really good movies, and 10 is a masterpiece.
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- DirectorIrving CummingsRaoul WalshStarsEdmund LoweWarner BaxterDorothy BurgessA charming, happy-go-lucky bandit in old Arizona plays cat-and-mouse with the sheriff trying to catch him while he romances a local beauty.Storyline: Army Sergeant Mickey Dunn sets out in pursuit of the Cisco Kid, a notorious if kind-hearted and charismatic bandit of the Old West. The Kid spends much of his loot on Tonia, the woman he loves, not realizing that she is being unfaithful to him in his absence. Soon, with her oblivious paramour off plying his trade, Tonia falls in with Dunn, drawn by the allure of a substantial reward for the Kid's capture -- dead or alive. Together, they concoct a plan to ambush and do away with the Cisco Kid once and for all.
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This has historical interest as the first talking western and the first talking movie with outdoors scenes. You can see in several scenes that the filmmakers were eager to show off the possibilities of the new sound techniques, like when having a group of characters singing or when frying eggs and bacon.
Apart from that, the story itself is interesting, although the action slows down too much in the middle of the movie. We get a lot of flirting and talking, until we get to the unexpectedly harsh twist ending. I have read that the technical limitations of the early sound recording may have resulted in avoiding the kind of action scenes we are used to in later westerns.
The acting, when viewed with modern eyes, is still stilted in a silent-movie kind of way. But there is some charm in this story, and also a sensation of authenticity in some details that come from being filmed close to the actual historical period.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorVictor FlemingStarsGary CooperWalter HustonMary BrianA good-natured cowboy who is romancing the new schoolmarm has a crisis of conscience when he discovers that his best friend is engaged in cattle rustling.Storyline: Molly Wood arrives in a small western town to be the new schoolmarm. The Virginian, foreman on a local ranch, and Steve, his best fiend, soon become rivals for her affection. Steve falls in with bad guys led by Trampas, and the Virginian catches him cattle rustling. As foreman, he must give the order to hang his friend. Trampas gets away, but returns in time for the obligatory climactic shootout in the streets.
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Very early "talkie" western, and Gary Cooper's first sound film, the one that started him as a big star. It follows Owen Wister's classic novel of the same title, although in a more streamlined fashion. All the big moments in the book are here, but the book is a sprawling epic, and in the movie everything is more rushed, including the romance between the foreman and the schoolmarm. In general, there's much more time for character development in the book.
Here, the narrative is always direct and to the point, never losing sight of what needs to come next to get to the end. The scenes are short, in a blunt style that reminds of the silent era rather than of more modern movies, but that's part of the charm when you watch it now, almost a century after it was filmed. Nevertheless, Victor Fleming makes good use of the newfound ability to use dialogue to tell an effective story.
The quality of the prints that have reached us is not perfect, but good enough to appreciate this early western, from just when Hollywood was starting to use synchronized recorded sound.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorRaoul WalshLouis R. LoefflerStarsJohn WayneMarguerite ChurchillEl BrendelBreck Coleman leads hundreds of settlers in covered wagons from the Mississippi River to their destiny out West.Storyline: Breck leads a wagon train of pioneers through Indian attack, storms, deserts, swollen rivers, down cliffs and so on while looking for the murder of a trapper and falling in love with Ruth.
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This epic 1930 western is a feast for the eyes, well ahead of its time in its beautiful cinematography. The high budget allowed plenty of extras and shooting on location, and Raoul Walsh takes full advantage of that fact. The Big Trail just looks better that other talkie westerns of its time. If we wanted a precedent, we would have to look back at the silent western The Covered Wagon, which takes a similar approach in telling the story of the pioneers traveling along the Oregon trail. We could almost call the films semidocumentary, because of how they try to show the full dimension of the journey, giving them an epic quality. But even The Covered Wagon can not match the stunning widescreen cinematography of this film.
Apart from its looks, this film is remarkable for being John Wayne's first starring role. He was so young here that if I hadn't been looking for him I might not have recognized him. Apparently, the director Raoul Walsh was responsible for choosing John Wayne as the young actor's artistic name. This is therefore the start of Wayne's extraordinary career as a western lead actor.
The storytelling and acting is modern too. None of the silent-style acting of other films of the time, which look stilted to modern eyes.
One would have guessed that this film had everything to succeed, but bad luck made it a box-office failure (most theaters were not prepared for widescreen films, and the Great Depression made it impossible to adapt for this film). John Wayne would not star in another major western for almost a decade.
Rating: 9 of 10 - DirectorKing VidorStarsJohnny Mack BrownWallace BeeryKay JohnsonIn this version of the Billy the Kid legend, Billy, after shooting down land baron William Donovan's henchmen for killing Billy's boss, is hunted down and captured by his friend, Sheriff Pat Garrett. He escapes and is on his way to Mexico when Garrett, recapturing him, must decide whether to bring him in or to let him go.Storyline: In this version of the Billy the Kid legend, Billy, after shooting down land baron William Donovan's henchmen for killing Billy's boss, is hunted down and captured by his friend, Sheriff Pat Garrett. He escapes and is on his way to Mexico when Garrett, recapturing him, must decide whether to bring him in or to let him go.
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Another very early talkie western, King Vidor's version of the story of Billy the Kid.
It was a big production, filmed on location. The landscapes look great. Apparently, it was also filmed in widescreen version, but that has unfortunately been lost.
The storytelling is mostly gritty, although interspaced with comic relief scenes with the supporting cast and some singing. I found the combination strange, but it did not prevent me from enjoying the movie.
The two male leads do a good job, although Johnny Mack Brown, who plays Billy the Kid, is not really a kid here, but a grown man. I particularly enjoyed Wallace Beery's performance as an understated, surprisingly good-natured Pat Garrett. Kay Johnson is not given much to do, since the romance is rather routinary
The Kid had a nice badass moment when he lights a cigarette from the collapsed burning rafters of the roof.
Quite entertaining, and without the stilted interpretations that some of the early talkies have.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorWesley RugglesStarsRichard DixIrene DunneEstelle TaylorA newspaper editor settles in an Oklahoma boom town with his reluctant wife at the end of the nineteenth century.Storyline: When the government opens up the Oklahoma territory for settlement, restless Yancey Cravat claims a plot of the free land for himself and moves his family there from Wichita. A newspaperman, lawyer, and just about everything else, Cravat soon becomes a leading citizen of the boom town of Osage. Once the town is established, however, he begins to feel confined once again, and heads for the Cherokee Strip, leaving his family behind. During this and other absences, his wife Sabra must learn to take care of herself and soon becomes prominent in her own right.
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A large, sweeping, ambitious epic. Other westerns show the colonization of the American frontier. This one is not content with that. Throughout the whole life of the characters, it also shows how it became "civilized" and joined the rest of the nation. That this all happens within the same lifetime goes to show how fleeting the Old West was.
The initial part of the movie is spectacular in depicting the Oklahoma land rush of 1889, although it can't compete with the stunning widescreen cinematography of The Big Trail, filmed the year before. But this still does well, taking advantage of its big budget. The same goes for its depiction of the growing boomer town.
The movie does show some dated racial attitudes, both of the time it depicts and also of the times the movie was made. They are not far from each other, since the events depicted go from 1889 to 1930, the year the it was filmed. In some other ways, the movie shows an attitude towards race that is rather progressive for its time.
The acting is occasionally theatrical rather than natural, mainly when it comes to Richard Dix. For me, this is a feature of these early talkies, and it's not really a problem. For Dix's character it even seems appropriate, given how larger than life and flawed he is.
I have to say I have a weakness for movies as ambitious as this one, showing the whole life of the characters. It has some moving moments and it reflects the hopes and beliefs of the time, the way a still young and energetic nation saw itself and its own history. The last part may seem rushed, but that is the price you pay for squeezing so many years of story into two hours. If you can see it in the context of its time, it's a very enjoyable movie. Contemporary audiences agreed, since it was a box office and critical success. It won the Best Picture Oscar. Curiously, it would take 60 years until another western got Best Picture, bypassing the whole golden age of westerns.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorArmand SchaeferStarsJohn WayneNancy ShubertLane ChandlerA man framed for murder escapes prison and goes west, where he joins a gang with the real killer involved.Storyline: Imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, John Brant escapes and ends up out west where, after giving the local lawmen the slip, he joins up with an outlaw gang. Brant finds out that 'Jones', one of the outlaws he has become friends with, committed the murder that Brant was sent up for, but has no knowledge that anyone was ever put in jail for his crime. Willing to forgive and forget, Brant doesn't realize that 'Jones' has not only fallen for the same pretty shopgirl Brant has, but begins to suspect that Brant is not truly an outlaw.
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John Wayne had had a great breakout opportunity with the leading role in The Big Trail. Unfortunately, that expensive production failed at the box office, and after that Wayne spent the decade working on Poverty Row movies, including a good number of B-westerns like this one.
You notice the low budget, and also the short running time, less than an hour. Technically, the movie is not sophisticated, but it does tell a solid story. There's a lot of action and the horse stunts are quite good, better than the fistfights.
It's also another opportunity to see a very young Wayne before he became famous. His physical presence is there, but he still had to learn a lot fo the technique and confidence that made him a legend.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorGeorge StevensStarsBarbara StanwyckPreston FosterMelvyn DouglasA romanticized biography of the famous sharpshooter.Storyline: In a sharpshooting match, the manager of a Cincinnati hotel bets on the fellow who's been supplying the hotel with quail...who turns out to be young Annie Oakley. Result: Annie is hired for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (which is faithfully re-enacted in the film). She's tutored in showmanship by champ Toby Walker. But when Annie wins top billing, professional rivalry conflicts with their growing personal attachment, leading to misunderstanding and separation.
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This very loose biography of the famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley plays like a decent 30s romantic melodrama, rather than a western. The connection with the western genre is of course Buffalo Bill's show, who as the actual old west started vanishing gave easterners a taste of it, in the form of a lavish extravaganza.
Barbara Stanwyck is charming as the talented female sharpshooter, and the two gallants who compete for her affection initially seem like they are going to be villains, but both turn out to be decent people.
Apart from the old style romance, the movie gives you a chance to see a reconstruction of what Buffalo Bill's show might have looked like. Judging by the early pictures and films of the actual show that have survived, they did a reasonable job.
Not much of a western, but a pleasant entertainment.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsGary CooperJean ArthurJames EllisonWild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody attempt to stop an Indian uprising that was started by white gun-runners.Storyline: With the end of the North American Civil War, the manufacturers of repeating rifles find a profitable means of making money selling the weapons to the North American Indians, using the front man John Lattimer to sell the rifles to the Cheyenne. While traveling in a stagecoach with Calamity Jane and William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his young wife Louisa Cody that want to settle down in Hays City managing a hotel, Wild Bill Hickok finds the guide Breezy wounded by arrows and telling that the Indians are attacking a fort using repeating rifles. Hickok meets Gen. George A. Custer that assigns Buffalo Bill to guide a troop with ammunition to help the fort. Meanwhile the Cheyenne kidnap Calamity Jane, forcing Hickok to expose himself to rescue her.
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This Cecil B. DeMille movie has all the trademarks of that director. It's a big and spectacular look at the Old West. Perhaps there's a bit too much emphasis on creating an epic and not enough on telling a good story.
To be clear, I don't mind that it takes so many liberties with historical facts. When I watch a movie I don't necessarily need a history lesson, and I can forgive a movie taking liberties in order to tell a good story.
However, there is little subtlety and emotional weight in the storytelling. In the first half, things happen to move the story along, without necessarily making much sense.
Gary Cooper, not my favorite among the western genre's big stars, is aloof as Wild Bill Hickok. No one can deny his cinematic presence, though. Jean Arthur brings some fun to her role as Calamity Jane. I have seen some reviewers praising her performance, but the problem is, she never seems convincing. Lead actresses of this era were expected to be beautiful, romantic and sensitive, and that's fine when they play a beautiful, romantic and sensitive woman, which is most of the time. But Calamity Jane? Can we buy Jane Arthur as dissolute, unconventional and wild? The script gives her more to do in this movie than most actresses get in westerns of this period, but she still has to spend the movie mooning after a disdainful Gary Cooper to provide the conventional romance.
I feel like I'm being more negative than the movie deserves. It's just the it doesn't always live up to its ambition. Once you accept that you can't take the story too seriously, you can enjoy it as harmless entertainment. In fact, it finds more focus in the second half of the movie, which is quite fine.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorJoseph KaneStarsGene AutrySmiley BurnetteJudith AllenYoung Englishman inherits ranch which he wants to sell, but Gene's gonna turn him into a real westerner instead..Storyline: An English boy visits a ranch he has inherited in the American West. There he is welcomed by the ranch foreman, who had promised his late friend that he would make a real Westerner of his son. However, the boy intends to sell the ranch, which is deeply in debt.
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As part of my western-watching project, I wanted to watch some B-westerns, including one with the original singing-cowboy, Gene Autry. B-westerns were usually around an hour long, or less, and they were projected in theaters as the first part of a double feature, preceding some A-movie. Normally they were not sophisticated stories and looked to please younger viewers.
So, what I found in this one is quite pleasant fluff. Less than an hour long, and featuring several songs and comedy routines, the plot is straightforward and direct. The young English lord arrives dressed like Lord Fauntleroy and despite some initial snottiness quickly turns out to be a nice kid. The foreman (Gene Autry) doesn't have to work much to turn him into a "real Westerner", as he promised the boy's father he'd do. Soon Autry and the youngster are involved in a plan to avoid having to sell the property by turning it into a horse ranch and supplying the army. They have the inept help of the foreman's comic relief sidekick (Smiley Burnette, who is actually better at singing than at comedy... seriously, his was the best song of the movie).
So there's several songs, including some nice country yodeling by Autry, comedy, the unavoidable romance for Autry and a plot involving a rival horse breeder out to sabotage them and win the contract with the army, culminating in a horse race to prove to the officer in charge of supplies whose are the best horses. You can't ask for more in less than an hour.
The comedy is only occasionally funny and the plot is simplistic, but the movie does feature some impressive scenery and skillful horse stunts.
So, not at all a great movie, but I'd say this one accomplishes quite well what it sets out to do as a B-western.
Rating: 5 of 10 - DirectorLesley SelanderStarsWilliam BoydGeorge 'Gabby' HayesRussell HaydenBelle Starr has returned from time in prison only to face a hail of bullets, along with rescue by Hoppy and the Bar 20 gang.Storyline: Belle Starr has just returned from prison to take over her ranch where her foreman Ringo who is rustling cattle. He is after the herd and has planted his man Twister there. When Hoppy finds the cattle stampeded by Twister, he secretly marks them hoping this will lead him to the rustlers and their buyer.
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Seeing that there were few A-westerns in the 30s until the explosion of 1939, I have watched a few B-westerns of that time to see what they were like. This one I chose as representative of the Hopalong Cassidy film series. There were 66 of these films. Just in 1938, seven of them were filmed. When B-westerns phased out in the late 40s, the star William Boyd bought the rights and the films were again successful on TV, spawning a TV show. Hoppy was sure a household name at that time in the US.
So what's the film like? Well, while still clearly being a B-western, it has better production values than most, with gorgeous scenery. This one is 68 minutes long, slightly longer than the typical B-western.
The story is straightforward and filled with action, as expected of these films. There's a lot of shooting. Almost every character got shot at some point. It does get a bit convoluted at the end, but not much. Hoppy is not on screen all the time, but relies on his supporting cast to drive the story forward, unlike other B-western stars of the time.
Not great drama, but a sure way to keep the kids happy at the theater with some cowboy action, while they waited for the main part of the double feature.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorHenry KingIrving CummingsStarsTyrone PowerHenry FondaNancy KellyAfter railroad agents forcibly evict the James family from their family farm, Jesse and Frank turn to banditry for revenge.Storyline: Jesse James and his brother Frank swear revenge on the St. Louis Midland Railroad after a company representative kills their mother. The boys begin robbing rail passengers and soon expand their activities to include banks. However, when some of the gang are killed after a tip-off, Jesse considers going straight.
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Another big factor in the A-western renaissance of 1939. This had a high budget, was filmed in vibrant technicolor and had star power. It was also a big box office success, more so than Stagecoach, for example. It became the third highest-grossing film of the year, behind Gone with the Wind and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It was the first western Fox had made since the advent of the sound era, and its success and popularity convinced the studio to keep making them. To be clear, there were plenty of westerns made in the 30s, but the vast majority were B-westerns by Poverty Row studios. 1939 was the year when the foundation of the Golden Age of the Western was laid, giving the genre critical and aesthetical respectability.
Although there are some spectacular action scenes shot on location, the movie is mostly a character-focused drama. The are not those sweeping panoramas you see in other westerns, and the west depicted here is not as wild.
The cast is strong, and despite Tyrone Power dashing interpretation of the titular character, Henry Fonda often steals the show in his supporting role of Frank James, Jesse's older brother.
It's a romanticized version of the character, with little interest in historical accuracy. Following the Hollywood premier of the picture, Ms. Jo Frances James, a descendant of the film's subjects said, "About the only connection it had with fact is that there once was a man named James, and he did ride a horse."
It's a good movie, with serious themes, although the pace can be a bit uneven with parts where it struggles to keep up the tension. I was interested in the theme of how the outlaw character who was initially sympathetic could be gradually degraded by the violence of the path he had chosen, and I wish it had been explored more.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneClaire TrevorAndy DevineA group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process.Storyline: A simple stagecoach trip is complicated by the fact that Geronimo is on the warpath in the area. The passengers on the coach include a drunken doctor, two women, a bank manager who has taken off with his client's money, and the famous Ringo Kid, among others.
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1939 was a breakthrough year for the western genre, and if there is a single movie that could be pointed as the gamechanger, it's Stagecoach. Its box office success and artistic merit changed the way the genre was perceived and paved the way for the Golden Age of the Western.
John Ford had not directed any westerns since the silent film era, but he sure returned to the genre with a bang.
Stagecoach manages to be at the same time an action-packed thriller and a character study of a group of people locked together in an enclosed space. As far as I know, it's the movie that created what we could call the ark genre, a group of very different characters locked together and forced to cooperate to survive. Through their interactions in that extreme situation, their characters are gradually revealed, in a way that reminded me of a theater play, or of other great movies that would come later, like 12 Angry Men.
Apart from the character study, the scenery is spectacular and the action during the climax of the movie is thrilling, with excellent stunts.
This was also the breakout role for John Wayne, arguably the most legendary actor in the western genre. In 1930, Wayne had had the chace to be the lead in a great western movie, The Big Trail. Although it's an excellent movie, it unfortunately flopped in the box office, and that set the genre back and sent Wayne to a decade-long purgatory in B-list westerns from minor studies with very low budgets. Ford, however, had not forgotten that actor and wanted him for his big return to the genre. The director had to resist very strong pressures from the producers to have Gary Cooper instead, who, unlike Wayne at that time, was a box office draw. Ford would not budge and finally had his way. Wayne would interpret the Ringo Kid in a surprisingly vulnerable and gentle way, well accompanied by Claire Trevor as the prostitute Dallas and a very strong cast. The movie would be a big success and made John Wayne a star.
Rating: 10 of 10 - DirectorLloyd BaconStarsJames CagneyHumphrey BogartRosemary LaneDuring the Oklahoma Land Rush, the lawlessness is exacerbated by the McCord gang's feud with the Kincaids, who are trying to bring law and justice to the region.Storyline: During the Oklahoma Land Rush, McCord's gang robs the stage carrying money to pay Indians for their land, and the notorious outlaw "The Oklahoma Kid" Jim Kincaid takes the money from McCord. McCord stakes a "sooner" claim on land which is to be used for a new town; in exchange for giving it up he gets control of gambling and saloons. When Kincaid's father runs for mayor, McCord incites a mob to lynch the old man whom McCord has already framed for murder.
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You won't find this film on many "best westerns" lists, and it seems to be regarded mostly as an oddity, a rare chance to see Cagney and Bogart in cowboy hats. And I'll admit that it's a simple story and not one of those huge productions with outstanding cinematography (although it uses its outdoors scenes to good effect). However, I was utterly charmed by it. Mostly because of Cagney, who is simply superb.
When you have two all-time great actors, you need to make good use of them, and this movie does. Cagney is full of energy and seems to be having fun with this outlaw with a heart of gold role, and making us have fun with him. With his interpretation, he elevates this film. Bogart, in a supporting role, is humorless, cold and evil. He is not given as much to do as Cagney, but he has great presence whenever he is on screen. They may not be in their typical gangster roles, but the Old West setting allows them to do their thing. Only with horses. And cowboy hats.
We do get an Oklahoma land rush scene, certainly not as spectacular as the one we got eight years previously in Cimarron, and some nice stunts when Cagney (or his double) is riding a horse through the desolated hills in pursuit of a stagecoach. We also see him singing, and not that badly, and even singing a lullaby to a baby in Spanish. Unusually for a classic western, he also gives a speech calling the "purchase" of Indian lands a theft.
The story was simple but quite nice, with family ties between the characters to make it poignant and a fight for the soul of a new city, between those who believe in law and order and those like Bogart's character who can only thrive in corruption and degradation. With Cagney, as the Oklahoma Kid, in the middle, certainly not evil but too anarchic and cynical to be on the side of law and order.
All in all, this was not such a great movie, but it was so much fun and had such good pacing and energy that I loved it.
Rating: 9 of 10 - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandAnn SheridanA Texas cattle agent witnesses first hand, the brutal lawlessness of Dodge City and takes the job of sheriff to clean the town up.Storyline: In 1866, Kansas, the American civil war has just finished and the armies disbanded. The building of the West begins, and in 1872, the new city of Dodge City is ruled by violence and shootings. The Irishman Wade Hatton is a man adapted to these days and presently is conducting a group of pioneers, including Abbie Irving and her reckless brother, to Dodge City. Once in the city, Wade is invited to be the local sheriff, and an incident makes him accept the position. He tries to clean up the cattle town, ruled by the powerful outlaw Jeff Surrett and his gang, with the support of the decent local people.
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Not to be outdone by other studios making A-list westerns in 1939, Warner Bros gave it the complete Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland treatment in Technicolor. It was another box office success, the biggest hit of the year for the studio.
The worst thing that can be said of this movie is that it's rather conventional, with a plot about a cowboy being asked to take the sheriff badge and clean up Dodge City, a violent place in the hands of a vicious businessman.
On the other hand, this movie is a lot of fun to watch, and maintains an excellent pace. Errol Flynn perhaps does not fit the typical image of the Old West hero, being too elegant and aristocratic, but his interpretation worked well, with energy and screen presence.
De Havilland, despite her character's initial hostility towards Flynn's, ends up playing the standard love interest. That doesn't give her much room to shine, but the undeniable chemistry between the two leads is there. Ann Sheridan plays a friskier character and has a couple of good songs, but she gets little screen time after that.
Don't miss the spectacular saloon brawl, that would inspire the similar scene in Blazing Saddles.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsBarbara StanwyckJoel McCreaAkim TamiroffIn 1862, Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads compete westward across the wilderness toward California.Storyline: One of the last bills signed by President Lincoln authorizes pushing the Union Pacific Railroad across the wilderness to California. But financial opportunist Asa Barrows hopes to profit from obstructing it. Chief troubleshooter Jeff Butler has his hands full fighting Barrows' agent, gambler Sid Campeau; Campeau's partner Dick Allen is Jeff's war buddy and rival suitor for engineer's daughter Molly Monahan. Who will survive the effort to push the railroad through at any cost?
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Well, you know Cecil B. DeMille. He liked making big, sweeping, spectacular movies. He wanted to create epics, sparing no expense, and get lots of people watching them in theaters. But I had this prejudice that going for a broad appeal made his movies a bit trite. In that sense, I'm happy to say that Union Pacific exceeded my expectations in a way that The Plainsman did not.
The movie starts similar to The Plainsman, in Washington after the Civil War, with politicians turning their eyes to the West, in this case to the railroad destined to join the two coasts. The purpose of these scenes, of course, is to emphasize the historical importance of the story. DeMille is creating an epic narrative here, subscribing to the notion os Manifest Destiny exactly like he did in the Plainsman.
Then we are introduced to the main characters, and still it seems like this is going to go the same way of The Plainsman, where there was a certain lack of narrative focus, because of trying to include too much material in the story. As this movie goes on, however, it finds its focus, and manages to combine spectacular action with a focused character-driven story.
We do get a feeling of the epic and historical narrative DeMille is going for, but we also get some pathos in the characters' stories, with two friends that find themselves fighting on different sides of the conflict, and at the same time competing for the love of the same woman. Don't miss scenes like the tense showdown after the robbery.
Once you get over her exaggerated Irish accent, Barbara Stanwyck is excellent, feminine following the standards of her time, but far from a helpless damsel. Joel McCrea brings less to the table as the square-jawed hero, although his unexpressive toughness does the job for his role. Robert Preston is quite good in his supporting role, as McCrea's friend now turned crook.
As expected, I was entertained, but I also could get invested in the story in a way that I couldn't with The Plainsman. I have no doubt that, while based on a real epic like the Transcontinental Railroad project, it takes many liberties and completely disregards historical accuracy in order to create dramatism and conflict. But I know that and I accept it as long as the story is worth it. And this one is.
Rating: 9 of 10 - DirectorJohn FordStarsClaudette ColbertHenry FondaEdna May OliverNewlyweds Gil and Lana Martin try to establish a farm in the Mohawk Valley but are menaced by Indians and Tories as the Revolutionary War begins.Storyline: In Revolutionary America, Gil Martin takes his new wife Lana back to his farm in upstate New York. The area is remote and a distance from the fort but they are happy living in their one room cabin. With the declaration of independence, the settlers soon find themselves at war with the British and their Indian allies. Their farm is burned out and the Martins take work with Sarah McKlennar. The war continues however as the Martins try to make a new life.
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John Ford was a busy bee in 1939, directing three big films. This one is not groundbreaking like Stagecoach, but it's a solid pioneer tale, filmed in technicolor.
Ford is in All-American mythmaking mode, as this is an homage to the pioneers who colonized the country and to those who fought for its independence from England. In the year the movie was made, of course, World War II was starting. The USA would not enter the war for another couple of years, but it was a time of great uncertainty and foreboding of war, and messages of patriotic affirmation like this were well received by the audience.
As a pioneer tale, there are the usual Ford themes of the building of a new community and the taming of the frontier, but this is also a war film. It's a war film to a greater extent than I was expecting, and I think it's a weakness that Ford didn't really decide what kind of story he wanted. Personally, I believe the story might have been better with more focus on the new community being made and the family saga. The extended war scenes, as the valley was repeatedly attacked by Indians allied with the British, feel like an easy way to add tension.
Anyway, this is the story that Ford chose to tell, and it's not a bad story at all. Of course, from our modern point of view, we notice that the Indian perspective is never addressed in a realistic manner. As most classic westerns, this film is interested in the story of the pioneers, and in their hopes and aspirations that resulted in the building of a great nation, not in the original inhabitants who were victims of the colonization process. So here the Indians are seen externally, as a threat to the survival of the community whose story Ford is telling.
Like in a family saga, we follow the newlywed couple through the hardships of pioneer life, complicated by intermittent war. It never quite becomes a saga because the focus turns on the war story. There are some sentimental elements in the story that I personally enjoy, but other people may not.
This is also the story of how people adapted to the pioneer life, particularly Claudette Colbert's character, who initially was like a fish out of water and later is the one lending strength to her husband. Henry Fonda is fine as the young pioneer, and Edna May Oliver is memorable as the gruff, warlike old widow who befriends the couple.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorWilliam A. SeiterStarsClaire TrevorJohn WayneGeorge SandersIn 1759, in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Valley, local settlers and Indian fighters try to persuade the British authorities to ban the trading of alcohol and arms with the marauding Indians.Storyline: In 1759, in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Valley, local settlers try to persuade the British authorities to ban the trading of alcohol and arms with the marauding Indians. When that does not produce results, they take matters into their own hands.
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After the success of Stagecoach, John Wayne and Claire Trevor would appear together in other two movies, this one and Dark Command (1940). Of the three, this one is the lesser, but it's still an entertaining frontier tale in Colonial America.
Movies about the pioneers seem to have been popular at the time (this opened only 6 days after Drums Along the Mohawk, and soon afterwards we'd have Northwest Passage), probably for patriotic reasons given the possibility of the US being involved in a World War.
It's a chance of seeing John Wayne wearing a coonskin cap. He is fine as the leader of the settlers, with a lot of presence but still growing into his screen persona. Claire Trevor's character was a bit annoying as the firebrand brat, but it's the script's fault, not hers.
Apparently, the movie is more closely based on real events than other similar productions, although obviously it will take liberties for dramatic reasons. It's not a great movie, but it's a perfectly adequate historical adventure, fast paced and entertaining.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorGeorge MarshallStarsMarlene DietrichJames StewartMischa AuerDeputy sheriff Destry tames the town of Bottle Neck, including saloon singer Frenchy.Storyline: Kent, the unscrupulous boss of Bottleneck has Sheriff Keogh killed when he asks one too many questions about a rigged poker game that gives Kent a stranglehold over the local cattle rangers. The mayor, who is in cahoots with Kent appoints the town drunk, Washington Dimsdale, as the new sheriff assuming that he'll be easy to control. But what the mayor doesn't know is that Dimsdale was a deputy under famous lawman, Tom Destry, and is able to call upon the equally formidable Tom Destry Jr to be his deputy. Featuring a career reviving performance from Marlene Dietrich as bar singer Frenchie, which could well have been the inspiration for Madeline Kahn's "Blazing Saddles" character, Lili Von Schtupp.
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1939 gave us an unprecedented number of great westerns, and perhaps this is the second best remembered (after John Ford's Stagecoach, of course).
After the murder of the previous sheriff, the son of a famous gunfighter is called to be sheriff deputy. The son, however, has his own way of doing things. He arrives in the stagecoach carrying a parasol and a canary bird (which in fairness were not his), is unarmed and orders a glass of milk in the saloon, amidst general mockery. He declares that he doesn't believe in using guns. This pleases the powerful people who control the town, but eventually we find out that this Destry is no pushover.
The movie is well made, and it features memorable interpretations from James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich. Stewart plays the aw-chucks pacifist deputy with an iron will, while Dietrich completely steals the show as the rowdy saloon singer.
It's one of those films that is half spoof and half serious, and I have to admit that this style is not my personal favorite. Nevertheless, this was quite pleasant to watch and included several good Dietrich songs and other fun moments.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorKing VidorJack ConwayW.S. Van DykeStarsSpencer TracyRobert YoungWalter BrennanLangdon Towne and Hunk Marriner join Major Rogers' Rangers as they wipe out an Indian village. They set out for Fort Wentworth, but when they arrive they find no soldiers and none of the supplies they expected.Storyline: Based on the Kenneth Roberts novel of the same name, this film tells the story of two friends who join Rogers' Rangers, as the legendary elite force engages the enemy during the French and Indian War. The film focuses on their famous raid at Fort St. Francis and their marches before and after the battle.
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This is a western only in the widest sense of the word, since it's not set in the Old West. It's set in the mid 18th century during the French and Indian War, on what was the frontier then. It can be seen as an adventure movie, although mostly it's a war film. It's also a character study of Major Robert Rogers, very well interpreted by Spencer Tracy, commander of Rogers' Rangers, an American military company of rangers attached to the British Army (this was of course before the War of independence).
The movie is harsh in its military objective (destroying an hostile Indian village) as in its depiction of the epic journey to get there and to get back. And its mostly about the journey, where Rogers pushes his men on a grueling trip through the wilderness, on boats and on foot, through sheer grit and strength of character.
Some reviewers have complained of "too much walking in the woods", but that's the point of the movie, showing how these men pushed themselves through such a harsh journey.
It's filmed in technicolor, and that's a good thing, because this movie needs a good cinematography. The cinematography we get is not perhaps breathtaking, but it's good enough to do the trick and get us into the story.
One complaint I have is that the actors, while dirty and disheveled through all the hardships, never really look like they are starving. Also, the actual battle, while not the climax of the movie, was not done that well, at least if we judge it by modern standards. But it doesn't really matter, because as I said what matters here is the journey and the determination to survive, and that is well depicted.
An intense, harsh, war movie made in 1940 for a nation that was about to get into the biggest war.
Curiously, despite the title, it has nothing to do with searching for the Northern Passage. That was supposed to come in the second part that was never filmed. In fact, in the credits it's called chapter I.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsErrol FlynnMiriam HopkinsRandolph ScottUnion officer Kerry Bradford escapes from Confederate Prison and is sent to Virginia City, Nevada, where he finds out that the former commander of his prison, Vance Irby, is planning to send $5 million in gold to save the Confederacy.Storyline: During the American Civil War, Captain Kerry Bradford escapes from a notorious confederate prison. He and two of his men are sent to Virginia City where Confederate sympathizers are prepared to donate $5 million dollars to the cause of Southern independence. The war is going badly for the Confederacy and money may tip the war in their favor. On the stagecoach to Virginia City, Bradford meets and falls in love with Julia Hayne not realizing that she is one of the conspirators. When he gets to Virginia City, he also runs into Confederate Captain Vance Irby who has been sent to collect and safely deliver the gold.
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This is a follow up (but not a sequel) to Dodge City (1939). That movie had ended with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland's characters leaving for Virginia City. Next year, the director Michael Curtiz and leading actor Errol Flynn are back together to film Virginia City, but the characters are different and de Havilland has been replaced by Miriam Hopkins.
This movie, unlike Dodge City, is in black & white, but it does have stunning cinematography, with exteriors filmed in Painted Desert among other places. I thought it had a very good story, only slightly spoiled by a corny ending. It is a western and also a spy story, with a union agent (Errol Flynn) and a confederate one (Randolph Scott), who have a history together, competing to get the gold that was meant to help the Confederacy maintain the war effort.
Flynn and Scott did a good job. As in Dodge City, Flynn does not completely convince me as a cowboy. He is a bit too refined for that. But he has such a great camera presence that I don't mind. That guy was born to be a movie star. Hopkins is fine, but she is no de Havilland, and her singing scenes in the saloon are just OK. Then we have Bogart as the evil outlaw who is also after the gold. Much as I like Bogart, he is kind of ridiculous here, between that moustache and the weird accent. I liked him much better as a western villain in The Oklahoma Kid, where he was suitably menacing.
All in all, a very entertaining story. That ending could have been polished a bit more, though.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorRaoul WalshStarsClaire TrevorJohn WayneWalter PidgeonIn Kansas during the Civil War, opposing pro-Union and pro-Confederate camps clash and visiting Texan Bob Seton runs afoul of William Cantrell's Raiders.Storyline: When transplanted Texan Bob Seton arrives in Lawrence, Kansas he finds much to like about the place, especially Mary McCloud, daughter of the local banker. Politics is in the air however. It's just prior to the civil war and there is already a sharp division in the Territory as to whether it will remain slave-free. When he gets the opportunity to run for marshal, Seton finds himself running against the respected local schoolteacher, William Cantrell. Not is what it seems however. While acting as the upstanding citizen in public, Cantrell is dangerously ambitious and is prepared to do anything to make his mark, and his fortune, on the Territory. When he loses the race for marshal, he forms a group of raiders who run guns into the territory and rob and terrorize settlers throughout the territory. Eventually donning Confederate uniforms, it is left to Seton and the good citizens of Lawrence to face Cantrell and his raiders in one final clash.
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Ten years after the excellent, but failed at the box office, The Big Trail, Raoul Walsh directs John Wayne again.
This movie is high quality. Excellent cast, good cinematography, good writing, good story, emotional depth, good pacing... It has plenty of action, but also moral dilemmas and character development. It's a treat to watch.
Even though he was good in Stagecoach, this is the first movie where I completely recognize John Wayne, with all the charm and resources that made him a legend of the western genre. He is very well accompanied by a stellar cast. A sign of the good writing is that Claire Trevor is given a lot to work with. She's not just there to look with adoring expression at the men in her life.
This time, Walsh and Wayne found the box office success their work deserved.
Rating: 9 of 10 - DirectorFritz LangStarsHenry FondaGene TierneyJackie CooperFrank James continues to avoid arrest in order to take revenge on the Ford brothers for their murder of his brother Jesse.Storyline: Frank James, the brother of Jesse James, has been laying low, living as a farmer and taking care of Clem, the son of one of the members of the James gang. He gets word that Jesse was killed by Bob and Charlie Ford, he hoped that the law would deal with them but when he learns that the railroad man whom he and Jesse terrorized contracted them to kill Jesse and helped them get off, he goes after them. Clem whom he told to remain on the farm goes with him and when it's impossible for him to do so, Frank has no choice to let him tag along. Now in order to cover their tracks they start telling people that Frank James is dead and that they saw it. Eleanor Stone, a female reporter, who wants to write about it interviews them and they are both taken with each other. But eventually she learns who Frank is from the Pinkerton detective who is tracking them but doesn't turn them in.
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This movie continues just where Jesse James (1939) ended. Jesse is dead, murdered by Robert Ford, but his brother Frank (Henry Fonda) is alive and wants revenge, accompanied by a teenage sidekick.
The movie looks wonderful in technicolor, with stunning scenery. There is a lot of quality in the filmmaking. Henry Fonda is excellent. What cinematic presence. Gene Tierney is very beautiful here, but her role does not offer her many opportunities to distinguish herself.
The script is a bit strange, however, as if it can't decide what to do with Frank James. It presents him at the same time and the noble man who doesn't kill and the man who goes after the murderers of his brother to murder them in turn. Also, his irresponsibility in taking care of Clem does not paint him in a good light. Then we have that mockery of a trial and the way the final showdown ends... It's certainly not how a normal western would do things.
By the way, what stunts they did in the westerns of this time with the horses. I hope they were not hurt.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGary CooperWalter BrennanDoris DavenportJudge Roy Bean, a self-appointed hanging judge in Vinegarroon, Texas, befriends saddle tramp Cole Harden, who opposes Bean's policy against homesteaders.Storyline: Drifter Cole Harden is accused of stealing a horse and faces hanging by self-appointed Judge Roy Bean, but Harden manages to talk his way out of it by claiming to be a friend of stage star Lillie Langtry, with whom the judge is obsessed, even though he has never met her. Tensions rise when Harden comes to the defense of a group of struggling homesteaders who Judge Bean is trying to drive away.
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A classy film directed by William Wyler. It has good cinematography and I particularly enjoyed how good the fire scene looked. Also, the story has a lot of pathos, with the war between cattlemen and farmers and the individual one between Cole Harden and Judge Roy Bean, who are friends but find themselves in different sides of the conflict.
It was successful with the audience and the critics. Walter Brennan is really good as the Judge, in an interpretation that gave him the Oscar for best supporting actor.
While recognizing its good qualities, I have to say that I did not find the friendship between Cooper's and Brennan's characters convincing. The Judge's quirks are exaggerated for comic relief and his actions are rather ugly. Why exactly did Harden become such a good friend of his? That friendship is the heart of the movie so, for all that the dialogues are well-written, I hope the writers had developed that important part of the story better.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandRaymond MasseyIn 1854, Jeb Stuart, George Custer and other graduates from West Point are posted to Kansas to help pacify the territory before railroad construction to Santa Fe can resume.In 1854, freshly graduated from West Point Military Academy, the former classmates and Second Lieutenants, Jeb Stuart and George Custer, find themselves posted to Fort Leavenworth, in dangerous and worn-torn Kansas Territory. Against the backdrop of endless hostilities, Stuart and Custer escort a military freight wagon, and before long, they confront abolitionist John Brown and his renegade crew. A few years later, Stuart and Custer fight against Brown again in the decisive battle at Harper's Ferry, paving the way for the beginning of the American Civil War.
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The third Curtiz/Flynn western is bad history but a grand Golden Age of Hollywood story. Errol Flynn is full of charm and energy, escorted by his two usual comic sidekicks and by Ronald Reagan as his friend and romantic rival. Olivia de Havilland does well with the material she is given, which is not much, as Flynn's tomboyish love interest. Raymond Massey is impressive as John Brown, very convincing as the righteous visionary who is willing to commit any violent act in defense of his worthy cause.
The movie, while taking many liberties with historical details, presents the message that John Brown fought for a just cause (true), that he was also a violent fanatic (true) whose actions escalated the tensions that led to the Civil War (true), and that the Southern States would have ended slavery on its own if given space (very dubious, at least in the short term). It bemoans the Civil War by presenting a bunch of great young military men who graduated together from West Point (artistic license more than history) and who would soon be fighting as enemies in the conflict that would split the nation. It gives a sympathetic, romanticized vision of the South, which causes the movie to be maligned by politically correct modern viewers, for the same reasons as Gone With the Wind.
However, there is much to enjoy here. The cinematography looks great, as long as you watch a decent restored version, it has an excellent cast, a good pace and plenty of action and intrigue.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorFritz LangStarsRobert YoungRandolph ScottDean JaggerWhen Edward Creighton leads the construction of the Western Union to unite East with West, he hires a Western reformed outlaw and a tenderfoot Eastern surveyor.Storyline: While escaping from a heist of a bank, the outlaw Vance Shaw helps Edward Creighton, the chief-engineer of the Western Union that is surveying the Wild West and had had an accident with a horse. In 1861, Vance reforms and is hired to work for the Western Union with the team that is installing the poles and cable from Omaha to Salt Lake City. Vance and the engineer from Harvard Richard Blake flirt with Edward's sister, Sue Creighton and she chooses Vance. However, his past haunts him when the outlaw Jack Slade steals the Western Union cattle disguised as Indians.
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The second of Fritz Lang's three westerns (after "The Return of Frank James" and before "Rancho Notorious").
This is one of those "company" westerns, showing history being made, or at least some version of history, as some big company struggled to connect the East and the West, this time by telegraph.
Within this style, I did enjoy DeMille's Union Pacific (1939) a bit more, although this one is very entertaining and has several things going on for it.
The scenery photography is stunning, taking advantage of the early Technicolor. Also, the central conflict, with a convincing Randolph Scott trying to escape his criminal past and the shadow of his brother, was pleasantly poignant, with a good final shoot-out. The movie has a good pace too, at least in its second half, with plenty of action.
On the minus side, although very competently-made, it is a bit by the numbers, with the usual comical relief characters, ridiculous Indians, and in general few surprises (other reviewers were surprised by the ending, but in this case I was expecting it).
This is certainly quite common in classic westerns, but the romance seems to be included out of duty more than because it's an integral part of the plot.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJohn WayneBetty FieldHarry CareyA mysterious but pleasant stranger arrives in the Missouri hills and befriends a young backwoods girl, which doesn't sit well with her moonshiner fiancé who has vowed to find and kill his own father.Storyline: Young Matt Masters, an Ozark Mountains moonshiner, hates the father he has never seen, who apparently deserted Matt's mother and left her to die. His obsession contributes to the hatred rampant in the mountains. However, the arrival of a stranger, Daniel Howitt, begins to positively affect the mountain people, who learn to shed their hatred under his gentle influence. Still, Matt does not quite trust Howitt...
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More than a western, this is a character-focused literary drama. I say literary because, despite the characters being hillbillies, they speak with a lot of depth.
It's an excellent movie, with glorious scenery filmed in technicolor and a moving story. It has some impressive scenes like the one with the old blind lady having her eyes unveiled after her operation.
John Wayne's first color movie is not a typical role for him, but he does fine. In fact, the whole cast is excellent, filled as it is with character actors and actresses.
Rating: 10 of 10 - DirectorRaoul WalshStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandArthur KennedyA highly fictionalized account of the life of George Armstrong Custer from his arrival at West Point in 1857 to his death at the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876.Storyline: The story of George Armstong Custer from his life at West Point to at the age of 23, the youngest general in the civil war. His romance with Libby Bacon and marriage is the center of the movie. It follows his career as he assumes command of the 7th and lead up to the classic battle of the little big horn with crazy horse.
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One thing you quickly see with these larger-than-life historical early westerns is that the focus is on spectacle, not on historical accuracy.
Once you realize that, this is a really enjoyable spectacle, with Errol Flynn at the top of his game. He is a romantic hero more than a rugged frontier soldier, but he is always so full of vitality and charm that his westerns work. Olivia de Havilland and he represent the glamour of Golden Age Hollywood.
I quite enjoy these ambitious productions that try to tell a big story, in this case going from Custers' days at West Point to the Civil War to the 7th Cavalry, culminating in Little Big Horn. It's not perfect in what it tries to do, perhaps too much silly humor in the first part and a too conventional villain for this kind of movie, but it's close. It's more than 2 hours but doesn't feel too long.
Rating: 9 of 10 - DirectorRay EnrightStarsMarlene DietrichRandolph ScottJohn WayneIn Nome, Alaska, miner Roy Glennister and his partner Dextry, financed by saloon entertainer Cherry Malotte, fight to save their gold claim from crooked commissioner Alexander McNamara.Storyline: In Nome, Alaska, miner Roy Glennister and his partner Dextry, financed by saloon entertainer Cherry Malotte, fight to save their gold claim from crooked commissioner Alexander McNamara.
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This is the fourth time this novel was adapted to film, and there would be one more after it, which goes to show that the story is worthwhile.
The star-studded cast also seems to point in the direction of this being a great movie, but unfortunately it's not quite as good as that. There's something missing. The dialogues are perhaps not as witty as they try to be. Also, be it far from me to judge old movies by the anachronic standards of modern political correctness, but when you see many movies from this time you do get tired of the stereotypical black servants and the no less tropey comical side characters.
Great fist-fight between Randolph Scott and John Wayne, though, and Marlene Dietrich is also good to see, in a role that is rather similar to the one she played in Destry Rides Again a few years before this.
All in all, solid but doesn't take the extra step to become great.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorWilliam C. McGannStarsJohn WayneBinnie BarnesAlbert DekkerDuring the California Gold Rush, Boston pharmacist Tom Craig sets up shop in Sacramento where he clashes with local town crook Britt Dawson.Storyline: Boston pharmacist Tom Craig comes to Sacramento, where he runs afoul of local political boss Britt Dawson, who exacts protection payment from the citizenry. Dawson frames Craig with poisoned medicine, but Craig redeems himself during a Gold Rush epidemic.
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The main novelty here is watching John Wayne in an unusual western role for him, a pharmacist for whom violence is not the first resource, although he is still tough enough. Wayne could give his characters a sort of gentle charm that serves him well here.
Other than that, we get a decent story, entertaining but nothing special.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsHenry FondaDana AndrewsMary Beth HughesWhen a posse captures three men suspected of killing a local farmer, they become strongly divided over whether or not to lynch the men.Storyline: Two drifters are passing through a Western town, when news comes in that a local farmer has been murdered and his cattle stolen. The townspeople, joined by the drifters, form a posse to catch the perpetrators. They find three men in possession of the cattle, and are determined to see justice done on the spot.
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An ensemble cast tragedy, intense and character-based. It reminded me in some ways of 12 Angry Men, although that movie would be made 15 years later, because this has the same high quality and powerful story.
I felt that perhaps at the end it insisted a bit too much on its message by reading aloud the letter. There was no need, and it could have been handled more subtly, but it's just a minor nitpick. This is truly a masterpiece.
Henry Fonda of course is very good here, as he always is, but he is just one in a bunch of memorable characters.
Rating: 10 of 10 - DirectorHoward HughesHoward HawksStarsJack BuetelThomas MitchellJane RussellWestern legends Pat Garrett, Doc Holliday and Billy the Kid are played against each other over the law and the attentions of vivacious country vixen Rio McDonald.Storyline: Newly appointed sheriff Pat Garrett is pleased when his old friend Doc Holliday arrives in Lincoln, New Mexico on the stage. Doc is trailing his stolen horse, and it is discovered in the possession of Billy the Kid. In a surprising turnaround, Billy and Doc become friends. This causes the friendship between Doc and Pat to cool. The odd relationship between Doc and Billy grows stranger when Doc hides Billy at his girl, Rio's, place after Billy is shot. She falls for Billy, although he treats her very badly. Interaction between these four is played out against an Indian attack before a final showdown reduces the group's number.
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Granted, this production is something of a mess, but not as bad as some reviewers would make you think. At the very least it is entertaining.
Apparently, a big selling point were the risqué sexual situations (suggested rather than shown), mainly between Jack Buetel and Jane Russell's characters. Also, the camera's emphasis on Russell's bust. It all seems much tamer from a modern perspective, but it was scandalous at the time. Also, I'm not at all a fan of looking for homoerotic subtext in every friendship between males, but in this case I won't blame you if you see some of that between Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday. Doc's unexpected friendship towards Billy, Pat Garrett acting like a jealous lover...
The music is also weird at times, too loud and aggressive, and then adding comical sound effects as if this were a comedy, which it isn't. Just weird.
Having said all that, the story is quite entertaining, with badass western heroes and nice exterior shots. It happily disregards history, but that's par for the course in these old westerns. I liked all the actors, even Jack Buetel, who is often criticized for having little range but who seemed to me well-casted as this version of Billy the Kid, with the required beauty, charisma and youth.
I wouldn't call this a good movie, but it's interesting and entertaining.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorCharles VidorStarsRandolph ScottClaire TrevorGlenn FordA wanted outlaw arrives in town to rob a bank that has already been held up! His past and his friendship with the sheriff land them both in trouble.Storyline: Popular mailcoach driver Uncle Willie is in fact in league with the town's crooked banker. They plan to have the bank robbed after emptying it, and when Willie's choice for this doesn't show in time, he gets some local boys to do it. When his man does turn up he decides to stick around, as he is pals with the sheriff and also takes a shine to Willie's daughter Allison. This gives the bad men several new problems.
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This is Columbia's first technicolor feature, and a rather solid western. Not a groundbreaking story, but lively and entertaining. We also get the usual gorgeous scenery and a rather spectacular horse stampede scene.
The actors are good. Randolph Scott looks like he is having fun, and a very young Glenn Ford does a solid job too. The actresses are also given more interesting roles than usual in these classic westerns, and both Claire Trevor and Evelyn Keyes are convincing. The supporting cast is strong too.
It's just fun, a dramatic story told in a light-hearted and entertaining way.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorAlbert S. RogellStarsJohn WayneMartha ScottAlbert DekkerIn 1906, on Oklahoma's Indian lands, a cowboy fights for oil lease rights against a greedy oilman while a pretty schoolteacher steals both men's hearts.Storyline: In 1906, on Oklahoma's Indian lands, a cowboy fights for oil lease rights against a greedy oilman while a pretty schoolteacher turned into romance writer steals both men's hearts.
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This was Republic's most successful picture of 1943, offering solid if unspectacular entertainment.
It is a somewhat unusual western, being set in the early 20th century and featuring an antagonist (played by Albert Dekker) who is a ruthless businessman rather than the conventional evil villain. Dekker represents modernity and Wayne, of course, the more traditional hard moral man.
The two male leads compete for the heart of a romance writer played by Martha Scott, and for the oil rights of the Indian territory, with Wayne representing a much less predatory way of doing business.
Add some humor and lively action scenes and you get a quite enjoyable product, if a bit formulaic.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorEdwin L. MarinStarsJohn WayneElla RainesWard BondRanch hand Rocklin arrives in town to start his new job but his employer has been murdered and the locals don't seem too friendly.Storyline: An experienced ranch hand, Rocklin, arrives in town expecting to start a new job only to find that his prospective employer was shot dead a few weeks before. Also arriving at the same time is a pretty young woman, Clara Cardell, who is about to inherit her uncle's ranch and her domineering aunt, Elizabeth Martin. Rocklin no sooner arrives than he has a run-in with Arly Harolday, owner of a neighboring ranch, a woman who can ride and shoot as well as he does. Rocklin finds that he's not very welcome in town and finds that there are plans to swindle Clara out of her inheritance. There's also an attempt to frame him for murder.
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Yet another fine John Wayne western. He is considered the king of the genre for a reason, after all. At this point (1944) his screen persona is well defined, and he plays it perfectly here. The tough guy, self-sufficient, with morals and occasionally a sensitive moment. That moment when, unarmed, he is driven away from the poker table by a card sharp, only to return a moment later, wearing his revolver... he is absolutely convincing as someone not to be messed with.
It has many of the elements to be expected of these movies, like the comic, trustworthy sidekick (George "Gabby" Hayes), but I found the movie quite enjoyable and different enough from other westerns, with its mystery and suspense element, and the romantic triangle with Wayne, a traditionally sweet young woman (Audrey Long) and a fiery ranch owner (Ella Raines), who occasionally steals the show in a convincing "strong woman" role.
Perhaps the mystery is a bit convoluted, but the script is fast-paced and well-written, and it goes slightly beyond other solid western of that era.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorJoseph KaneStarsJohn WayneVera RalstonWalter BrennanIn 1871 Dakota, two crooked businessmen oppose the local wheat farmers and the railroad development to control the town of Fargo.Storyline: In 1871, professional gambler John Devlin elopes with Sandra "Sandy" Poli, daughter of Marko Poli, an immigrant who has risen to railroad tycoon. Sandy, knowing that the railroad is to be extended into Dakota, plans to use their $20,000 nest egg to buy land options to sell to the railroad at a profit. On the stage trip to Ft. Abercrombie, their fellow passengers are Jim Bender and Bigtree Collins, who practically own the town of Fargo and Devlin is aware that they are prepared to protect the little empire... trying to drive out the farmers by burning their property, destroying their wheat, and blaming the devastation on the Indians. Continuing their journey north on the river aboard the "River Bird', Sandy and John meet Captain Bounce, an irascible old seafarer. Two of Bendender's henchmen, Slagin and Carp, board the boat and relieve John of his $20,000 at gunpoint. Captain Bounce, chasing the robber's dinghy, wrecks his boat on a sandbar. At Fargo, the land wars begin and John teams with the wheat farmers against the Bender gang. Several attempts are made on his life and Collins tries to frame him for murder.
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John Wayne's last film for Republic during the war years is one of his worst westerns, not counting the B-westerns he made during the 30s before his breakthrough with Stagecoach.
The film goes through the motions, but the plot is muddled and the writing lacks inspiration. Wayne is not helped by the rest of the cast. Vera Ralston lacks acting skills. Even Walter Brennan, who other reviewers praise, seemed tiresome to me. His comic relief routine with Nick Stewart received way too much screen time here.
Lackluster and dull, only for John Wayne completists.
Rating: 5 of 10 - DirectorEdwin L. MarinStarsRandolph ScottAnn DvorakEdgar BuchananA sheriff tries to stop homesteader conflicts in the West after the Civil War.Storyline: In the years following the Civil War, the town of Abilene, Kansas is poised on the brink of an explosive confrontation. A line has been drawn down the center of the town where the homesteaders and the cattlemen have come to a very uneasy truce. The delicate peace is inadvertently shattered when a group of new homesteaders lay down their stakes on the cattlemen's side of town, upsetting the delicate balance that had existed thus far and sparking an all-out war between the farmers, who want the land tamed and property lines drawn, and the cowboys, who want the prairies to be open for their cattle to roam.
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Not as great as some other movies about the conflict between homesteaders and cattlemen. Randolph Scott and Ann Dvorak are very fine in the lead roles, but there's too much comedy (see Edgar Buchanan as the bumbling, cowardly sheriff), musical numbers and romance to really build up an epic and poignant tale. Still, this is quite entertaining and fast-paced, making it a pleasant if forgettable experience.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorGeorge SidneyStarsJudy GarlandRay BolgerJohn HodiakOn a train trip West to become a mail-order bride, Susan Bradley (Judy Garland) meets a cheery crew of young women travelling out to open a "Harvey House" restaurant at a remote whistle-stop.Storyline: On a train trip West to become a mail-order bride, Susan Bradley (Judy Garland) meets a cheery crew of young women travelling out to open a "Harvey House" restaurant at a remote whistle-stop.
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This is a MGM musical with Judy Garland, about a bunch of ladies who go west to work as Harvey House waitresses. The owner and the ladies working at the local saloon feel threatened, because supposedly the Harvey house restaurant will turn the town into a civilized place with no need for a saloon.
It's difficult for me to rate this one, because it has nice singing, and for a musical that surely is important, but on the other hand the story is completely nonsensical.
Look, I know, this is a musical, the story is allowed to be silly, but it should be silly in a light-hearted, fun way, and instead the non-musical parts are a bit of a chore to watch. The movie thinks itself funny when it's not, and the romance is unconvincing. He is kind of creepy, in fact.
The whole thing is uninspired, although the songs are nice, particularly "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe", which won the Oscar.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorStuart GilmoreStarsJoel McCreaBrian DonlevySonny TuftsIn Medicine Bow, a newly arrived eastern schoolteacher is courted by two cowpokes but their courtship is interrupted by violent incidents involving local cattle rustlers.Storyline: Arriving at Medicine Bow, eastern schoolteacher Molly Woods meets two cowboys, irresponsible Steve and the "Virginian," who gets off on the wrong foot with her. To add to his troubles, the Virginian finds that his old pal Steve is mixed up with black-hatted Trampas and his rustlers...then finds himself at the head of a posse after said rustlers; and Molly hates the violent side of frontier life.
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Like the 1929 version of the Virginian, this film goes through the highlights of the novel at a brisk pace, resulting in an eventful story but lighter on the character development when compared to the novel.
In just 17 years between the two movies, you can notice the evolution of the craft. Long gone are the mannerisms of the silent era that you could see in the 1929 version, which was a very early talkie. This 1946 version is in technicolor, a bit clean-cut as westerns from this period tended to be, but confident in the storytelling techniques of the medium.
It does not feel like a very big production, even though there are some nice exterior action shots. But there are no majestic sceneries with faraway horizons.
Joel McCrea is not exactly bad in the titular role, but he is always kind of inexpressive, and this role might have benefited from some more dramatic range. The romance is less convincing because of that. Barbara Britton had more of that range and I enjoyed her work as the young schoolteacher Molly Wood. Sonny Tufts as the Virginian's wayward friend and Brian Donlevy as the black-clad villain Trampas were quite good. In a smaller supporting role, Fay Bainter had some nice scenes interacting with Britton.
The Virginian is a great story, and here you can enjoy it without any time to get bored, but I wouldn't have minded twenty minutes more, allowing for some respite from the action.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorJacques TourneurStarsDana AndrewsBrian DonlevySusan HaywardBusinessman Logan Stuart is torn between his love of two very different women in 1850's Oregon and his loyalty to a compulsive gambler friend who goes over the line.Storyline: In 1856, backwoods businessman Logan Stuart escorts Lucy Overmire, his friend's fiancée, back home to remote Jacksonville, Oregon; in the course of the hard journey, Lucy is attracted to Logan, whose heart seems to belong to another. Once arrived in Jacksonville, a welter of subplots involve villains, fair ladies, romantic triangles, gambling fever, murder, a cabin-raising, and vigilantism...culminating with an Indian uprising that threatens all the settlers. No canyon in sight.
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What an interesting western, and kind of frustrating too. I enjoyed it, but I respected it more than I enjoyed it. I had the feeling that there might be an even better movie to be had here.
French director Jacques Tourneur tells the story in a matter-of-fact way. He doesn't so much tell the story as let us follow the hero and witness events, accompanied by an ever-present melodramatic soundtrack I could have done without. The movie starts slow, but it speeds up and plenty of stuff happens.
Once you get used to the style, you can enjoy the gorgeous exterior shots (mixed with some studio scenes), but the best thing about the movie is the subtlety in the plotting and characterization. It defies conventions. You see the hero stand up to a lynching mob, only the lynching mob is right and the hero is wrong. You have to wonder if the hero knows that. Does he believe the suspect is innocent or is he just doing it out of some stubborn sense of friendship or fair play? You see the Indians going into a murderous rampage, only they are depicted with some dignity, and have had ample provocation.
You recognize this as a 40's western but at the same time it's done from a different perspective.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaLinda DarnellVictor MatureAfter their cattle are stolen and their brother murdered, the Earp brothers have a score to settle with the Clanton family.Storyline: Wyatt Earp and his brothers Morgan and Virgil ride into Tombstone and leave brother James in charge of their cattle herd. On their return they find their cattle stolen and James dead. Wyatt takes on the job of town marshal, making his brothers deputies, and vows to stay in Tombstone until James' killers are found. He soon runs into the brooding, coughing, hard-drinking Doc Holliday as well as the sullen and vicious Clanton clan.
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The familiar story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and the Clanton clan. Don't expect any historical accuracy here, but that was never the point.
The movie is a treasure of good black and white cinematography by John Ford, his second western of the sound era after The Stagecoach (the third if we count Drums Along the Mohawk). Great scenery, as usual with Ford's westerns. Henry Fonda is great as always, what a screen presence, and Victor Mature is fine as Doc Holiday, giving a suave interpretation. Great action scene with the duel at OK corral.
Despite all the positive things going for it, it is somewhat let down by the unfocused script, which despite some good one-liners doesn't do itself a favor by spending so much time on the Doc Holiday's romances. Linda Darnell is just a bit too much of a classic Hollywood diva to be convincing as a rugged saloon singer, while Cathy Downs is fine in a supporting role as the titular character.
An excellent movie that falls short of greatness.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorClarence BrownStarsGregory PeckJane WymanClaude Jarman Jr.A boy persuades his parents to allow him to adopt a young deer, but what will happen if the deer misbehaves?Storyline: The family of Civil War veteran Penny Baxter, who lives and works on a farm in Florida with his wife, Orry, and their son, Jody. The only surviving child of the family, Jody longs for companionship and unexpectedly finds it in the form of an orphaned fawn. While Penny is supportive of his son's four-legged friend, Orry is not, leading to heartbreaking conflict.
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Calling this a western is pushing it, but it's a pioneer tale, and a classic coming of age movie.
The movie has very good cinematography, and doesn't mind taking its time (it's an hour until the fawn first appears), which I felt was used to good effect in order to develop the characters and establish how they lived.
It's quite sentimental, which I don't mind but some people will dislike. This is not helped by Claude Jarman Jr's occasionally over-emotional performance as the boy Jody.
Also the way the conflict developed was a bit forced, I felt the movie was uplifted by its ending, with a powerful coming of age theme.
Rating: 8 of 10 - DirectorKing VidorOtto BrowerWilliam DieterleStarsJennifer JonesJoseph CottenGregory PeckBeautiful, biracial Pearl Chavez becomes the ward of her dead father's first love and finds herself torn between two brothers, one good and the other bad.Storyline: When her father is hanged for shooting his wife and her lover, the biracial Pearl Chavez goes to live with distant relatives in Texas. Welcomed by Laura Belle and her elder lawyer son Jesse, she meets with hostility from the ranch-owner himself, wheelchair-bound Senator Jackson McCanles, and with lustful interest from demonizing, unruly younger son Lewt. Almost at once, already existing family tensions are exacerbated by her presence and the way she is physically drawn to Lewt.
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It's difficult for me to rate this remarkable David O. Selznick production. A very good cast, a high budget, an intense family drama... it should have resulted in a better movie than this. Nevertheless, it is a great spectacle. It's over the top and excessive, but never boring.
The sensuality of the film was quite scandalous for the time (it was nicknamed "Lust in the Dust"). The torrid, tortured romance between Pearl (Jennifer Jones) and Lewt (Gregory Peck) is interesting because you don't see many characters like Pearl in classic westerns. She wants to be good, but she is weak and can't resist the evil man. It's disconcerting to see Peck playing such a despicable character, with no principles nor scruples. He is half a rapist and only misses the other half because of how willingly she ends up falling into his arms once and again.
Great supporting cast, starting with Lionel Barrymore as the formidable but unlikable patriarch.
There is little subtlety in this film. It could perhaps have used some better editing. It is excessive, but also memorable, with some good visuals and an unexpected final scene.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorJames Edward GrantStarsJohn WayneGail RussellHarry CareyQuirt Evans, an all round bad guy, is nursed back to health and sought after by Penelope Worth, a Quaker girl. He eventually finds himself having to choose between his world and the world Penelope lives in.Storyline: An injured gunfighter is nursed back to health by a Quaker girl and her family, whose way of life influences him and his violent ways.
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The setup is similar to the Harrison Ford movie Witness, which would be made four decades later. Here, however, the worldly man who falls in love with a Quaker girl is not a law enforcement officer, but a gunfighter more likely to break the law than to respect it.
Witness is a better movie, but this one, despite the insta-love between the two leads, turned out to be a quite charming western romance, with some witty dialogues and chemistry between
John Wayne and Gail Russell, who are both convincing in their roles.
Add some beautiful black and white photography taking place in Sedona and Monument Valley, and a few action scenes to balance the romantic ones, and you get a movie that is quite pleasant, without being great.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorAndré De TothStarsJoel McCreaVeronica LakeDon DeForeViolent feud between Connie Dickason, the owner of the Circle 66 ranch and rancher Frank Ivey, the self-proclaimed boss of an otherwise public grazing land.Storyline: A cattle-vs.-sheepman feud loses Connie Dickason her fiance, but gains her his ranch, which she determines to run alone in opposition to Frank Ivey, "boss" of the valley, whom her father Ben wanted her to marry. She hires recovering alcoholic Dave Nash as foreman and a crew of Ivey's enemies. Ivey fights back with violence and destruction, but Dave is determined to counter him legally... a feeling not shared by his associates. Connie's boast that, as a woman, she doesn't need guns proves justified, but plenty of gunplay results.
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Some reviewers complain of a slow pace, but that wasn't my impression. The story is told in a straightforward, understated manner, trusting the audience to connect the dots and not wasting thirty seconds on a scene if it can be done in ten. It moves at a good pace most of the time, even though, at the end, the payoff is a bit easy and conventional. Because of that, it turns out not to be as good as it promised during the first part, when there was plenty of tension and psychological work.
The unusual setup is a strong point, subverting the trope of the beautiful lady rancher harassed by the evil local despots who want to run her out of her ranch. In this case, the lady rancher is as evil and petty as them. She boasts "From now on, I'm going to make a life of my own. And, being a woman, I won't have to use guns." She may not use them personally, but plenty of men are going to die because of her war, which is more a vanity project than really necessary for her to live her life.
I'm not a big fan of McCrea or Lake, but they are helped by a capable supporting cast.
I also need to mention the stunning scenery, shot in black and white. The camera doesn't linger in it often, though. More than the traditional open spaces of a western, here the story is sometimes claustrophobic and dark. It's kind of a hardboiled noir film.
I find it underrated, although it could have stuck the landing better.
Rating: 7 of 10 - DirectorRaoul WalshStarsTeresa WrightRobert MitchumJudith AndersonA boy haunted by nightmares about the night his entire family was murdered is brought up by a neighboring family in the 1880s. He falls for his lovely adoptive sister but his nasty adoptive brother and mysterious uncle want him dead.Storyline: A boy haunted by nightmares about the night his entire family was murdered is brought up by a neighboring family in the 1880s. He falls for his lovely adoptive sister but his nasty adoptive brother and mysterious uncle want him dead.
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Set in the Old West, but it feels like a film noir, with traces of psychological thriller and Shakespearean drama. Only the occasional outdoor backgrounds supplied by New Mexico scenery, in beautiful black and white photography, reminds us this is a western, along with the violence and shootouts.
Melodramatic but intense and memorable, with good performances by the two leads (Mitchum and Wright) and the supporting cast.
Rating: 9 of 10 - DirectorGeorge WaggnerStarsRandolph ScottBarbara BrittonDorothy HartGunfighter Brazos Kane takes a job on a ranch but he is unjustly accused of killing fellow cowhand Bob Tyrell and must clear himself by finding the real killer.Storyline: Trying to put his life as a gunfighter behind him, Brazos Kane goes off to join old pal Bob Tyrell at the Inskip ranch. As Brazos approaches the spread, he hears a gunshot and sees two people riding off. He finds his friend shot dead. He is then unjustly accused of committing the murder, and must clear himself by finding the real killer.
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It tells the story of a gunfighter who wants to leave violence behind, but is forced by circumstances to take up the guns once more. It's a kind of story that has been told many times, and often better.
It's a decent enough western, with competent action scenes. The cinematography is nothing exceptional, although we get a few nice landscapes.
Randolph Scott does his thing and he always has good screen presence. However, the movie is too average, too routine. It lacks the pathos that the story needed. There is too much background music, attempting to provide dramatic depth.
The best quote goes to Sheriff Kincaid: "Remember that badge o' his don't die, it just gets up and comes after ya again, in the shirt pocket of another man."
The romantic element does not get too much focus but it was perhaps the most original part of the story. Barbara Britton and Dorothy Hart play sisters Bess and Jane Banner, the daughters of one of the bad guys, and there are some misunderstandings because of their physical likeliness and their different motivations.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsGary CooperPaulette GoddardHoward Da SilvaIntrepid frontiersman Chris Holden foils the political and personal ambitions of renegade Martin Garth in the Ohio Valley following the French and Indian War.Storyline: In 1763, felon Abby Hale is sentenced to slavery in America. In Virginia, heroic Capt. Holden buys her, intending to free her, but villain Garth foils this plan, and Abby toils at Dave Bone's tavern. Garth is fomenting an Indian uprising to clear the wilderness of settlers, giving him a monopoly of the fur trade. Holden discovers Garth's treachery, but cannot prove anything against him. Can Holden and Abby save Fort Pitt from the Senecas?
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Another Cecil B. DeMille large production, with all that it implies: Filmed in Technicolor, with many extras, colourful costumes and sets, violence, and sensationalism. It's set on the western frontier in the mid-18th century, shortly before the War of Independence, pitting American colonists against Native Americans, spurred on by white agitators who seek to profit from halting the colonization of the west.
Obviously it's targeted to the audience of the time, and has little interest in historical accuracy or in telling things from the perspective of the Indians. The Indians are savages, the pioneers are good, Gary Cooper (as Captain Christopher Holden) is gallant and heroic, and Howard Da Silva (as Martin Garth) is evil beyond redemption.
I'm no big fan of Gary Cooper, who seems rather inexpressive to me, but there's no denying his screen presence. Paulette Goddard is not given much to do for most of the film, only having to look helpless and adorable, meticulously made up despite being dragged through the forest and down a giant waterfall. When she is given something with more depth to do, she does fine, though. Contrary to modern reviewers who can't accept an actor playing a character from a different race, I rather enjoyed a menacing Boris Karloff as the Seneca chief.
As far as Cecil B. DeMille's productions go, this wasn't my favorite. The plot is flimsy, with the hero acting as an agent of the government but unable to confide in the troop commanders on the field, for no convincing reason other than it being required by the plot. Some scenes are a bit cringeworthy if judging by modern standards, and somehow it never really looks like we are actually in the frontier.
Still, it's epic at times, and entertaining.
Rating: 6 of 10 - DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartWalter HustonTim HoltTwo down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.Storyline: Fred C. Dobbs and Bob Curtin, both down on their luck in Tampico, Mexico in 1925, meet up with a grizzled prospector named Howard and decide to join with him in search of gold in the wilds of central Mexico. Through enormous difficulties, they eventually succeed in finding gold, but bandits, the elements, and most especially greed threaten to turn their success into disaster.
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A character study disguised as an adventure story. Slow, oppressive and authentic. You can feel the dirt and the misery.
Great performances from the three leads, particularly Bogart and Walter Huston, who get the more juicy characters.
Well-crafted, this black and white classic would have gained if it had been filmed in widescreen format, since it does not take as much advantage of the landscapes as other westerns. Perhaps it's for the best, though, contributing to the claustrophobic sensation.
Some might find this little masterpiece (comparable to The Ox-Bow Incident, perhaps) too slow, but I thought it had a tight plot and just gave the characters space to take over the show.
Rating: 9 of 10 - DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneHenry FondaShirley TempleAt Fort Apache, an honorable and veteran war captain finds conflict when his regime is placed under the command of a young, glory hungry lieutenant colonel with no respect for the local Indian tribe.Storyline: Deep into the territory of the great Apache chief, Cochise, the demoted Civil War general, Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday, reports for duty as a commanding officer at the remote U.S. cavalry outpost known as Fort Apache, along with his daughter, Philadelphia. There, the arrogant commander will soon lock horns with the realistic and sensible second-in-command, Captain Kirby York, who, as an expert in the local Apaches, disagrees with Thursday who wants to make a name for himself in the Arizona frontier. In the end, is it wise to engage in battle when personal glory is all you seek?
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A very strong cast and a great director elevate what initially seems a a slice-of-life account of life in a frontier fort. There's some comedy, some romance, while the rigid Lt. Col. Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) takes command of the fort, which he considers a demotion, and disregards the advice of men with more experience on the terrain, like Capt. Kirby York (John Wayne). He demands, and obtains, obedience, not debate.
The cinematography is excellent, as you would expect in a John Ford western, and it's a pity it's not shot in widescreen so that we may enjoy the landscapes of Monument Valley even more.
However, it's in the final part of the movie when it becomes impressive. It's one of the first westerns to depict the Indians, the Apaches in this case, with respect, showing the wrongs done to them and their dignity. At the same time, it doesn't strip the U.S. soldiers of dignity, showing how good men have to operate as well as they can within the constraints of rank and social class.
Even the Colonel Thursday, stupid, stubborn and unable to treat the Indians with honor, behaves with personal dignity in the end. Is that enough to erase his flaws? No, but it makes for a more powerful story.
Rating: 9 of 10 - DirectorRay EnrightStarsRandolph ScottMarguerite ChapmanGeorge MacreadyA man is bent on taking revenge on those he believes are responsible for his fiance's death.
- DirectorAlfred E. GreenStarsJoel McCreaFrances DeeCharles BickfordIn New Mexico, a cowpoke forces a banker at gunpoint to give him a loan without collateral in exchange for an IOU, but the marshal and his posse chase after him.
- DirectorHoward HawksArthur RossonStarsJohn WayneMontgomery CliftJoanne DruDunson leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. But his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny, led by his adopted son.
- DirectorNorman FosterStarsLoretta YoungWilliam HoldenRobert MitchumA widowed farmer takes an indentured servant as his new wife, but the arrival of his old friend threatens their burgeoning relationship.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsRobert MitchumBarbara Bel GeddesRobert PrestonUnemployed cowhand Jim Garry is hired by his dishonest friend Tate Riling as muscle in a dispute between homesteaders and cattleman John Lufton.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WaynePedro ArmendárizHarry Carey Jr.Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization.
- DirectorLeslie FentonStarsAlan LaddRobert PrestonBrenda MarshallLegendary railroad detective Whispering Smith becomes convinced that old friend and colleague Murray Sinclair has joined a criminal band to loot the railroad.
- DirectorNorman Z. McLeodStarsBob HopeJane RussellRobert ArmstrongCalamity Jane is dispatched to find out who's smuggling rifles to the Indians, and winds up married to a hapless correspondence-school dentist as part of her cover.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsGregory PeckAnne BaxterRichard WidmarkA pistol-packing tomboy and her grandfather discover a band of bank robbing bandits taking refuge in the neighboring ghost town.
- DirectorHenry LevinStarsGlenn FordWilliam HoldenEllen DrewAt the end of the Civil War, two friends return home to Colorado and one of them has changed and is violent and erratic.
- DirectorSamuel FullerStarsPreston FosterBarbara BrittonJohn IrelandBob Ford murders his best friend Jesse James in order to obtain a pardon that will free him to marry his girlfriend but is plagued by guilt and self-disgust.
- DirectorGordon DouglasStarsRandolph ScottGeorge MacreadyLouise AllbrittonFormer Dalton gang member Bill Doolin puts together his own bank-robbing gang but federal Marshals are closing in.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsJoel McCreaVirginia MayoDorothy MaloneOutlaw Wes McQueen escapes jail to pull a railroad robbery but, upon meeting pretty settler Julie Ann, he wonders about going straight.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneJoanne DruJohn AgarCaptain Nathan Brittles, on the eve of retirement, takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack. Encumbered by women who must be evacuated, Brittles finds his mission imperiled.
- DirectorGeorge WaggnerStarsJohn WayneVera RalstonPhilip DornIn 1818 Alabama, French settlers are pitted against greedy land-grabber Blake Randolph but Kentucky militiaman John Breen, who's smitten with French gal Fleurette De Marchand, comes to the settlers' aid.
- DirectorJohn EnglishStarsGene AutryChampionGloria HenryIn a town virtually owned by Rock McCleary, Ralph Lawson is in jail, framed for murder. Autry arrives to save his friend and win his friend's daughter Anne.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsJoel McCreaEllen DrewDean StockwellIn 1865, the small Southern town of Walsburg has become so dangerous that Parson Josiah Doziah Gray gives his sermons while holding a gun.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsBen JohnsonJoanne DruHarry Carey Jr.Two young drifters guide a Mormon wagon train to the San Juan Valley and encounter cutthroats, Indians, geography, and moral challenges on the journey.
- DirectorEdwin L. MarinStarsRandolph ScottRuth RomanZachary ScottGun salesman Steve Farrell gets two of his new Colt .45 pistols stolen from him by ruthless killer Jason Brett but vows to recover them.
- DirectorGeorge SidneyBusby BerkeleyStarsBetty HuttonHoward KeelLouis CalhernThe story of the great sharpshooter Annie Oakley, who rose to fame while dealing with her love/professional rival, Frank Butler.
- DirectorHenry KingStarsGregory PeckHelen WestcottMillard MitchellNotorious gunfighter Jimmy Ringo rides into town to find his true love, who doesn't want to see him. He hasn't come looking for trouble, but trouble finds him around every corner.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsJames StewartShelley WintersDan DuryeaA cowboy's obsession with a stolen rifle leads to a bullet-ridden odyssey through the American West.
- DirectorDelmer DavesStarsJames StewartJeff ChandlerDebra PagetTom Jeffords tries to make peace between settlers and Apaches in Arizona territory.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsBarbara StanwyckWendell CoreyWalter HustonA firebrand heiress clashes with her tyrannical father, a cattle rancher who fancies himself a Napoleon, but their relationship turns ugly only when he finds himself a new woman.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsRobert TaylorLouis CalhernPaula RaymondAfter the Civil War, a highly decorated Shoshone Indian veteran plans to raise cattle in Wyoming but white farmers plan to grab fertile tribal lands by pitting the whites against the Indians.
- DirectorHugo FregoneseStarsJoel McCreaWanda HendrixJohn RussellA saddle tramp unexpectedly becomes foster parent to four children for whom he provides by working on a ranch that's embroiled in a feud with another ranch and cattle rustlers.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneMaureen O'HaraBen JohnsonA cavalry officer posted on the Rio Grande is confronted with murderous raiding Apaches, a son who's a risk-taking recruit and his wife from whom he has been separated for many years.
- DirectorWilliam KeighleyStarsErrol FlynnPatrice WymoreScott ForbesIn California during the Civil War, a Confederate patrol and a Union troop must set their differences aside in order to survive a Shoshone attack.
- DirectorRichard ThorpeStarsBurt LancasterRobert WalkerJoanne DruThe sons of a Colorado cattle baron, one biological and the other adopted, resent one another and fight for control of their father's cattle empire.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsTyrone PowerSusan HaywardHugh MarloweA stagecoach stop employee and a stranded woman traveller find themselves at the mercy of four desperate outlaws intent on robbing the next day's gold shipment.
- DirectorGordon DouglasStarsGregory PeckBarbara PaytonWard BondA despised cavalry commander is unfairly blamed by his troop for the death of a popular officer and must redeem himself in front of his men during an Indian attack on the fort.
- DirectorCharles Marquis WarrenStarsLloyd BridgesJohn IrelandMarie WindsorA small band of cavalry attempt to warn Custer of an impending massacre. Friction develops when commander of the patrol suspects his subordinate of having an affair with his wife.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsClark GableRicardo MontalbanJohn HodiakTrapper Flint Mitchell and other mountain men from the Rendezvous join forces to enter virgin trapping territory but must contend with a resentful Blackfoot chief.
- DirectorAndré De TothStarsRandolph ScottJoan LeslieEllen DrewA private deadly feud ensues when ruthless wealthy rancher Will Isham attempts a takeover of small rancher Owen Merritt's land and marries Owen's old flame, Laurie Bidwell.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsRobert TaylorDenise DarcelHope EmersonA trail guide escorts a group of women from Chicago to California to marry men that have recently begun settling there.
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsGary CooperMari AldonRichard WebbAfter destroying a Seminole fort, American soldiers and their rescued companions must face the dangerous Everglades and hostile Indians in order to reach safety.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsJames StewartRock HudsonArthur KennedyWhen a town boss confiscates homesteaders' supplies after gold is discovered nearby, a tough cowboy risks his life to try and get it to them.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsMarlene DietrichArthur KennedyMel FerrerAfter the murder of his fiancée, a Wyoming ranch hand sets out to find her killer.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsKirk DouglasDewey MartinElizabeth ThreattThe success of the journey focuses on keeping the Indian girl alive as well as themselves to complete trade with the Blackfeet.
- DirectorDon SiegelStarsAudie MurphyFaith DomergueStephen McNallyMarshal Tyrone and the Silver Kid form an uneasy alliance against a gang of claim jumpers.
- DirectorAndré De TothStarsGary CooperPhyllis ThaxterDavid BrianMajor Lex Kearney becomes the North's first counterespionage agent as he tries to discover who's behind the theft of Union cavalry horses in Colorado during the Civil War.
- DirectorRoy HugginsStarsRandolph ScottDonna ReedClaude Jarman Jr.A Confederate Major and his troops are falsely led to believe the Civil War is not over, and become wanted men after they attack a Union Army wagon train in Nevada.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsJames StewartJanet LeighRobert RyanA bounty hunter trying to bring a murderer to justice is forced to accept the help of two less-than-trustworthy strangers.
- DirectorGeorge ShermanStarsJoel McCreaBarbara HaleAlex NicolIn 1870, widowed farmer Zachary Hallock secretly joins a group of outlaws as a solution to his money problems.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsAlan LaddJean ArthurVan HeflinA weary gunfighter in 1880s Wyoming begins to envision a quieter life after befriending a homestead family with a young son who idolizes him, but a smoldering range war forces him to act.
- DirectorJerry HopperStarsCharlton HestonRhonda FlemingJan SterlingBuffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickock work to establish the Pony Express and fight Indians and California Separatists who seek to destroy it.
- DirectorBudd BoetticherStarsGlenn FordJulie AdamsChill WillsDuring the Alamo siege, John Stroud is sent to Ox Bow to protect the townsfolk but, following a massacre, he infiltrates Jess Wade's gang of turncoat renegades supporting the Mexicans.
- DirectorDavid ButlerStarsDoris DayHoward KeelAllyn Ann McLerieThe story of Calamity Jane, her saloon, and her romance with Wild Bill Hickok.
- DirectorJohn FarrowStarsJohn WayneGeraldine PageWard BondArmy dispatch rider Hondo Lane discovers a woman and young son living in the midst of warring Apaches and becomes their protector.
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsWilliam HoldenEleanor ParkerJohn ForsytheDuring the Civil War, a group of Confederates escapes from the Union POW camp at Fort Bravo but has to contend with the desert, the Mescalero Apaches and the pursuing Union troops.