Texas
Tags: romantic, murder

Plot synopsis:
Two Confederate veterans, broke and homeless, are making their way to Texas to start fresh. After comedic adventures getting into and out of trouble, just trying to make enough move to get to Texas, they witness a stagecoach robbery and manage to hold up the outlaws and take back the cash. At that point they have a difference of opinion; the "good" one Tod Ramsey (Glenn Ford) wants to give it back, the "bad" one Dan Thomas (William Holden) wants to keep it and keep going. Goodness wins out, and both are off the hook.
Tod takes a job with the biggest local rancher (who has a beautiful and friendly daughter, "Mike" King (Claire Trevor). Dan stumbles into a different kind of job—with another rancher who specializes in rustling. They both have heads turned by the lovely lady and the battle of good and evil continues. The key to the action is the need to get the entire town/valley's cattle past all the rustlers up to the railroad at Abilene.
Dan is falsely accused of taking a shot at Tod, but he is dragged by cattle, then shot by Doc Thorpe, the town's dentist. Tod shields Mike's eyes from the sight of the body. Ultimately, the two of them end up back herding cattle together.

Review: Two young cowpokes played by William Holden and Glenn Ford in their youth are trying to make their way to Texas.
Of course when the sheriff finds Ford with the loot, Holden has to rescue him from a lynching.
In eluding the posse the two go their separate ways and thereby hangs a tale.This was the first of two films Holden and Ford made together, the second being The Man from Colorado after World War II.
So Holden was under contract to two major studios at the same time.Ironically enough Glenn Ford in the late Forties had half of his contract purchased by MGM when Harry Cohn sold it.
These are the only two stars whoever had such an unusual arrangement.It is also the first time Glenn Ford worked with Director George Marshall although it would take another 17 years for them to reunite in The Sheepman.
After that the two of them did a whole string of successful comedies together.There's is some humor in Texas, but the accent here is on action which comes pretty fast and furious.
He's also trying to impress Claire Trevor the rancher's daughter who Holden also is interested in.Texas has a trio of villains in George Bancroft, Addison Richards and Edgar Buchanan.
His folksy demeanor masks some serious scheming in this film, the first of many reprobates he played in the movies although most of them were not as seriously villainous as here.Glenn Ford and Edgar Buchanan hit it off very well.
They worked in about a dozen films together and in Ford's television series Cade's County.Texas is a good western and it's a pleasure to watch two young screen immortals in their beginning days..
I would never have rented this when I saw it at the video store if not that I could not resist the temptation of seeing BOTH William Holden and Glenn Ford at only about 23 years old (you almost can't recognize them at first) rounded out by Claire Trevor, and even then I actually put it back on the shelf before changing my mind.
No doubt it was an early, typically cheesy B-western whose only merit was that it happened to include together two young actors who would eventually become quite famous.
Any film maker looking to do a western revival which would entertain audiences today would do well to remake this picture.
In this entertaining western which did not age you can see a fantastic comic fight between Holden and Dutch Henry that will make anyone laugh.
There is a great performance of Edgar Buchanan as Doc Thorpe, a dentist who is comic and seems harmless, and comes out incredibly well in a musical number "Buffalo Girls".
Also a young Glenn Ford already showing the qualities that would make him a great star.
But the main character is really Holden with a magnificent performance as a man who has trouble in making the right moral choices.
Glenn Ford and William Holden, both young and superb..
Glenn Ford and William Holden are in top form even at the start of their great careers.
Edgar Buchanan is the consummate character actor in his usual role as a shady...fill in the blank...dentist.
His voice and facial expressions could make putting on his shoes look shady.Texas is great all around fun and has an ending with a moral.
It's 1866, Abilene, Kansas and we are in the company of Dan Thomas {William Holden} and Tod Ramsey {Glen Ford}, two pals who served in the Confederacy together.
So along with the arrival in town of shady railroad magnate Windy Miller {George Bancroft} and the crooked dealings of dentist Buford Ford {Edgar Buchanan} starting to influence matters; the boys will do well to come out of it all still as friends.Texas is directed by George Marshall {with Norman Deming assisting} and the three writing credits go to Michael Blankfort, Lewis Meltzer & Horace McCoy. It's a briskly paced black & white action Western that's not short on laughs either.
In Holden and Ford it showcases two Hollywood big hitters in their fresh faced early days, with Holden pretty much unrecognisable.
A Fine Western Comedy from George Marshall.
Other reviewers have spoken of the pleasures of seeing William Holden and Glenn Ford at age 23, both so young as to be almost unrecognizable; and Claire Trevor, too and Edgar Buchanan as a dentist -- he was one in real life, before he turned to acting.But I think a lot of credit is due to the director, George Marshall.
The comedy sequences are wonderfully directed, especially the boxing match.So, while you're enjoying the acting, remember that the funny broad comedy comes from the mind of the director..
This is a very good western with two great up and coming actors at that time.
Glen Ford and William Holden really shined in this movie and it paid off good for both of them.This was Fords 9th film and Holden's 6th, but you could never tell it by their acting.
The cast is rounded out with the great actor Edgar Buchanan playing the bad guy, I know it's hard to hate a man like Buchanan.This is NOT a B cowboy movie, far from it.
Ford and Holden play well off each other, so well in fact it wasn't long before Hollywood teamed them up again in another western "The Man From Colorado".So if your looking for a very good western with a great cast that has plenty of action along with some humor and love, you can't go wrong with this movie..
After all, it isn't some obscure B-western but rather an almost "A" production with two rising young stars, (William Holden and Glenn Ford, plus Claire Trevor), and a respected director, George Marshall.
Perhaps the fact that it's in b&w has unjustly relegated it to near-obscurity.Those who seek it out, however, will be rewarded by an engaging plot which has some interesting twists and turns, by some snappy dialog -- particularly in the first meeting between Holden and Trevor -- and by a host of good supporting players, such as Edgar Buchanan who plays a devious dentist.For fans of "beefcake," there's an early prizefight sequence in which a shirtless Holden battles the local champ in a bare-knuckle marathon.
Only about 22 or 23 years old at the time, Holden's physique hadn't yet reached the maturity displayed in his later films, (most notably "Picnic"), but his bare chest, (shaved of the hair displayed earlier in "Golden Boy"),is still quite pleasing to the eye.
If only the scene could be re-written so that Holden would have been matched against a stripped-to-the-waist Glenn Ford.
Quite enjoyable western fare with two young superstars to be.William Holden and Glenn Ford are two young cowpokes making their way to Texas and competing for the same girl,played by Claire Trevor.
Good support by veterans George Bancroft and Edgar Buchanan makes this a western worth watching.
Director George Marshall blends humor and drama the same way he did in his masterpiece DestryRides Again.Although Texas isn't in the same league as his previous masterpiece it is a damn good western.The west does really look wild and untamed in his movies..
The more films I watch by George Marshall, the more impressed I am.
He directed the funniest W.C. Fields film, "Never Give A Sucker an Even Break," the funniest Bob Hope movie, "Monsieur Beaucaire," and the funniest Jimmy Stewart movie, "Destry Rides Again." He is right up there with Howard Hawks for knowing how to blend comedy and action.This film contains two scenes that should be considered classics.
The second scene is the meeting of William Holden and Claire Trevor.
At the end, she gets her dress caught, falls and screams, "The blankety-blank dress!"Holden, his sidekick partner, Glenn Ford, and eventual love interest Trevor are all excellent, George Raft is fine as a wealthy windbag, however it is Edgar Buchanan who steals the show as a conniving Dentist.
Buchanan guest starred on just about every television Western in the 1950's and starred in the long running 1960's television series "Petticoat Junction." He always had excellent comic timing.
Holden and Ford may be the stars, but the film belongs to director Marshall and the incomparable Edgar Buchanan.
Marshall started out directing comedy shorts and it shows up here in several memorable scenes.
What a marvelous actor he was as he transitions here from musical performer to shifty-eyed mastermind.It's a good story if a bit shopworn—two buddies (Ford & Holden) falling on opposite sides of the law while competing for the same girl (Trevor).
Holden gets the majority screen time, while the always low-key Ford is even more so than usual.
The character of the dentist is a joy to watch.But by far the best thing about this film is the comedy.
It's the late C18th and William Holden (Dan) and Glenn Ford (Tod) are buddies making it to Texas.
Well, maybe...maybe notA lot of praise has been given to Edgar Buchanan (Doc) as the town dentist.
However, Holden and Ford are likable as the lead roles and the film is OK if a bit disappointing given the rave reviews I had previously read about it.
Good, entertaining Western.
George Marshall's entertaining Western adventure - with some comedy elements - is lent an air of poignancy thanks to the pairing of enduring stars Glenn Ford and William Holden in the early years of their careers.
Holden has the meatier role here, a good guy turned bad in love with the same woman as his friend (Ford) who follows a law-abiding life in the employ of cattle ranchers desperate to import their stock to the east but frustrated by marauding rustlers.
Claire Trevor is the love interest, but she's fairly bland and it's difficult to see what a bad lad like Holden would see in her.
That makes her a decent match for Ford, because there's not really that much to his character either.
Edgar Buchanan, with his laid back, scratchy drawl and permanent stubble makes the biggest impact playing a dentist in league with the cattle rustlers who is always keen to repair the bicuspids of anyone who sits in his chair, whether it's for treatment or just for a chat.The story starts out fairly carefree (despite Ford being the subject of an attempted lynching) before gradually evolving into something more serious, a little like the protagonist's respective situations and life in general.
George Marshall directs with an assured hand, delivering a solid studio project that was never going to win any awards but was sure to satisfy filmgoers of the day..
Two close friends find themselves on opposite sides of the law in this 1941 western, which follows the aftermath of the American Civil War into the lucrative business of cattle drives and cattle rustling.Dan Thomas (William Holden) and Tod Ramsey (Glenn Ford) have recently been dismissed from the Confederate army after the recent period of unpleasantness, and are heading for a new life and to make a new fortune in Texas, the state of opportunity in the old west.Tod is looking forward to making an honest living whilst Dan is just looking forward to making any kind of living, not really caring on which which side of the legal and moral fence this living may happen to found.After retrieving a sack full of stolen stagecoach money which Tod plans to return to its rightful owners and Dan plans to pocket for himself, they are captured and nearly lynched by the local sheriff which results in the inevitable chase.It is during this chase that the two friends split to take two different paths, two paths that will ultimately differ morally as well as geographically.Tod Ramsey ends up a trusted and respected law abiding cattle hand in the local town whilst Dan falls in with a crooked Dentist, (Edgar Buchanan) a corrupt rancher (Addison Richards) in charge of a cattle rustling gang, and an equally corrupt 'friend' of the people (George Bancroft) who all set about their merry work, ambushing and rustling the large cattle drives attempting to reach Abilene.With all the cattle drives failing and all the local Cattle barons facing bankruptcy, Tod Ramsey, unaware that his friend is responsible for all the rustling, decides that he will attempt to take a combined herd; the largest herd ever to come out of Texas and defend it all the way to market.For the rustling syndicate this means that Tod will have to be 'taken care off' and quick, but is the seemingly ruthless and ambitious Dan now evil enough to kill his own best friend?
Claire Trevor is the love interest for both men, just to give them something else to fight about, although her character I feel is rather dis likable as she seems to flit her affections between the two with each passing breath obviously content to be with whoever is left standing at the end....and the fool takes her.
Doh!This was an early Western for both male leads and both were destined for great things.
Although Bill Holden's likable but disreputable character is the main focus is this film, it is Glenn Ford who is the treat for me here.He was without doubt one of my favourite actors and certainly my favourite cowboy.
William Holden and Glenn Ford were soon to become stars at Columbia.
Out of work Holden and Ford are friends headed to Texas after the end of the Civil War. They stumble upon a robbery of a stage coach and decide to then rob the crooks!
But, the Sheriff and his posse incorrectly assume Ford and Holden committed the original robbery.
Only due to the intervention of the Doc (Edgar Buchanan) did Holden avoid a hanging.
As for Ford, after he made his getaway from the posse, he fell in with a female rancher (Claire Trevor) and her outfit--and becomes an upstanding citizen in the community.
Two rising young actors take on cattle, a devious dentist and Claire Trevor..
In the case of "Texas", what seems like just an ordinary western surrounding cattle rustlers ends up being something much more exciting.William Holden and Glenn Ford were rising young actors on the Columbia lot who were soon to be mega stars, both handsome and likable, and both who obviously took their crafts seriously.
Like the state of Texas itself, this film is huge, fast-moving and gloriously entertaining.There's a wonderful confrontation between Holden and Claire Trevor (fresh from "Stagecoach") where he tries to steal her horse and she gets the better of him momentarily.
There's also a great performance by the wonderful character actor Edgar Buchannan ("Petticoat Junction") as a grizzled old dentist with several surprises up his drill.
Buchannan even gets to do a musical number as Trevor plays the organ while Ford and Holden take turns pumping it from the back.To even give a little bit of some of the surprises here away would defeat the fun of discovering it.
While Trevor gets plenty of chances to chew up the scenery, she does so subtly here, not like she would do in later films where she sometimes seemed as if she was going to swallow up the whole camera.
Other than a few other female extras, she is the only woman character in the film, yet she is not some namby pamby love interest tossed in to cause friction between the two leading men.
This showed movie audiences that you didn't need to have John Wayne acting or John Ford directing to have a good "A" western.
George Marshall, who has directed many westerns yet crossed over to practically every other genre as well, helms this production, and helps make it flow effortlessly..
"Texas" is about the trials and tribulations of two post civil war rebel drifters, Dan Thomas (William Holden) and Tod Ramsay (Glenn Ford).
Entrepreneur Windy Miller (George Bancroft) unexpectedly pays the boy's fines.After getting into a prize fight, the boys ride on to Texas where they witness a stagecoach holdup after which they rob the robbers.
Dan meets King's daughter "Mike" (Claire Trevor) on the range by commandeering her wagon.
Later he goes to town is befriended by local dentist Doc Thorpe (Edgar Buchanan) who gets him a job with Matt Lashem (Addison Richards).
Dan meanwhile sets out to stop the drive and....................................................Holden and Ford were just starting out and were in their 20s at the time.
Claire Trevor on the other hand, was in her early 30s and seemed a little too old for the boys.
Edgar Buchanan's character moved between humor and nastiness to a point where the humor part was not effective.
Was I missing something or did Ford's character's rise to the top happen when I wasn't looking?Others in the cast included Andrew Tombes as Tennessee for comedy relief as a rustler and Edmund MacDonald and Carleton Young as other members of the gang.
Edmund Cobb is one of the ranchers.Except for the ill attempts at humor, I thought Holden and Ford played well together.
Glenn Ford and William Holden look young, sexy, lean and hungry in George Marshall's B+ oater "Texas." The story picks up with the two in cahoots to travel to Texas, for no apparent reason.
Good early character development with a fight arranged by local entrepreneur Windy Miller (George Bancroft) leads nowhere in terms of plot, but hey....
Claire Trevor enters the picture as a ranch-owner who they both fall for, although by this point Holden's character is on the wrong side of the law more often than not.
The rest of the story follows Holden's attempts to outsmart and outshoot his cohorts, including a very weird performance by Edgar Buchanan as a disreputable dentist.The action scenes are well handled, direction is crisp and quick without feeling cheap.
It could be better, of course, but it's a plenty satisfying Western with enough good action scenes and enough decent characterization to make the time pass pleasantly.