Destry Rides Again

Plot synopsis:
Destry rides again! Thomas Jefferson Destry, Jr. (Jimmy Stewart) is the deputy sheriff without a gun. He believes the law and public opinion is the answer to outlaws and gunfights. Bottleneck is a lawless town run by bad guys and gunslingers. Kent (Brian Donlevy), a host of gunslingers, the corrupt Judge Slade (Samuel S. Hinds), crooked gamblers and dishonest saloon gal Frenchy (Marlene Dietrich) were cheating, stealing, and forcing farmers to sell them their land against their will in order to have control of all the land when the railroad comes through the territory. The outlaws kill the old sheriff because he is wise to their game. In order to keep law and order out of Bottleneck, Judge Slade appoints the town drunk and apparently incompetent Washington Dimsdale (Charles Winninger) to be the new sheriff. Charles sobers up and is shocked by the news, but steps up to the challenge. Before he was a drunk he had been deputy for Sheriff Tom Destry Sr., who was the roughest, toughest sheriff of all time. Destry Sr. used his fists and his guns to clean up the lawless town, and was Sheriff there until gutless outlaws shot him in the back. Sheriff Dimsdale wires for the younger Destry, the most crack-shot Sheriff of Bottleneck since Destry, Sr. The towns villains hear about Destrys reputation and decide to meet his stagecoach in Bottleneck, and give him a not-quite-warm welcome. When the stage arrives, to everyones surprise, Destry is carrying a birdcage and parasol because he is helping a female passenger - a sweet Bottleneck girl he fancies - debark from the stage. The entire town roars with laughter at the sight of the new deputy who appears to fall short of the lawman ideal. The new sheriff is agreeable and unconcerned about the mocking. Later, he goes to the saloon and attends unarmed: I dont believe in guns, he tells the astounded locals. This prompts more ridiculing from the outlaws. Destry then meets Frenchy, who has a cat fight with a Russians wife who has come to claim her husbands pants after Frenchy won them in a fixed poker game earlier. Destry stops the fight, pouring a bucket of water on Frenchy. Naturally, this enrages the theatrical lady, but her scrap with the new sheriff sparks a romantic interest between Destry and Frenchy. Destry then makes the Russian a deputy; Bottlenecks new triumvirate then decide to trick the outlaws to find out who killed the previous sheriff and why. They make an arrest. The outlaws and people of Bottleneck soon learn that there is more to their laughable deputy sheriff than friendly talk, especially after his friend Dimsdale gets shot in the back while guarding the new prisoner. It is revealed that Frenchy was implicit in Dimsdales death, and she deliberately distracted Destry whilst Dimsdale is murdered and the imprisoned outlaw is freed. Destry straps on his guns and goes looking for those responsible. A large brawl erupts, and Frenchy changes her allegiances once more, catching a bullet for the otherwise doomed deputy. Destry, as formidable as his father, vanquishes the outlaws and cleans up Bottleneck. The Russian finally gets his pants, Destry falls in love with a girl from the stage, Bottleneck is saved, and Destry rides again!

Tags: cult, murder, violence

Review:
It is true that there are parody elements in George Marshall's delightful "Destry Rides Again" but the real humor lies not so much in these sorts of antics, nor the heavily laid on inquiries of Marlene Dietrich as to the tastes of the backroom boys, but rather in James Stewart's no-gun Destry characterization This springs from the same source as Ford's 'characters', recognizable frontier independent-minded eccentrics, with a firm footing in American literature; characters often with a roundabout way of making a point, or pointing a moral, as with Destry's habit of prefacing each little cautionary parable with: 'I knew a fellow once who' A habit that inevitably drew the aggrieved riposte: 'You know too many fellows, Destry'The other 'characters' in this film have more than a color or two of parodyMischa Auer's improbable Slavonic cowboy, Charles Winninger's town drunk, Brian Donlevy, unprincipled boss, and Samuel S.
Hinds' nicely played judgeIn retrospect, it's odd how much this movie gains from its rather touching little postscript Stewart, the unconventional lawman, having pacified his cowtown, strolls the streets with a hero-worshiping lad at his heels, and yet also takes a little cloud of sadness along with himMarshall's film is considered a classic Western which manages to encompass suspense, comedy, romance, tenderness, vivid characterization, horseplay, songs and standard western excitements, without moving for more than a moment from a studio main street set Hollywood expertise at its very best....
When the sheriff is killed they 'elect' the town drunk Charles Winninger as the new sheriff.But Winninger who was a deputy sheriff at one time sends for the son of his former boss Thomas Jefferson Destry played by Jimmy Stewart.
James Stewart is Destry and he is called by the ex-drunk sheriff to bring law and order to the town of Bottleneck.
And the women are as strong as the men, unusual in a Western: Dietrich & Una Merkel have the best fight in the film and it's the entire body of townswomen, lead by Merkel & Dietrich, who take matters into their own hands at the conclusion to thrash the bad guys.All of the above named cast is excellent (this was considered a comeback of sorts for Dietrich, after her parade of elaborate, but not terribly popular, costume epics; Stewart is a delight as his usual laconic self.) Jack Carson is also on hand as a tough cattleman.
This spirited realization that never flags results to be a potpourri of Western , comedy , irony and action .This is the second of four adaptations based on the novel by Max Brand , the first was titled by American exhibitors as ¨ Justice rides again (1932) ¨ with Tom Mix and the third version released in 1951 under title ¨ Frenchie ¨ and fourth take on exhibited in 1954 also directed by George Marshall with Eddie Murphy and Marie Blanchard in similar characters to James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich..
We identify with them (especially Jimmy Stewart the sheriff and Marlene Dietrich the bad woman with a good heart who can sing, too) and yet know they are all artifice, just as in a play.
It's a great western drama with a lot of comedy elements about a gunless deputy who comes in to clean up the town of Bottleneck.James Stewart was an interesting choice for the lead as young Destry, the son of a lawman who's given up his guns and wants to clean up the town peacefully.
A mild-mannered and peaceable lawman cleans up the tough and rough town of Bottleneck with the help from a tough saloon-singer.This western has it all: Stewart and Dietrich in top form,an outstanding supporting cast,romance,drama,suspense and comedy,all kept at a breathtaking pace by director George Marshall.Dietrich's songs have even become classics.So "See what the Boys in the Back Room will have" and have it too..
How many classic Western adventures have real comedy, poignant love scenes and great songs, plus Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart in the leads?
(James Stewart) rides in to Bottleneck and sets about ridding the town of its riff-raff elements, without guns!Based on the novel by Max Brand, Destry Rides Again simultaneously spoofed the western genre whilst reinvigorating Marlene Dietrich's flagging career.
But it really comes off, where Dietrich's loud and brusque portrayal perfectly plays off of Jimmy Stewart's laid back and gentle mannered Destry performance.The role of Destry is tailor made for Stewart, his everyman charm sits perfect for a character who is at first painted as a wimp, he drinks milk, he carries no guns, but who better than Stewart to fully realise a character that uses brains over brawn to great effect?
A film of this type, though, is only as good as its villain, and thankfully Brian Donlevy steps up to the plate with a suitable grumpy sneer, it's a fine performance from a very undervalued performer.Directed by the highly experienced George Marshall, Destry Rides Again is chock full of the elements that make a good family film even better than it should be, jokes a plenty, goodies and baddies, songs, and quality slices of drama, all combine here to make this a very entertaining and rewarding picture indeed.
The support cast are roundly great and people like Auer, Winninger, Donlevy and others all make sure that the film is not being carried by the two leads but is rather a group effort.Overall a great comedy western that has more to it than you think.
Marlene Dietrich, cast against type here looks as though she is having a ball and has some of the film's best scenes and lines, and the wonderful James Stewart in his first western lead shows a believable chemistry(like fireworks I'd say!) and gives a very charming performance.
This is a hybrid comedy western musical but to me it is rather dark as people are cheated out of their land, shot dead but it has a few laughs and the butt of the joke is James Stewart.He plays Tom Destry jr, the new deputy in Bottleneck, sent for by elderly family friend Dimsdale who has been appointed as sheriff as the last one was shot dead for asking too many awkward questions.Dimsdale worked under Destry's father who was a famous and feared lawman.
They soon find out that Destry is here to enforce law and order and willing to use guile and cunning before he reaches for a gun.Stewart uses his easy charm for full effect, Dietrich is great as Frenchy but she is really a bad girl as she is in cahoots with Kent so you know she is never going to get it on properly with Destry despite the flirting.
James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Brian Donlevy, Charles Winninger, Jack Carson, and Mischa Auer star in "Destry Rides Again," from that magic year of 1939.
Tom Jr. becomes a laughingstock when the town realizes that he doesn't carry a gun and doesn't believe in it.This film is important for several reasons: It revived the stalled career of Marlene Dietrich, who does a great job as Frenchy, the saloon girl who, despite being Kent's girl, falls for Destry.
Third, it was made into a Broadway musical starring Andy Griffith and had a good run on Broadway.Dietrich sings "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have," "You've Got that Look," and "Little Joe, the Wrangler," and she's fantastic.Stewart, who took this role after Gary Cooper turned it down, is both sweet and sexy, with a gentle voice and manner that belies his lawman status.Very good film with a downbeat ending that is quite touching and really adds to the movie..
Here is a film ultimately about a young gentleman arriving in a small haven wronged by an exchange of powers; the acquaintances he makes and the problems he tackles, but such is Dietrich's own presence and the material that comes with it, that it does come perilously close to overrunning all else and just dominating proceedings: her issues; the acquaintances she makes; the problems she tackles and the overbearing sense of her character just overpowering all else on screen and taking things over on her own.The film unfolds in the lowly surroundings of a dusty Western town in the old west named Bottleneck, a name of which calls to mind an image of a trap of some sort; a place in which there is no escape, an ambush.
As a dancer, the film makes full use of her in this role; like the titular character of Gilda in the 1946 film of the same name, or Monroe's travelling band member character in Wilder's Some Like it Hot, the literal pausing for a dance sequence or number indebted to that character and that character alone feels wholly prominent.It is James Stweart's character of Tom Destry whom stumbles upon this town when a new sheriff, an elderly drunkard whose presence at Kent's saloon sees him encouraged into the role by the man on account he's a pushover, calls him in to be the deputy: seems the guy's taking the role more seriously than Kent thought.
His first action upon arriving is to aid an elderly woman with her tidbits as they climb down off of the coach and, rather than anything else more inclined towards alcoholic content, appears to want to enjoy a good drink of tea if it's going.From these births, Marshall weaves an enthralling tale; a film which never flags or lags, a film persistently pushing the boundaries to each character's tie with another around them; a sub-plot of a family felt wronged out of a cattle ranch imbuing proceedings both racking up tension and the prospect of hostilities in the background as the more centralised content of Destry's investigations into the death of the ex-sheriff, which is still pretty heated, plays out.
Even more original is the unlikely casting of German-born Marlene Dietrich (in Universal debut) playing a character called "Frenchy," and the good-natured, all-American boy named James Stewart (on loan from MGM) in the title role.
DESTRY RIDES AGAIN is worthy screen entertainment, thanks for fine chemistry of Dietrich and Stewart, and seeing "what the boys in the back room will have." (**** guns).
George Marshall directs this popular western comedy as Jimmy Stewart plays Tom Destry Jr., son of a famous lawman whose former deputy(now town drunk) is made Sheriff of the corrupt western town of Bottleneck, run by a ruthless man named Kent(played by Brian Donlevy)and aided by saloon singer Frenchy(played by Marlene Dietrich) who just murdered the most recent sheriff, who had been asking too many questions about Kent's corrupt gambling house.
You have all of the classic elements here - a lawless town led by a bully (Brian Donlevy), a new lawman (Jimmy Stewart), and a saloon singer with an edge (Marlene Dietrich).
Laughed at when he announces his intention to clean up a corrupt town without using firearms, the mild-mannered son of a famous sheriff soon proves his worth in this western comedy starring James Stewart.
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.The film was James Stewart's first western (he would not return to the genre until 1950, with "Broken Arrow" and "Winchester 73"), and was also notable for a ferocious cat-fight between Marlene Dietrich and Una Merkel, which apparently caused a mild censorship problem at the time of release.
Yet another classic from Hollywood's most golden year, 1939, a highly entertaining light- hearted Western which sees James Stewart's Tom Destry Jr, son of a renowned but slain lawman, recruited by his pa's old deputy, the now alcoholic Wash (played in the style of Oliver Hardy) by Charles Winninger to clean up the god-forsaken town of Bottleneck way out west, coming up against the shifty mayor-come-judge, played by and the town's Mr Big, Joseph Kent played with his usual vigour by Brian Dunlevy.
Kent's sometime girlfriend and willing accomplice in his nefarious plans, is bar-room entertainer tart-with-a-heart Frenchy (well they could hardly have called her German-y) by the irrepressible Marlene Dietrich, her eyes (and thighs!) flashing everywhere.It actually takes Stewart over twenty minutes to arrive on screen, as we're introduced to top-billed Deitrich's feisty nature and see her drinking what the boys in the back are having, sing raucous songs and help Dunlevy to cheat ordinary townsfolk out of their home and land so that he can create a new, highly profitable cattle run to exploit.
They contrast and combine beautifully while Brian Dunlevy is also very good as the counterbalancing ruthless criminal kingpin who's due his just desserts.Director George Marshall directs with verve and although one or two of the supporting characters seem a little too eccentric, particularly Russian émigré "Don't call me Callahan", it's all great fun with many memorable scenes, including Deitrich's musical numbers, Stewart's first display of his gun-toting skill and of course the celebrated, no-holds barred cat-fight between Deitrich and Una Merkel.This is a great rollicking, roistering Western like they don't make 'em any more, more's the pity..
With its blend of humor and action, and a talented cast featuring Jimmy Stewart, Destry is one of the better westerns from Hollywood's golden age.When the sheriff of Bottleneck 'becomes unavailable' after sticking his nose into the local badman's business, the crooked mayor appoints Wash, the town drunk to fill his shoes.
Destry Rides again is a cool western comedy about a town called Bottleneck having no place for law and order.
The device of him telling stories about his friends as little parables works well in these capable hands.Marlene Dietrich, by contrast, is awful: her singing, her looks and her acting made me ask why she was ever in movies.It's the queasy attempted mix of comedy, musical and Western that really sink this film I think.
James Stewart is ultra-smooth in the title role, a lawman who hates guns but fights crime using his wits and the power of low expectations, in this rowdy, entertaining western comedy that seventy-plus years later is just as fresh as ever, delivering big laughs and fast-paced action.I can't for the life of me figure out exactly how Marlene Dietrich managed to wrap the town's entire male population around her finger.
DESTRY RIDES AGAIN is set in the hopelessly corrupt little town of Bottleneck, presided over as it is by the ruthless land-grabber and card shark Kent (Brian Donlevy) and his sexy partner-in-crime Frenchy (Marlene Dietrich).
The first part was a little slow to me but once you get past it, this is an entertaining film which was popular with a lot of people, including this reviewer, who actually liked it better the second time around.Marlene Dietrich plays a role typical for her, an edgy saloon singer named "Frenchy," and except for her singing, which I never thought was very good, she's great to watch.
James Stewart ("Thomas Jefferson Destry Jr.") also plays his normal role as the peaceful hero as does the too loud-and-obnoxious Charles Winniger (Destry's uncle).The ending is famous, a strange one in which the town's women storm the bad guys in a bar, culminating with Dietrich and Una Merkel fighting it out!
It was previously filmed in 1932 with Tom Mix and later in 1950 as "Frenchie" with Joel McCrea and in 1954 as "Destry" with Audie Murphy.This version which came out in the movies' best year 1939, stars Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart.
This film recharged her career and Stewart was just emerging as a major star.The town of Bottleneck is a lawless place under the control of gambler Kent (Brian Donlevy) who with his cronies and Frenchie the "saloon singer" (Dietrich) are cheating honest ranchers out of their properties by luring them into poker games.Rancher Lem Claggett (Tom Fadden) is the latest victim.
Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart make a great combination in "DESTRY RIDES AGAIN".
Directed by George Marshall, "Destry Rides Again" is an excellent comedy musical Western starring two big-screen heavyweights: Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart.
Some examples of this are A.) Tom Destry, apparently with a quick-on-the-draw reputation, making his first impression in Bottleneck by stepping out of a carriage holding a woman's birdcage & parasol, B.) Tom revealing to crooked saloon owner Kent (Brian Donlevy) that he is not wearing any guns, C.) the town drunk Washington "Wash" Dimsdale (Charles Winninger) being sworn in as sheriff, D.) the flashy saloon gal Frenchy (Dietrich) giving Tom a mop & bucket as his means of cleaning up the town, E.) the clownish "Callahan" (Mischa Auer) running out of the saloon after losing his pants in a poker game with Frenchy, and F.) the wild cat fight between Frenchy and boarding house owner Lily Belle (Una Merkel), after which Frenchy battles with Tom. Other memorable moments in this film include the following.
Giving her swaggering Frenchy characterization everything it needed, Marlene Dietrich is given the opportunity to sing three catchy numbers in the saloon; the song that is most identified with her is "The Boys in the Back Room", although the one I like best is "You've Got That Look".If you like noisy Westerns with great music and lots of shoot-'em-up action, you'll love "Destry Rides Again".
The chemistry between "Frenchy" (Marlene Dietrich) and "Destry" (Jimmy Stewart) is what binds this film together.
Jimmy Stewart - Marlene Dietrich - Brian Donlevey - Charles Winniger - Micha Auer and a gaggle of classic character actors hanging out in the Last Chance Saloon in the rough, tough town of Bottleneck.
This is not one of the greatest Western movies ever made because of its star, James Stewart, or even Marlene Dietrich, whose singing and barroom brawling puts all other hard-drinking saloon molls to shame.