Tom Destry Jr.

Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Destry, Jr. is the titular protagonist of the 1939 comedy film Destry Rides Again. He's the son of a legendary frontier peacekeeper, who refuses to follow his late father's style of protection, as despite becoming the new deputy of Bottleneck hired to clean the town up, he's an unarmed pacifist, who refuses to wield guns.
He was portrayed by the late James Stewart.
== Biography ==
Prior to the film, Tom Destry, Sr. had served as the sheriff for Bottleneck, with Washington Dimsdale serving as his deputy. He raised Tom Jr. and trained him to be a tough fighter like he was, wanting him to know how to handle guns in combat. However, even in spite of Tom Sr. and Dimsdale being armed with guns, Tom Sr. would still be gunned down in in the back and killed.
Since Tom Sr.'s death, the town of Bottleneck would collapse into lawlessness, with constant fistfights, mayhem, and gun shootings. Washington Dimsdale would turn to booze to the point where he became the town drunk and banjo-player. 
Some time prior to the film, Tom Destry Jr. would serve as the sheriff for numerous towns across the West, such as Tombstone, but he never resorted to violence or wielded guns, which had surprised numerous people used to his father style of the law and his gunmanship, to the point where Jr would constantly be asked, "Are you sure your name is Destry?"
One day, the new sheriff for the town, Joseph Keogh would try to defend a man who was cheated out of their money, only for Keogh to be shot and killed, meaning someone else had to become the sheriff in his place. The saloon's owner Kent arranged for the corrupt mayor Judge Slade to nominate/appoint Dimsdale to be the new sheriff, assuming he'd be a useless, incompetent drunk. However, Dimsdale would take his new position seriously, reform himself by ditching liquor, and shock the townspeople by sobering up and reveal he was hiring and importing the great Tom Destry's son as deputy to clean up the town.
Tom Jr. would arrive inside a rumbling stagecoach, as he was called upon to help him tame the town as the new deputy lawman. He spends his time carving wooden napkin rings as a hobby to calm his nerves. One of his fellow passengers, cattleman Jack Tyndall is baffled by the unarmed deputy's pacifism, like several other people in the past. After Wash Dimsdale tidied up the sheriff's office, he alerts the townspeople in the saloon that the town's new, tough lawman is arriving. Wash was expecting a fearsome gun-shooter and assumed headstrong Jack was his new deputy after he assaults the stagedriver for deliberately making the trip a rough ride. But the sheriff turns and is dismayed to be introduced to the real Destry, his new deputy who's soft-spoken, gawky, mild-mannered. Destry Jr exits stagecoach holding a frilly parasol and a birdcage for Jack's sister Janice Tyndall as she steps out, and is immediately teased and laughed at.
Dimsdale is embarrassed and mortified by his new assistant's first impression of weakness, but Destry's not worried and tells a homespun story about how first impressions are foolish to judge a person by. Dimsdale introduces Tom to Kent, Slade and Frenchy. Kent tries to assert his dominance and provoke a fight by demanding Tom's gun, and is shocked that Tom doesn't even like to wear a gun. Destry is also teased for ordering milk at the bar. Frenchy hands Tom a broom and a wooden bucket full of water with the comment that he can use those things to clean up Bottleneck, to challenge and tease him even further in front of the laughing crowd.
Angry wife Lily Belle Callahan storms her way in upset that her husband has lost his trousers to Frenchy in a poker card game and accuses Frenchy of cheating. They engage in a very rough female catfight that lasts nearly two minutes before Destry breaks/cleans it up and cools off their heated argument by pouring a bucket of water on them. Frenchy then takes out her anger on Destry, punching, kicking and clawing at him, then grabbing a six-shooter to aim at him. Everyone in the saloon runs for the exit. In addition, when she tosses bar glasses, steins and bottles at him, he calls for Kent to rescue him, or ducks behind a raised chair. Frenchy then rides on his shoulders as if he was a bucking bronco, leading Destry to plead with her for reason (and law and order).
Dimsdale still couldn't believe just how placid Destry was as his deputy and berates him, even threatening to fire him for being unable to fight back against Kent and Frenchy, let alone a real threat. With conviction, Destry talks about restoring order to the town without guns, as he believed that guns weren't the answer to end lawlessness, ever since his father was gunned down in Tombstone in the back. Tom is resolved to stay and persuades the dubious Sheriff to swear him in as deputy and give him a badge.
Category:Male
Category:Live Action Heroes
Category:Comedy Heroes
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Selfless
Category:Western Heroes
Category:Pacifists
Category:Sidekicks
Category:Protectors
Category:In Love
Category:Lawful Good
Category:Leaders
Category:Action Heroes
Category:Unwanted