Tennessee’s Partner ** (1955, John Payne, Ronald Reagan, Rhonda Fleming, Coleen Gray) – Classic Movie Review 10,539

Director Allan Dwan’s 1955 Western film Tennessee’s Partner stars Ronald Reagan, John Payne, Rhonda Fleming and Colleen Gray. It is written by Graham Baker, D D Beauchamp, Milton Krims, and Teddi Sherman, with uncredited rewrites by Dwan, departing significantly from the original storyline of one of Bret Harte’s most popular short stories, Tennessee’s Pardner. It is shot is SuperScope and Technicolor.

Rotten, philandering gambler Tennessee (Payne) and solid, upright cowhand Cowpoke (Reagan) are blamed for the death of an old prospector in this loose adaptation of the Bret Harte short story. The fiery Fleming features as Duchess, the proprietress and madam of the bordello/gambling joint/ saloon where most of the action is set, and Gray plays Goldie, Reagan’s fiancée.

The complications are that Reagan is in town to marry Gray but Payne has known her in the past and romances her again. And Payne is partners with Fleming in the saloon/  bordello.

Despite the interesting set-up, it is at best just a run-of-the-mill Western notable for Dwan’s flavoursome direction, for four game but fairly bland star performances, and for giving an unbilled Angie Dickinson her second speaking role as Abby Dean, a young woman in the saloon. Fleming comes off best of the four principals.

It was released by RKO Radio Pictures, owned by Howard Hughes.

Bret Harte short story Tennessee’s Partner, one of the earliest ‘buddy’ stories in American fiction, was first published in the Overland Monthly in 1869.’ It was loosely adapted into four films: Tennessee’s Pardner (1916), The Flaming Forties (1924), The Golden Princess (1925), and Tennessee’s Partner (1955).

Also in the cast are Anthony [Tony Caruso] as Turner, Morris Ankrum as Judge Parker, Leo Gordon as the Sheriff, Chubby Johnson as Grubstake McNiven, Joe Devlin as Prendergast, Myron Healey as Reynolds, John Mansfield as Clifford, Frank Jenks and Pierce Lyden.

An odd connection helps it to be remembered. It inspired a hit by The Four Seasons. The character based on singer, songwriter Bob Gaudio explains in the musical Jersey Boys: ‘I’m watching the million dollar movie. Some cheesy John Payne Western. He hauls off and smacks Rhonda Fleming across the mouth and says: “What do you think of that?” She looks up at him defiant, proud, eyes glistening – and she says: “Big girls don’t cry”.’

It took $1.1 million at the US box office.

It is the fourth Fifties film with Reagan and Fleming together, following The Last Outpost (1951), Hong Kong (1951) and Tropic Zone (1953). They were good friends professionally and politically.

Much location work was filmed at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, film and TV’s most used outdoor location. The monolithic sandstone feature that Fleming hides behind in one action sequence is known as the Rhonda Fleming Rock. The former movie ranch is now preserved as public parkland.

Angie Dickinson turns 90 on 30 September 2021.

RIP Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis; August 10, 1923 – October 14, 2020).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,539

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