Destry Rides Again ***** (1939, James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Mischa Auer, Una Merkel, Brian Donlevy, Charles Winninger) – Classic Movie Review 1238

George Marshall’s classic 1939 black and white movie Destry Rides Again will always be regarded as the definitive version of the famous Max Brand story. Yet ironically it bears no relation to Brand’s popular novel as the characters and story are completely different and unrelated, entirely reinvented here by Felix Jackson in a brand new screenplay and story. It is a magical comedy Western that entertains and amuses with its wit and good humour but also respects and honours the genre. Indeed, it is a movie Western highlight and all-time great.

James Stewart stars in one of his career-defining and persona-establishing roles as the slow-on-the-drawl, the peace-loving deputy sheriff of the title, Tom Destry Jr. The film is notable as Stewart’s first Western, though he did not return to the genre until 1950 with Broken Arrow and then later Winchester 73 (1953).

Marlene Dietrich enjoys one of her best roles as a sexy saloon chantoose, the dance hall queen Frenchy, who kittenishly sings two of her classic songs ‘See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have’ and ‘You’ve Got That Look’ (written by Frank Loesser and set to music by Frederick Hollander) and brawls in a famous, ferocious screen catfight with Una Merkel. Nobody expected such antics of Dietrich, who had a screen image as untouchable movie goddess and grande dame of the cinema, but audiences were (and still are) delighted with her showy performance, and she dovetails perfectly with the contrasting, down-to-earth, quiet acting style of Stewart, who is warm and likeable. The catfight expectedly caused a slight censorship problem.

It is Dietrich’s film, and she steals every scene she is in, but Stewart keeps up there in with her all the way in a much less showy role. Brian Donlevy stands out as the villain, saloon owner Kent, the unscrupulous boss of the fictional Western town of Bottleneck, where the action takes place. And Charles Winninger is amusing as the town drunk, Washington Dimsdale, who is appointed as the new sheriff by the crooked town’s mayor, Hiram J Slade (Samuel S Hinds), who assumes he will be easy to manipulate. But Dimsdale can call on Destry to help him make Bottleneck a lawful town.

The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Allen Jenkins, Irene Hervey, Billy Gilbert, Bill Cody Jr and Lillian Yarbo.

Marshall directs adroitly and attentively to his performers, bringing out the best in them and in the material. You can easily measure how great this movie is by comparing it with the two other movie versions of the Max Brand story, which was also previously filmed in 1932 with Tom Mix as Destry Rides Again and by Marshall again in 1954 as Destry.

The 1932 film Destry Rides Again is a quickie Tom Mix vehicle and an early sound version of the famous story. It was his sound film debut and is an interesting curio but of course a bit of an antique. Tom Destry (Mix) is out for revenge on his ex-pardner, who framed him.

In 1954 director George Marshall recycled his famous 1939 hit Destry Rides Again as a vehicle for Universal’s cowboy star, Audie Murphy, just named Destry. A near shot-by-shot Technicolor remake of the black and white 1939 production, it’s only a modest Western this time, but it is entirely watchable, entertaining even.

In the old James Stewart-Marlene Dietrich roles, Murphy as the peace-loving sheriff Tom Destry and Mari Blanchard as the barroom chantoose Brandy comparatively cut little ice, though Murphy is certainly well ahead of his co-star. But there’s compensation in the scene-stealing work in the character actor support from the likes of Lyle Bettger, Thomas Mitchell, Edgar Buchanan, Alan Hale Jr and Wallace Ford. Mary Wickes is also fun as the campy Bessie Mae Curtis.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1238

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