Ramrod *** (1947, Veronica Lake, Joel McCrea, Preston Foster, Charles Ruggles, Donald Crisp, Arleen Whelan, Lloyd Bridges, Don DeFore) – Classic Movie Review 6694

Veronica Lake stars in her husband director André De Toth’s no-holds-barred 1947 Western Ramrod as Connie Dickason, a willful woman cattle-owner who refuses to be bettered either by man or by beast, though cattleman Frank Ivey (Preston Foster) has a good go at it. Lake sets up a band of avengers when he tries to oust her from her ranch.

Ramrod is an enjoyable Western romp with a great all-star cast of notables (they advertised ‘7 GREAT STARS — in one great picture!’) making the utmost of a disappointingly very average and predictable screenplay by Jack Moffit, Graham Baker and Cecile Kramer. Lake is very engaging as the tough cookie heroine Connie Dickason (Connie was Lake’s real name}, and so are Charles [Charlie] Ruggles, playing her rascally father, and Joel McCrea as the title foreman, Dave Nash.

Russell Harlan and Harry Redmond Jr’s black and white cinematography is a knockout, adding the needed touch of class.

Ramrod stars Veronica Lake, Joel McCrea, Preston Foster, Charles Ruggles, Donald Crisp, Arleen Whelan, Lloyd Bridges, and Don DeFore. Also in the cast are Rose Higgins, Chick York, Sara Padden, Nestor Paiva, Trevor Bardette, Wally Cassell, Ray Teal and Jeff Corey.

Ramrod is directed by André De Toth, runs 95 minutes, is an Enterprise Productions production, released by United Artists, is written by Jack Moffit, Graham Baker and Cecile Kramer from an original story by Luke Short, shot in black and white by Russell Harlan and Harry Redmond Jr, produced by Harry Sherman, scored by Adolph Deutsch, and designed by Lionel Banks.

The 4′ 11½” Veronica Lake was then married to De Toth (13 December 1944 – 2 June 1952), divorced, with two children. Lake was born as Constance ‘Connie’ Frances Marie Ockleman on 14 November 1922 and died in 1973, aged 50.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6694

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Movie Queens by Graeme Jukes.