Destry Rides Again (1939)

"Are you sure your name is 'Destry?'"

This highly entertaining movie is from 1939, the year so many golden classics were released. Stagecoach, Wuthering Heights, The Wizard of Oz, and Gone With the Wind were its competition, so it's probably not surprising that a western spoof did not receive any Academy Awards. Nevertheless, Destry Rides Again is a delightfully offbeat oater that satirizes the genre in a manner that would be nice to see more often.

Destry Rides Again is one of the movies that should be better known. It benefits from a tautly directed script put on by a first rate cast, beginning with the sensational Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart and backed up by a supporting cast consisting of Brian Donlevy, Una Merkel, Charles Winninger, Samuel S. Hinds, and Mischa Auer. These characters all have specific roles that bring the screenplay to life, making the movie a memorable viewing experience.

In the town of Bottleneck, Kent, a slick, ambitious, and ruthless man (Brian Donlevy - Beau Geste) wants to take charge of the whole valley to control the water rights and then charge everybody else for access.

With this in mind slickster Kent runs a rigged card game at the local saloon with dance hall songstress Frenchie (Marlene Dietrich - Morocco) as the bait. We see his plan put into action when he does away with one sheriff and steals the land of another citizen with the help of the crooked mayor (Samuel S. Hinds) and Dietrich, who distracts the player so Donlevy can switch cards. But Kent misses his guess when he gets town drunk Washington Dimsdale (Charles Winninger) appointed new sheriff.

Winninger takes his new job seriously and sends for Tom Destry (James Stewart) son of the illustrious sheriff he once had the privilege to serve under. To his horror, Destry is anything but a hairy-chested hero; Destry carries no gun and spends his free time carving napkin rings. Just how the apparently milquetoast Destry manages to uncover the plan and thwart the bad guys without resorting to too much gunplay results in plenty of entertainment for the delighted viewer.

Under the practiced hand of director George Marshall, Destry combines action, humor, romance, and drama, all in a tautly constructed 94-minute running time. The gags and humor are well timed and well executed. James Stewart’s tremendous comic and dramatic performance shows why he was such a well-loved actor. It goes without saying that Marlene Dietrich was a hit also - just wait until you see her cat fight with Una Merkel - and the supporting cast is one of the very best imaginable. Finally, the plot resolves itself in a way that will pleasantly surprise you.

The Universal DVD is presented in 1.33:1 theatrical format, in well preserved black and white and runs just over an hour and a half. Well worth your time to watch.

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Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV