Dodge City (1939)

Warner Bros has just released a great DVD version of Dodge City, a classic western, and the first one filmed in Technicolor, released in that awe inspiring year of 1939, that gave birth to so many memorable movies.

Swashbuckler Errol Flynn, fresh from an unforgettable performance in The Adventures of Robin Hood starred in his first western along with pals Alan Hale, Olivia DeHavilland, Guinn “Big Boy” Williams, and Bruce Cabot.

The story is a familiar one, amped up to take advantage of the all-star cast, sterling production values, and glorious Technicolor cinematography. Director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) keeps the movie moving from exciting moment to exciting moment despite a fairly shopworn screenplay emphasizing a big man in a big hat taming a big, bad town. A classic Max Steiner score provides a good background to the action.

A lawless town, full of vice and danger, Dodge City is the end of the railroad, the place where the cattle are loaded for shipment back East. Big profits are made by the cowpunchers and relieved at the clip joint/gambling parlor/cat house run by Bruce Cabot, (Big Jake) if not outright stolen at gunpoint. At first, buffalo hunter, cow puncher, and general soldier of fortune Wade Hatton (Errol Flynn) wants nothing to do with Colonel Dodge’s offer to police his new city. A particularly horrifying accident involving a youth (Bobs Watson) settles Hatton’s mind on taking up the taming of Dodge City.

In between the arrests, disarming outlaws, lynch party dispersing, and general policing up Dodge, Flynn makes time to romance frequent co-star Olivia DeHavilland (They Died With Their Boots On).

DeHavilland and Flynn make the perfect screen couple and were paired probably a dozen times by Warner Bros - and the Warner Bros stock company of familiar faces is well in evidence with Ward Bond, John Litel, Frank McHugh, and perennial Flynn co-star Alan Hale, Sr. All of these fine actors appeared in dozens to hundreds of films during Hollywood’s golden years (1930s – 50s) Victory Jory (The Mountain Men) has fun as a scenery chewing bad guy who’s not too bright.

There are some nice action set pieces including possibly the biggest saloon brawl ever filmed, sparked by Yankees and Rebels singing their old army tunes in a contest reminiscent of the one in Michael Curtiz' Casablanca. A thrilling gunfight aboard a hurtling, burning train, and a cattle stampede afford much absorption for the popcorn masticator. Alan Hale provides some broad comic relief, as he always does.

All in all Dodge City is not Shakespeare but it is high-octane entertainment, especially in the sterling DVD package put out by Warner Bros. Presented in a new format to me, called “Warner Night at the Movies,” it features a typical night out when Dodge City premiered. Hosted by Leonard Maltin, there are many special features, including a featurette “Go West, Errol Flynn,” a newsreel showing Hitler’s blitzkrieg on Poland, a ~ ten minute short Sons of Liberty starring Claude Rains and Gail Sondergaard, a cartoon, and a couple of film trailers to round out the package. All in all a very worthwhile DVD presentation and one I hope Warner Brothers will continue.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening