Monday, January 31, 2005
OATER
Destry Rides Again (1939) is a film classic of such renown that it feels a bit foolish to write much about it.
Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Deitrich star with a big cast of great character actors. The story is short and sweet and the morals are all in the right place for the 1930's. Or for now, for that matter.
I think that it stands out from other westerns because, in many respects, it is not a western. There are no chases. There are no long gun battles. The hero does not even use a gun until the very end. It has a lot of singing in the saloon.
We know that we are in for a fun ride when the titles run over a long track shot down the store fronts of the town of Bottleneck. There is wild chaotic rioting from one end to another. There have to be more than two hundred extras are in this wonderful shot and, because it is under the titles, it is almost a throwaway.
We had fun watching it and will give it a 4 out of Netflix5. It is already on the NY Times Best1176 Film list. My rating can only add to its luster.
