bsmith5552 "Destry Rides Again" is the oft filmed story of a non gun toting lawman who cleans up a frontier town. It was previously filmed in 1932 with Tom Mix and later in 1950 as "Frenchie" with Joel McCrea and in 1954 as "Destry" with Audie Murphy.This version which came out in the movies' best year 1939, stars Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. This film recharged her career and Stewart was just emerging as a major star.The town of Bottleneck is a lawless place under the control of gambler Kent (Brian Donlevy) who with his cronies and Frenchie the "saloon singer" (Dietrich) are cheating honest ranchers out of their properties by luring them into poker games.Rancher Lem Claggett (Tom Fadden) is the latest victim. When he loses his ranch, Sheriff Keogh (Joe King) is murdered trying to get the man's ranch back. Kent has Judge Slade (Samuel S. Hinds) appoint town drunk Washington Dimsdale (Charles Winniger) as the new sheriff. Dimsdale however, takes his job seriously and sends for Tom Destry Jr. (Stewart), the son of his former friend Tom Sr.Destry is at first a laughing stock until he demonstrates his prowess with six shooter. Frenchie it seems has a heart of gold and starts to take a liking to Tom. Young Janice Tyndall (Irene Hervey) also has her eye on Tom. Barfly Boris (Mischa Auer) loses his pants to Frenchie in a poker game which results in his wife Lilly Belle (Una Merkel) charging into the saloon and having a slam bang fight with Frenchie.Following a tragic event Tom becomes angered, straps on his father's guns and.....................................................To me, there was just too much light comedy in light of the seriousness of the story. The likes of Auer, Billy Gilbert As the bartender and Allen Jenkins and Warren Hymer as Donlevy's boys is just too much comedy relief. Even Winniger's character has comedic traits. Jack Carson, who would soon become known for his comedic roles, plays a rough and tough rancher who is at first mistaken for Destry.Dietrich's character was hilariously parodied by Madeliene Kahn in "Blazing Saddles" (1974)to the point that Dietrich's performance is overshadowed to modern viewers. It did however, get her back into the spotlight as she would follow this film up with two with John Wayne. James Stewart was just starting to be seen as a major star. He would appear in the classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" the same year and win an Academy Award the following year for "The Philadelphia Srory".Despite it's faults, this film is still looked upon as a true classic.

Benedito Dias Rodrigues Every movie that Marlene Dietrich done quite often she not portrait the character very well...she play itself in almost all movies...in this case happened the same she played a singer who knew all about what's going on table of cards...so suddenly appears the handsome like James Stewart and she turn back to your old pals....frankly is hard to believe,this why Dietrich wasn't take seriously in cinema,apart Rancho Notorious and Blue Angel which she was great...so in my opinion Dietrich was Overrated in your career,she also was arrogant and unfriendly most of actors and actress didn't like to work with her...l know why!!

Prismark10 This is a hybrid comedy western musical but to me it is rather dark as people are cheated out of their land, shot dead but it has a few laughs and the butt of the joke is James Stewart.He plays Tom Destry jr, the new deputy in Bottleneck, sent for by elderly family friend Dimsdale who has been appointed as sheriff as the last one was shot dead for asking too many awkward questions.Dimsdale worked under Destry's father who was a famous and feared lawman. Bottleneck is overrun by the likes of Kent (Brian Donleavy) a wicked landowner with a vicious mob who cheat people out of their land in a rigged game of cards. Kent is helped out here by Frenchy (Marlene Dietrich) the local saloon singer and good time girl. He also has the town mayor on his side.They initially find Destry to be a figure of fun, even a coward. He does not carry a gun for a start and seems to be an easy going country hick. They soon find out that Destry is here to enforce law and order and willing to use guile and cunning before he reaches for a gun.Stewart uses his easy charm for full effect, Dietrich is great as Frenchy but she is really a bad girl as she is in cahoots with Kent so you know she is never going to get it on properly with Destry despite the flirting. Her character and the film really did inspire Blazing Saddles.Still despite the levity it does lead to a violent showdown. The film did introduce a seamy side to westerns with glamorous sexy females rather than spunky tom boys. It just does not feel like a spoof to me or a comic western but it is enjoyable without being po-faced.

jc-osms Yet another classic from Hollywood's most golden year, 1939, a highly entertaining light- hearted Western which sees James Stewart's Tom Destry Jr, son of a renowned but slain lawman, recruited by his pa's old deputy, the now alcoholic Wash (played in the style of Oliver Hardy) by Charles Winninger to clean up the god-forsaken town of Bottleneck way out west, coming up against the shifty mayor-come-judge, played by and the town's Mr Big, Joseph Kent played with his usual vigour by Brian Dunlevy. Kent's sometime girlfriend and willing accomplice in his nefarious plans, is bar-room entertainer tart-with-a-heart Frenchy (well they could hardly have called her German-y) by the irrepressible Marlene Dietrich, her eyes (and thighs!) flashing everywhere.It actually takes Stewart over twenty minutes to arrive on screen, as we're introduced to top-billed Deitrich's feisty nature and see her drinking what the boys in the back are having, sing raucous songs and help Dunlevy to cheat ordinary townsfolk out of their home and land so that he can create a new, highly profitable cattle run to exploit. Young Destry seems on the slow and simple side at first, allowing himself to be the butt of Dunlevy and his henchmen but as usual with Stewart, softly softly catchy monkey and wrongs are righted by the final curtain.Both stars are great, Deitrich's journey from hard-nosed to vulnerable essayed very skilfully while Stewart just drawls and moseys along in his time-honoured. They contrast and combine beautifully while Brian Dunlevy is also very good as the counterbalancing ruthless criminal kingpin who's due his just desserts.Director George Marshall directs with verve and although one or two of the supporting characters seem a little too eccentric, particularly Russian émigré "Don't call me Callahan", it's all great fun with many memorable scenes, including Deitrich's musical numbers, Stewart's first display of his gun-toting skill and of course the celebrated, no-holds barred cat-fight between Deitrich and Una Merkel.This is a great rollicking, roistering Western like they don't make 'em any more, more's the pity.