Best Western: Destry Rides Again

Destry Rides Again 1939  Directed by George Marshall

I recently happened upon this film at a really awesome local video store who is known for their classics.  This is perhaps one of the most unique Westerns I have ever seen, and I must not be the only one of that opinion, because it was chosen to become a part of the U.S. National Film Registry in the Library of Congress on the grounds that it was “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.”

What is so interesting about this film, you may ask? Well first of all let us back track a bit 9 years before the films production to 1930.  Max Brand had written a popular novel by the name of “Destry Rides Again” this story is of a man Named Harrison Destry who is accused of a crime he did not commit. Eventually some law officer takes pity on him and makes him into a deputy.  Now as “the law”, Harrison brings his revenge upon the men who committed the crime and let him take the heat for it.  Needless to say this was a perfect picture of western gun slinging, and survival of the fittest in the wild, wild west with lots of “killing the bad guys.”  In 1932 the original “Destry Rides Again” film was made staring Tom Mix and firmly stuck to the original story of the Novel. …But in 1939 we find a completely different story…

In this film Jimmy Stewart plays the late Harrison Destry’s son, Thomas Jefferson Destry, who is called into the roughest town of “Bottleneck” to become the new deputy sheriff and rid the town of the no-good scoundrels who run “The Last Chance Saloon.”  But don’t you think for a minute you are going to find your typical shoot-em-up, all around, good guy that saves the day!  Stewart plays a refined man who values law and order as much as he does justice, and would rather hold a fair trial (even in the west) rather than take justice into his own hands.  He is so against violence he does not even carry a gun! There are lots of laughs and jokes when the town finds this out, including when Tom is asked twice, “Are you sure your name is Destry?” to which he replies, “Folks is always asking me that.”

I find this film so unique in the way it upholds law and order (even the sheriff does not find cause to murder a murderer.) I can only judge that it is a satirical commentary on the genre itself.  Think of it this way, what if the next “Die Hard” movie came out about John McClain’s son, and Johnny Jr. didn’t believe in guns?  But he still was a cop who believed in law and order, and did it in pretty b.a. style?  What would you think then? Would you have a little more respect for law officers in the real world?  I loved this dichotomy of real justice vs. movie revenge that takes place in the film.  Sadly it doesn’t last and in the end there is a giant shoot out resulting in the death of the bad guy…. Oh well, we all are still a work in progress, right?

The movie is filled with other western nuances including characters who are clearly american immigrants, and not just “evil” Mexican immigrants either.  “Frenchie”, the leading female character, (played by the German actress, Marlene Dietrich) is a French show girl who has come from New Orleans to get her share of the gold rush.  There is also “Boris”,(played by Russian actor, Micsha Auer)  a Russian immigrant who cannot seem to remind the town enough that he is not his wife’s late husband, Callahan, but Boris Chouvonivich: the decedent of Russian nobles.  There was also something peculiar I saw; a brief scene which included 3 Chinese men at the Saloon.  The presence of Chinese immigrants in the west is a thing we nearly forgot in more modern westerns until Jackie Chan’s “”Shanghai Noon” in 2000.

Bu one of the most funny (and most violent) scenes in the whole film is when Frenchie and Callahan’s wife get into an all out brawl in the Saloon.  This is the only film I have ever seen with two women duking it out the way they do.  It looks like they are really about to kill each other!  Needless to say this scene created some sensory problems in it’s original release.

“Destry Rides Again” is truly a unique Western Comedy which captures some very intriguing values and ideas for the modern world.  Not to mention lots of lovely witty dialog that will keep you laughing the whole way through.

Why This Blog Isn’t Just Food

So I thought I should explain why this blog is seemingly so eclectic. I am an artist, not just in the sense of creativity and imagination, but in the fact that I actually hold a Bachelors in Fine Arts. In starting a new chapter in Life, I have realized that art is not just in the pieces of “artwork” that is created but in the daily life experiments, trials, and concerns.  My artwork has begun to reach far beyond a canvas or clay.  My life’s art is in my kitchen, in my marriage, in my studying history and observing the world, it’s in my writings or poetry, it’s in the stuff I make for everyday life, and in the way that I enjoy life as a whole.  This blog is about how the living life as an art form changes the way we think, act, and behold the world around us.  This summer has been a fun voyage of discovering books, old movies, recipes, gardening, and travel, and I intend to capture all of it right here.  Consider it an “Eat, Pray, Love”– Journal all about life, food, entertainment, and how they all go together.

Abbot and Costello

Poster from Abbott and Costello’s Most Famous Film

 

Abbot and Costello are one of my favorite comic dynamos from the “pre-pervert” comedy era.  (Some other favorites are the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and of course the ultimate, Lucile Ball.)  They are best known for their unique and hilarious bit “Who’s On First” which was inspired by early burlesque shows.

I recently re-watched what is hailed as their best movie “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” (1948)  It turned out to be their first of several Monster Movies that Abbot and Costello did together.  Monster movies were some of the big block busters in the late 40’s and early 50’s, much like our super hero movies today.  What made this movie unique was that it was not only a “horror” (laughable compared to our horror movies of today, but back then, quite scary) but also a comedy film.  It’s filled with great little gags and stunts, and Lou Costello’s facial expressions couldn’t be better.  Of course, you probably saw most of these gag stunts if you watched “Loony Tunes” as a kid, however my personal favorites are all the nice little punchlines that sneak in.

My personal favorite;

Abbot: “Oh, this is all a load of bunk!”

Costello,  pointing to Dracula’s coffin: “That’s what I’m tryin’ to tell ya– that’s. his. bunk!”

 

Another great line in the movie;

Werewolf: “You don’t understand! Tonight when the moon is full, I’ll turn into a wolf”

Costello: “You and 20 million other guys!”

 

What was also amazing about this film, it was one of the first times the Wolfman, Dracula, and Frankenstein all came together for once crazy movie. And in my personal opinion it all fit together much better that in the most recent movie with all three monsters, “Van Helsing” (2004) which even though it was not a comedy had me laughing on the floor with it’s ridiculous writing.  The only way to make a good movie with so many monsters in one film is to make it a comedy.

 

Some interesting facts about the film? Lou and Costello were so used to acting for a live audience that they got bored acting for a camera, so Universal Studios hired their very own personal “set clown” to keep the comedy action alive.  There were even pie fights off stage.  The actors who played the three monsters were very well known for their parts too; Bela Lugosi (a Hungarian actor) played Dracula and other vampire characters many times in his career, Lon Chaney Jr. who was always called up to play the wolfman, and Glen Strange who played Frankenstein monster a few times after the previous Frankenstein retired.   Audiences who came to see this film were in for a similar treat as when you went bouncing into the theater to see “The Avengers” a few summers ago.

This movie was certainly a block buster, but to be fair maybe ranks 3-4 stars in my book.  If you love old movies, but haven’t yet seen Abbott and Costello, you’ll love it.  If you are familiar with Abbott and Costello however, you already know that they tend to use the same physical comedy bits over and over with no remorse.   Of course, in an era after the Great Depresion,World  War I & II, and lots of uncertainty, the public loved seeing these jokes over and over again just like a little kid who knows they can depend on the punchline every time.

 

 

A Quick Proverb on “Love”

 

It is easier to love a person who is thought to be a jerk because he is always brutally honest, than to love a person who is considered nice because she is full of fake flattery.