Rent Destry Rides Again (1939)

The Nicest Gunslinger in the West - Destry Rides Again review by griggs

Most western heroes swagger into town with a gun on their hip and a bottle of whiskey in their gut. Tom Destry Jr. turns up without either, which makes him look faintly ridiculous in a town where masculinity is apparently measured in bourbon and firearms. James Stewart is great at playing that contrast. He has the skill, the name and the presence of a classic western hero, but he would much rather be decent than dangerous. Watching the town try to make sense of that is a huge part of the fun.

Marlene Dietrich gets there first, and fair enough, she grabs the film by the throat early on. Frenchy is all heat, nerve and attitude, and Dietrich plays her like she knows she has the place beaten before she has even sat down. On paper, she and Stewart sound like a mismatch. In practice, they are terrific together.

What I really liked, though, is how the film sneaks up on you. It starts off as a rollicking, cheeky good time, then gradually reveals a sadder, more tender side. By the end, it has proper emotional weight.

A western with a grin on its face and a sting in its tail.

Classic Western - Destry Rides Again review by GI

A star vehicle for Marlene Dietrich and the film that effectively revived her career that had been in the doldrums. It's also the first western of James Stewart. A real classic not only of the western genre but for the classical period of Hollywood and in particular the year 1939, which seems to have been a major turning point in American cinema. Interestingly this film has all the western tropes of this period, big saloon bar brawls, stagecoaches, town drunks, the sassy dance hall girl and the sleazy gambler/bad guy and yet subverts the conventions in that the 'hero' shuns the use of guns and the womenfolk, usually just victims and side characters, are the force of strength in the narrative. This is a comedy western, with set piece songs for Dietrich to sing and a story of the meek defeating the strong. Here Stewart is the mild mannered deputy sheriff, Tom Destry, who is drafted in to a wild western town to tame it but as an unarmed lawman he becomes the subject of ridicule by the hard drinking men. The town is run by saloon owner, Kent (Brian Donlevy) who cheats at cards and murdered the previous sheriff, the crime which Tom soon latches onto to bring Kent down. Genre convention and American culture demand that the hero straps on his guns to resolve the matter in the film's climax. The film is centred though around Dietrich's performance as Frenchy, the prostitute, who changes allegiances with the narrative having a famous catfight as a centrepiece. An interesting western, yes a classic, and a must see for all film fans.