19 August 2009

Destry Rides Again (1939)

Look at that mise-en-scene, people. That is a great shot.

I hadn't seen this movie in at least 10 years, so I thought it deserved a second viewing. Turns out, it did and I really liked it. Marlene Dietrich [who is billed before James Stewart] plays a dance hall woman/saloon singer and the unofficial mayor of this town that has gone to hell in a hand-basket. Her boyfriend is played by Brian Donlevy who plays one of my all-time favorite villains in Beau Geste [see it]. He is a really crooked gambler and murderer, but he sports the perfect, pencil-thin villain mustache.

Jimmy Stewart is no slouch, either. This is one of his early-ish roles, so he is looking like a youthful, healthy babe. My friends and I have a theory that Jimmy Stewart went through a time warp or something, because he goes from Mr.-Smith-Goes-to-Washington Jimmy Stewart straight to Rear-Window Jimmy Stewart without really aging in between. Where are his 30s and 40s? Anyway, he plays this awesome deputy that comes to clean up the town, except he doesn't believe in guns, but instead "peace" as he puts it. Awesome. He is super smart and even eventually wins the bad guy's girlfriend's heart because he is so awesome.

My favorite part in the movie and the only scene I remembered from my first viewing is when Jimmy Stewart suggests to Marlene that she should wipe away some of her makeup since she is so naturally beautiful. This scene is actually really moving, people.

4/5 pizzas

1 comment:

  1. I heard that Destiny's Child is getting back together and their come back song is called Destiny Rides Again because Beyonce really likes Jimmy Stewart.

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