The Ballad of Josie (1968)

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

1st watched 6/18/2007 - 4 out of 10(Dir-Andrew V. McLaglen): Severely confusing women's lib "kind of" movie with Doris Day playing Josie who loses her abusive husband and then decides to do things her own way without a man and raise sheep in cow country so that she can raise her son on her own. The setting appears to be the late 1800's before Wyoming was a state in the union. The problem is the film-makers aren't sure how far they want this all to go. Maybe it wasn't the right time for a feminist movie(the late 60's) -- maybe we had to wait until the Norma Rae's etc.. later on. Day is OK in the role, but the movie throws too many attempts at Lucy-like situation comedy routines despite the serious subject matter. Peter Graves plays a guy trying to get into Josie's life even though he doesn't care for the women's lib thing. He eventually gets behind her ( sort of) and he ends up saving the day from the evil George Kennedy character. This is kind of a "1/2 women's lib" movie, and "1/2 we still need our men" film and that's where the confusion lies. It also has a kind of Disney(let's feel good when it's all over) feel to it that wreaks. OK, I guess I didn't like this movie, but it wasn't all bad. Day's persona was the best part of the movie, but as far as the movie it was pretty meaningless and silly.

Today I have seen again this kind of a western comedy after several years. Now, after watching much more bad movies like this, I found this star-vehicle not funny. Sooner embarrassing, for example the scene when Miss Day is disturbing a meeting of the cattlemen. She comes in and drinks two brandy to demonstrate that she is hardboiled like George Kennedy. Or Peter Graves, off course. Oh boy, after five minutes she is completely drunken, just by two glasses of liquor. So we see, and Doris too: It's a man's world, and women have to respect men's opinion, shut up, wear skirts and kiss at last a big strong, guy like Peter Graves. Long winded, unfunny, boring, without any surprising scenes or comical dialogues: director Andrew V. McLaglen put on better movies, for example "McLintock!" or the great and outstanding pacifistic civil-war-western "Shenandoah". Don't waste your time!

I like Doris Day and try to get all her films in german. You cannot imagine how happy I was, when I received "The Ballad of Josie" ( Das Teufelsweib aus Texas )( german title). It's a rare film, but I like it because of Doris. Well, people who enjoyed "Pillow Talk" won't like to watch this one, I guess. In this film are some funny moments, for example when Doris wears jeans and surprise the men or when she is falling on the bed. But you can't compare it to her better films. I can only say, Doris is in it, some other good actors and the plot isn't bad at all.

One of Doris Day's lesser-known entries from late in her film career, one even she wishes she had passed on. Feisty female turns rancher in this feminist western, butting heads with the local-yokels in a distaff variation on "The Sheepman". Doris doesn't look her best here (blame it on that wig), although her conniption fits are as funny as ever. When Day gets her ire up, it's really something to behold. But the film is unbelievably anachronistic, especially since this was 1967. No wonder she later turned to TV; this plays like a failed TV pilot, with a supporting cast to match! Directed by genre-mainstay Andrew V. McLaglen, who must have been looking at his watch. *1/2 from ****