Destry Rides Again (1939)

Undescribable Perfection

So much average

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Destry Rides Again is a comedy western about a morally corrupt town that gets a new deputy sheriff, Destry, who hopes to instill a new order to the crooked town of Bottleneck. The town's saloon owner Kent and his singer girlfriend Frenchy essentially run the town and profit at the expense of other families by cheating residents out of their properties in poker games. Though Frenchy is a commanding, confident and feisty character; it is obvious that Destry's arrival causes her to feel differently about the business she and Kent had done. Destry's arrival is the most interesting part of the movie in my opinion, because his courtesy in carrying the parasol and pet bird for another woman causes him to appear 'weak' in the eyes of the mocking townspeople. Eventually, Destry, the adamant anti-gun advocate, shows off his gun slinging skills to a couple of rowdy drunk men and captures the awe of everyone in attendance. Destry and Frenchy both develop significantly over the course of the film to be dynamic catalysts for the film's conclusion. In regards to theme, this movie wrestles with the question: What is the law? and more importantly, What side is the law on? Destry quickly discovers that the mayor and Kent collude to hold real jurisdiction over Bottleneck while they put a sheriff in charge who is easy to manipulate. With his unconventional ways and cool demeanor, Destry succeeds in bringing the town of Bottleneck to justice.

I don't know what it was about James Stewart. Was it his slow drawl? Was it his introspective kind of analyzing of situations. When his Destry arrives in Bottleneck, he becomes the laughing stock of the community. Of course, nothing phases him, and he is willing to take care of business on his own terms. The bad guys have had their way with the community, including the committing of cowardly murders. Destry's father was a great lawman, but he ended up with a bullet in his back. There is a lot of comedy in this film, much of it involving Stewart and the irrepressible Marlene Dietrich, who has left the confines of Berlin and headed for the Old West. She is no shrinking violet and has her own agenda, but we know that our soft spoken guy is going to make a point.

I've always loved a good Hollywood western. True, the genre does lend itself to clichés, with many films reusing scenarios and plot points from other films. But there's a good reason for this; if something still works, you might as well keep using it. And Destry Rides again works. With its blend of humor and action, and a talented cast featuring Jimmy Stewart, Destry is one of the better westerns from Hollywood's golden age.When the sheriff of Bottleneck 'becomes unavailable' after sticking his nose into the local badman's business, the crooked mayor appoints Wash, the town drunk to fill his shoes. But Wash does them one better by sending for John Destry, son of the legendary Tombstone Sheriff. Only it turns out the younger Destry (Stewart) is hardly the spitting image of his pa. He's soft-spoken, shy, and doesn't like guns. In short, not the most promising material. But together it's up to them to stop a diabolical land scheme and bring law and order to Bottleneck.What makes Destry work, especially in its comic elements, is Jimmy Stewart's one-of-a-kind acting. In his hands, Tom Destry is almost two characters. In public he's the kind of nice guy who chokes up around the ladies, wonders why everybody can't just get along, and blithely responds to most situations with an amusing anecdote. But in close company, he's one of the sharpest detective's in the west. Come to think of it, he rather reminds me of the Scarlett Pimpernel, or perhaps Douglas Fairbanks in Mark of Zorro.Plus Destry Rides Again has everything a good western should: Gunfights, bumbling deputies, saloon scenes aplenty, and a couple of semi-obligatory musical numbers. In fact, just about any western cliché from the period can be found here. Destry is after all, a parody of its contemporaries. As such it works best when it's being completely screwball, as with the guy who lost his pants and can't find new ones, or the hilarious bar-room cat fight. And I was quite impressed by the ending, when the villain is defeated using a plot device never seen before or since in a western.The action scenes and investigative bits also work well, the attempts at establishing a love interest not so much. It can also get a bit sappy at times; although this is forgivable considering that it was made in '39. Overall, Destry Rides Again is a solid comedy western, suitable for the whole family.

Utterly brilliant! I first saw this film over 40 years ago – it appealed to me then and again just now. I must know every line and backwards too I've seen it so often. It's almost perfect as a motion picture: non stop action and comedy, witty dialogue and good acting from a marvellous cast, great production even down to perfect lighting throughout, memorable scenes galore. More happens in any 2 minutes than in the entirety of some modern films – it's a masterclass of intelligent middlebrow entertainment.Bottleneck is a wide open town run by a rather cartoony collection of baddies led by Brian Donlevy – the sheriff has to suddenly leave and Washington Dimsdale the town drunk is promoted to the job. He has an inspiration to recruit his old friend's son Tom Destry played by James Stewart to the role of deputy to clean up the town – but is mortified when Destry arrives in town gunless carrying a birdcage and "parrysol" looking most ineffectual. As with most first impressions it doesn't last long. Favourite bits out of so many: Destry's arrival; handling guns non-promiscuously to the townsfolks enlightenment; the saloon catfight between the real boss of Bottleneck Marlene Dietrich and Una Merkel; Dietrich's main songs – See What The Boys In The Backroom Will Have was the big hit but I always preferred You've Got That Look; Jack Carson making a crack and getting a swift crack on the jaw by Stewart; Wash's death almost traumatised me when young, it's still a powerful scene – Stewart was always fabulous in reacting to misfortune; the kids singing Little Joe after the mayhem – I wondered whether Peckinpah made a note of it; even Mischa Auer's slapstick antics never overstayed their welcome.It's 90 minutes short – I wish it had been double. I haven't a clue if it could be called one of the cleverest or most meaningful films ever made (after all, as usual with everything it has dated since it was made) but it is one of my top 10 favourite films of all time, it's sheer poetry in motion.