Dodge City (1939)

"Dodge City" is a real good early 'A' western, at a time when they were usually second feature programmers. In the same year came "Stagecoach", but this one was in color, at a time when color features were just coming to prominence. The director was Michael Curtiz, who was four years away from "Casablanca". And he doesn't disappoint in this effort.A lot of reviewers have already weighed in but I just wanted to add that "Dodge City" recalls an earlier, more innocent era when you often went to the movies as a family and could watch movies suitable for the occasion. Now, of course, everything is R rated and you have to leave the little ones home.Errol Flynn was the good guy and Olivia DeHavilland was 'the girl'. The bad guys were Bruce Cabot (never trust Bruce Cabot) and Victor Jory. Sprinkled in were several identifiable character actors. Not a lot to think about here, just wait for the bad guys to get their comeuppance and applaud at the end. Hardly any applause anymore at the end of movies, but then most contemporary movies aren't worth the trouble.

This is a rousing western with great ingredients: Errol Flynn, Olivia De Haviland, Michael Curtiz direction, Max Steiner score, and vivid color. It's a fun movie. But it belongs to an earlier generation of western movies that was superseded by many films that later appeared during the golden age of the genre in the late 1940s and 1950s.John Ford's Stagecoach appeared in the same year as Dodge City and already pointed the way forward to a deeper, more grown-up western. It would be followed by other fine films by Ford himself, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher, and many others. These movies focused on character, complex themes, or simply the poetry of the western myth itself.What Dodge City provides is standard horse-opera fare elevated by great production values. We have the pure-hearted, noble hero, kind to all ladies even when they scorn him; the comical but dumb sidekick; the saloon brawl, the really nasty bad guy and his even nastier gang, and so on.There's a great opening sequence in which the new railroad train races a stagecoach. Another attraction is Olivia De Haviland, whose delicate beauty perfectly complements Flynn's persona. It's easy to see why Flynn was so popular in swashbuckling movies like this one--he could wield a six-gun or sword, handily defeating enemies, yet remain a gentleman. Compared with movie heroes to come--Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca! John Wayne in The Searchers!--Flynn was a Boy Scout.The famous saloon fight in Dodge City is way over the top. We are meant to revel in the high spirits and manly foolishness of many dozens of Yanks and Confederates literally reducing the establishment to rubble as they beat each other with every weapon available. Later westerns continued the tradition of bar-room confrontations, but the casts would be smaller and the situations far more desperate ones with lives at stake and justice at issue.

"Dodge City, Kansas - 1872. Longhorn cattle center of the world and wide-open Babylon of the American frontier - packed with settlers, thieves and gunmen"."Dodge City... rolling in wealth from the great Texas trail-herds... the town that knew no ethics but cash and killing".Enter trail boss Wade Hatton, cunningly disguised as a dashing Errol Flynn........Dodge City, an all action Western from start to finish, finds Errol Flynn {in his first Western outing} on tip top form. Based around the story of Wyatt Earp, Michael Curtiz's expensively assembled film charms as much today as it did to audiences back in 1939. All the genre staples are holding the piece together, dastardly villains, pretty gals, wagon train, cattle drive, iron horse, Civil War, shoot outs, fist fights and of course an heroic Sheriff. All neatly folded by the astute and impressive Curtiz. Aided by Sol Polito's fluid Technicolor enhanced photography, and Max Steiner's breezy score, Curtiz's set pieces shine as much as they enthral. A burning runaway train and the finest saloon brawl in cinema are the stand outs, but there are many other high points on which to hang the hat of praise.Very much a male dominated film, it's with the ladies that Dodge City fails to reach greater heights. Olivia de Havilland, who is always a feast for the eyes in Technicolor, disliked her role as Abbie Irving, and it's not hard to see why. There is not much for her to get her teeth into, it's a simple role that demands nothing other than saying the lines and to look pretty. Ann Sheridan as Ruby Gilman gets the more sparky role, but she sadly doesn't get that much screen time. Which is a shame because what little there is of Sheridan is really rather great.Those problems aside, it's with the guys that Dodge City is rightly remembered. Flynn attacks the role of Hatton with gusto and a glint in his eye. When he straps on the Sheriff badge for the first time it's akin to Clark Kent shredding his suit to become Superman. Yes it's that exciting. Bruce Cabot and Victor Jory are growly and great villains, while comedy relief comes in the fine form of side-kickers Alan Hale and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams. Dodge City sets out to entertain, and entertain it does. In a year that saw other notable and lauded Westerns also released {Stagecoach, Jesse James and Destry Rides Again} give credit where credit is due, Dodge City deserves its place amongst those offerings. Most assuredly so as well. 8/10

Dodge City (1939) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Former trailboss Wade Hatton (Errol Flynn) takes the Sheriff job in Dodge City to clean the town up, which includes taking care of the top bad guy (Bruce Cabot). This is only my third Flynn film and so far this is probably my favorite performance from him. Once again the energy he brings to every scene is truly remarkable. Just the way he walks seems to light the screen up. Olivia de Havilland is also good in her role as is Cabot, Frank McHugh and Henry Travers. Director Michael Curtiz adds energy to every scene and handles the brawl fight, the best I've seen, very well. The Technicolor looks terrific especially the fire on the train at the end. The outcome of the little boy was also nice to see considering how out of the ordinary it is.