Dallas (1950)

I don't think I've ever watched a good cast work harder to make a bad script work. Which means the directing had to be good too. And, for the period, the production values are pretty high too. But the real candidate for lynching was the writer, not the bad guy in the movie.I would have scored it lower but for the laughs I got out of the woefully bad dialog and virtually every cast member's heroic efforts to keep a straight face while delivering their bits. If you're a Gary Cooper fan, or just like to listen to Ruth Roman's sexy husky voice, the rest is worth a watch for just how funnily bad it is. Funnier than many an intentional western parody.

Interesting the wide range (no pun intended) of reviews here. As for me, I think it's a better-than-average Western (a genre that I rarely watch anymore), though clearly not one of the great Westerns. There are parts of the film, particularly early on, where there is a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor that is enjoyable.The story line is that after the Civil War, a rebel (Gary Cooper) is looking for revenge against a group of carpetbaggers who burned his family to death when they destroyed their Georgia plantation. Cooper meets up with Leif Erickson, an Eastern dandy who has somehow been appointed a federal marshal...even though he can't even shoot a gun. Cooper assumes the role of federal marshal, and Erickson becomes his deputy. Erickson is in love with a Mexican woman beautifully played by a lovely Ruth Roman...who of course then falls for Cooper. Nevertheless, Erickson comes to admire Cooper and gets him a pardon while they work together to bring an end to the carpetbaggers, headed by Raymond Massey. Gary Cooper is at the top of his form here playing the sort of anti-hero. Raymond Massey is nicely evil...as he often was in films. Leif Erickson -- never a favorite of mine -- is very good here, subtly playing a spurned lover who remains a mostly good guy.As I mentioned earlier, this is not one of the great Westerns, but it is darned good.

This stylized and well financed Western looks good but is light and flimsy for the genre. It can not hold a candle to other Gary Cooper vehicles like High Noon, however it is worth a view if you catch it like I did on a lazy afternoon on the Encore Western channel.The film's setup seems contrived and the dialogue is uneven and sometimes even clumsy but it does include enough star power such as Raymond Massey, Ruth Roman, and Leif Erickson (who lend their considerable talents) to make it worthwhile.Cooper is always a force to be seen and this is no less so in this forgettable Western but even his presence can not totally save this movie.Watch if there is nothing else compelling on, but don't expect great Western fare like High Noon, Gunfight at the OK Corral or The Lawman. This just isn't it.I understand why some might rate this rather mediocre film highly as it is difficult to downgrade any film in this (nowadays) under appreciated genre. But there are such amazing Western films out there that great ratings should only be reserved for the true crème de la crème so that those just dipping their toe into this wonderful pool of cinema are not mislead or unduly disappointed and consequently disenchanted with the whole Western genre.

I fail to comprehend these other mediocre reviews. If you like Gary Cooper, this is one of his best roles. His gentle intensity to right a wrong is what made his career. "Blayde Hollister" comes to Dallas to take revenge against Will and Brian Malowe, who burned his Georgia farm and killed his family. An inept Marshall arriving from Boston gets in Hollister's way, attempting to arrest him when interrupted by a street shootout between Hollister and Wild Bill Hickock. The shootout is staged to get the law off Hollister, & he takes the "back East" Marshall under his wing to keep him alive in Texas, as they switch identity. That was a great beginning, and the picture holds up all the way through. Will Marlowe has positioned himself in Dallas to run for mayor, while his men steal cattle to force foreclosure on the Robles ranch. Brian Marlow, the younger brother, is a loose cannon that keeps getting in the way. Hollister consistently makes a fool out of him, and eventually tosses a black cat across his path, which was truly bad luck.Action may be a little "slow" by today's standards, but it is one of my top 10 favorite movies."That's your last bullet, Will."