The Virginian (1946)

This is not one of "the GREAT" Westerns, but it's pretty darned good...above average for that genera in that era.The biggest positive of this film is its star -- Joel McCrea as the Virginian. I always preferred McCrea in non-Westerns, but he's very good here. Brian Donlevy is here as the "bad guy" Trampas. Donlevy was an interesting actor. Often the bad guy, but not always. He's quite good here, although it's obvious that he's a B actor.Sonny Tufts is the Virginian's best friend and competitor in the love department with the new school marm. This characters demise -- hung by his best friend -- is another thing that sets this Western apart from many.Barbara Britton is "just okay" as the romantic interest here...the new school marm. Not much depth there in regard to acting.The wonderful Fay Bainter is here as the best friend of the school marm, but she is wasted in her role. The equally wonderful Henry O'Neill plays Bainter's wife...but again, his talents are wasted here. Long before "I Love Lucy", William Frawley sometimes played in Westerns, and he is along here in a small role.Incidentally, some sources indicate that Minor Watson has an uncredited role as "the Judge". I am quite sure that is incorrect. Willard Robertson played the role.Production values here are quite good, and the Technicolor photography taken in California is very nice.Very good, but not great. Better than the average Western of the era. Worth a watch...at least once.

The typical western of the 1940s and 1950s is shown here where a woman seeks adventure from a dull life in 1885's Vermont to go out west and teach. There she finds Joel McCrea, a rancher, involved in trying to prove that Brian Donlevy, dressed in black to depict evil, is the cattle rustler.Faye Bainter must have been gunning for another supporting actress nomination in one scene where she tells our heroine about frontier justice. She was quite effective there. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for McCrea's performance. He was rather dull in a role which would have been perfect for Gary Cooper.Our schoolteacher is never shown in the classroom but can lecture McRea on transitive and intransitive verbs. That was ridiculous for this period peace.Naturally, the two get off on the wrong foot and there are complications during their courtship due to frontier justice. Remember cattle rustlers were automatically hung.

The best thing about THE VIRGINIAN is the pretty school teacher played by Barbara Britton, and very convincingly too. Shortly upon her arrival in town she's met by two cowboy friends, Sonny Tufts and Joel McCrea. As is standard for many a western, at first she and The Virginian (Joel McCrea) don't get on--sort of like an earlier screen western starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland ("Dodge City") where they meet and fall out immediately before winding up in love before the final reel.But, as is usual in these westerns, although she eventually falls for McCrea, she struggles against losing him in a fight with villainous Trampas (Brian Donlevy), always attired in black so we get the picture. But before the finish, she and the hero ride horseback into the setting sunset. The story has the flavor of a Zane Grey western novel, although penned by Owen Wister.The simple tale has some nice performances from the star trio (McCrea, Britton and Tufts), but it's Fay Bainter and Henry O'Neill who give it a warm touch as a couple of homesteaders who take the schoolmarm in.Nothing about the tale suggests why it is such a classic by Owen Wister, especially in this rather humdrum version where the most striking asset is the beautiful Technicolor scenery. The plot is slight, to say the least, and there's little punch to the predictable ending.The only real surprise is the fact that McCrea's code of honor permits him to let his old friend hang for a rustling crime. It's the only original and surprising touch in the story.

The Virginian is a western is a western that hovers to produce huffs and puffs in its onset, exuding no ideas but gradually developing one as the movie goes on. Joel Mccrea a top leading man from the thirties in dramas, comedies, romances and of course to many, he is Sullivan of "Sullivan's travels" is good in the lead. He has that Matthew Mcconaughey thing, not great movie star glimmer but mid-range star wattage. The story of rustling is pervaded by a story of judging and punishing an old friend giving it some depth. The writing team of Goodrich and Hackett, one of the best screenplay writers ever, deliver great dialogue that director Stuart Gilmore fails to improve on visually and the last eight minutes of this movie is the whole plot and movie of High Noon. Seriously!