Destry Rides Again

Brian Donlevy ("Kent") and Malrene Dietrich ("Frenchy") pretty much run the town of Bottle Neck. Everyone comes to their saloon where they blow off steam and where she regularly serenades them with some toe-tappers. Upstairs, "Kent" runs a crooked poker game and together they fleece gullible old "Claggett" out of his ranch. He goes to the sheriff who promises to intercede, and pretty soon the town...

This was very interesting and I enjoyed it significantly. It's weird watching very early James Stewart--he's not what one would consider a conventional romantic male lead--and this is a very bizarre Western/comedy/musical. Anything starring Dietrich of this vintage is priceless, no doubt. Very weird, especially considering America's ever-present right-to-bear-arms controversy, watching a film like...

Welcome to Bottleneck. Deputy Tom Destry Jr. (James Stewart) rides in to Bottleneck and sets about ridding the town of its riff-raff elements - without guns! Based on the novel by Max Brand, Destry Rides Again simultaneously spoofed the Western genre whilst reinvigorating Marlene Dietrich's flagging career. At first glance it seemed an odd casting choice to choose Dietrich as the bawdy saloo...