It Was a Very Good Year

I mentioned the other day that, given the ten films nominated, I would've voted for Stagecoach for the Best Picture Oscar back in 1939 (supposedly the greatest year in film history). But even so, I'm not convinced that John Ford's great film was even the best western made that year. In fact, for pure entertainment value, I'd likely give the nod to Destry Rides Again. Directed by the the incredibly prolific, if not exactly exalted, George Marshall, Destry is a near perfect blend of comedy and action. Jimmy Stewart plays the low key title character, brought to a wild town to restore order by an old pal of his father's who suddenly finds himself wearing a sheriff's badge. The new deputy, much to his boss's surprise and shame, arrives and immediately eschews the use of guns or force to maintain order (totally contrary to his reputation, or for that matter, his father's). Of course, as the story unfolds, he is forced to revise his attitude somewhat, but this is one of those cases where the sum of the plot is ultimately much less interesting than the little bits of business that make up the individual scenes. Most of these are stolen by some of the greatest character actors in Hollywood history: Billy Gilbert as a bartender, Una Merkel as a boarding house proprietress, Mischa Auer as her mail order husband (he may not literally be that, but it amuses me to think so, given his role in the story), Charles Winninger as the sheriff nee town drunk, Allen Jenkins as a henchman to the main villain. None of these folks are stars of the rank of Marlene Dietrich, Brian Donlevy or Stewart-- all of whom are also really good-- but it is their presence and performances that elevate this to classic status. Without them it would be a run of the mill oater. Auer in particular makes me laugh, and is almost as good here as he was in My Man Godfrey, struggling to get out from under the gilded reputation of his wife's first husband (made all the more difficult when he loses his only pair of pants in a poker game). I believe one of the hardest things to do in movies (or maybe any kind of story-telling) is to strike a true balance between comedy and drama, especially when violence is a strong element in the latter. But Destry Rides Again could be the model for getting it right. I watched it last night (at least the fourth time I've seen it), and I'm already looking forward to seeing it again.