The Arizonian

Sure, it has all your typical elements of a Western: town with a big bad boss, hero who rides in from the horizon, the reluctant sheriff, stagecoach robberies, themes of guns vs. the rule of law. So at first you think this is going to be the kind of Western that John Wayne languished in between 1930's "Big Trail" and 1939's "Stagecoach", but it is more than that, even minus John Wayne. This has some things which distinguish it. The dialog is well done. It's direct, spare, understated, and, when it needs to be, hard. Richard Dix is especially good in this kind of environment. It also has some crisp direction by Charles Vidor, best known, I suppose, for Gilda, who makes the conventional final shoot-out thoroughly unconventional. The movie stumbles worst with the inclusion of a love triangle between the hero, his brother, and the woman between them. All the people die who are supposed to, though sometimes in a surprising way, and the West is made safe for civilized people. Good support from Margot Grahame, and Preston Foster.

This obvious attempt by RKO to duplicate the success of "Cimarron" (1930) actually succeeds, despite all the odds against it. The budget is only half for a start (and so is the running time) but it's still very lavishly produced. Secondly, heroine Margot Grahame is certainly no Irene Dunne, but she's a very capable and highly sympathetic player nonetheless. Thirdly, the movie lacks an epic stampede but it still manages some really vigorous action sequences including a knock-out climax which has echoes of the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Actor Richard Dix's manly presence is just right for the Wyatt Earp character, while Louis Calhern plays the slimy villain with all the fascination of an utterly vicious yet superficially elegant snake. Preston Foster was always better at the badman-turned-goodie (or vice versa) type of role and is in his element here. The support players include such dyed-in-the-wool villains as Joe Sawyer and even Marc Lawrence, whilst that perennial soak, Francis Ford, is all nicely dressed up here and hardly recognizable as the well-groomed mayor. Etta McDaniel also gets a chance to shine. Director Vidor handles the film's many action scenes with a bold and vigorous hand that will have even the most jaded western fans cheering.

Blonde singer-dancer Margot Grahame (as Kitty Rivers) leaves the western town "Silver City" to escape the clutches of corrupt sheriff Louis Calhern (as Jake Mannen). She must leave boyfriend James Bush (as Orin Tallant) behind, but he's too timid to fret about. On the way out of town, Ms. Grahame's coach is held up by Mr. Calhern's thugs. Fortunately, they are stopped by big, brave Richard Dix (as Clay Tallant) who is going to see his brother in "Silver City". Grahame is so impressed with Mr. Dix' manliness, she decides to join him. Everyone is impressed with Dix and he is appointed marshal. Dix hopes to clean up the town, but Preston Foster (as Tex Randolph) stares him down...

In one of the story's most memorable scenes, Mr. Foster buys a round of drinks and throws them in a line of faces. Foster has the most interesting part. Dix and the others are fairly routine. If you're looking for racial stereotypes, you might be interested in the dotingly slavish Etta McDaniel (as Sarah) and her "pussy footin'" dumb boyfriend Willie Best (as Pompey). In a story written by Dudley Nichols, director Charles Vidor is especially adept with the cast and crew on RKO's western street set/facade. The studio may have been thinking "The Arizonian" would be another "Virginian". They get no cigar, but gravelly-voiced Ray Mayer (as Frank McClosky) is a good western Eugene Palette.

***** The Arizonian (1935-06-28) Charles Vidor ~ Richard Dix, Margot Grahame, Preston Foster, Louis Calhern

Richard Dix who cut a fine figure of a westerner in the original Cimarron plays a Wyatt Earp like marshal in The Arizonian. He's ready to retire from town taming, but when the forces of law and order need his special talents in a place where brother James Bush is settling down in.

The outlaws in this town have special protection as the sheriff Louis Calhern is their leader. He's made them his deputies which is a license to commit all kinds of depravity. One guy definitely not on Calhern's pad is Preston Foster who plays a Doc Holiday type figure.

Foster and Calhern dominate The Arizonian. Dix was always a stalwart hero, a little too stalwart at times. Foster and Calhern give this film whatever color and bite it has.

Western fans should like this.

This is a damn good western from the mid-thirties, and it features two or filmdom's more rugged players, Richard Dix and Preston Foster, in leading roles. There's a natural masculinity both in the movie itself and its stars that many films strive for and few achieve. A good number of fights pepper the film as well. I cannot say that the plot is unique or memorable, but the presentation is. Hungarian-born Charles Vidor directed vigorously. Also of note are a couple of black characters in fairly unstereotyped roles, and the woman does something near the end of the film that will knock your socks off.