Wichita

jacques tourneur, of Cat People fame, might seem an unlikely candidate to helm an above average B+ western. But that was the case in 1955 with Wichita, about the early days of Wyatt Earp. Some liberties with the facts are taken, including the notion that Earp had never worn a badge before he arrived in the Texas cowtown. In fact, Earp was the marshal of Ellsworth, Kansas in 1875 and was wooed away by the larger Wichita - even as Dodge City would then talk him into moving there. Many incidents in this film actually took place in Ellsworth, as the two towns are 'collapsed' into one another. That aside, the film is fine - whether individual things we see happened in one town or the other, the point is that the savvy screenplay conveys a strong understanding of the politics in such a city, and with no simple good guys in white hats or badguys in black ones, we realize that Earp had more problem with greedy townspeople than with outlaws. Bat Masterson (whom he actually knew from buffalo hunting days) becomes a deputy though he really wants to be a newspaperman, and while that had not yet occurred to him, Bat would, after leaving the rest, become a famous sportwriter in New York. One terrific sequence involves the attempt of a corrupt businessman to hire a pair of gunmen to kill Wyatt, though they turn out to be two of his brothers, and this incident really did take place. Joel McCrea makes a sturdy Earp (he later played Bat in gunfight at dodge city), and Keith Larson is fine as the young Bat. Great title song, by the way, by Tex Ritter. As to the upper level of B westerns in the fifties, they really don't get much better than this.

The same year that Wichita came out, 1955, the TV series about Wyatt Earp debuted with that famous theme song, "Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp, brave courageous and bold." And certainly Hugh O'Brian was all these things in that series.

But the western hero that fit all those virtues was certainly Joel McCrea. After portraying Buffalo Bill Cody in the way Cody would have liked to have been remembered it was only natural that Wyatt Earp be done the same way.

Wichita was the first town that Earp had a job in law enforcement and he was there one year, 1875-1876. Wichita is purportedly the story of that year and how he cleaned up the town and made law and order function in Wichita. It's certainly all been done before, but the story is in the hands of a capable cast.

Particularly to watch is the double dealing role that Edgar Buchanan has and how a bad case of mistaken identity costs him dearly.

Tex Ritter sings a nice title song over the credits and while it didn't exactly have the impact that his same efforts had in High Noon, it certainly sets the tone for this film as well. After all back in the day Tex made a western or three.

Wyatt Earp was another example of a fascinating person with a fascinating story, so any film about him is always welcome. It is a shame that Jacques Tourneur is as underrated as he is, as he had great talent as a director. One of the best film noirs ever 'Out of the Past' and the very influential 'Cat People' are proof of that. Joel McCrea, Vera Miles and Lloyd Bridges were always worth seeing, and all three have good performances in other films.

Anybody that loves the Western genre, or at least appreciates it, are likely to find a lot to like about 'Wichita'. To me, it is not quite a classic and is a film to be taken on its own and to be dismissed on biographical terms. 'Wichita' still struck me as very good, with a lot of things being excellent. With this film, it is easy to see why those who have heard of Tourneur and like some of his films have found appeal in him and also why the cast are as regarded as they are.

Sure 'Wichita' is cliched, with a lot of elements that people who know the genre will recognise from elsewhere. Those that know intimately about Earp and his life will despair at how the film plays fast and loose with the facts, which were even more interesting than what was presented here.

Perhaps the pace could have been tighter at times.

However, 'Wichita' is very handsomely shot, making the most of the settings that are full of unforgiving grit and atmosphere, and there are no signs of time and budget constraints visually. Tourneur's direction is exemplary, taut, elegant and frames and stages the action with accomplishment and ease. It is a very different kettle of fish to his direction for 'Out of the Past' and 'Cat People', but he didn't seem out of his depth here and it shows that he did have versatility. The music fits very well and the theme song from Tex Ritter is memorable. The script was clearly written with a lot of intelligence and is literate without being too talk heavy.

The story also compels on the most part, it excites, it doesn't hold back in the more tense scenes and it's moving in spots. As well as nostalgic. The action is spectacular, thrillingly staged and beautifully filmed. The romantic angle doesn't feel like padding or tacked on, a mistake that quite a number of similar films make. It may not be completely accurate, but it is a very well told and engaging story in its own way. Earp is a character of real authority here while being characterised in a way that makes one find it easy to empathise with his conflicts. McCrea does superbly at showing all those things in his performance too. Miles is luminous and charming and Keith Larson and Edgar Buchanan are effective in their parts.

Overall, very good and deserving of more credit. 8/10

Wichita is a western that again focuses on a life and deeds of legendary Wyatt Earp, only this time without gunfight at the OK Corral. The action doesn't take place at Tombstone, but in a small cattle town of Wichita where our hero (this time played by Joel McCrea) arrives and very soon is offered a post of a Marshall due to his strong persona and skills in using the gun.

In a very short time he manages to change completely the life of the town from a very dangerous place where one could be killed or robbed at any moment to the most peaceful town in the wild west.

An interesting western directed by Jacques Tourneur, that revisits some of the used western's cliches, but also contains some spectacular action sequences and some personal Tourneur touches in directing which rise the film little above the average and turn it into a pleasurable viewing experience. 7/10

Wichita is directed by Jacques Tourneur and written by Daniel B. Ullman. It stars Joel McCrea, Vera Miles, Wallace Ford, Edgar Buchannan, Lloyd Bridges and Keith Larsen. It's filmed in Cinemascope/Technicolor with cinematography by Harold Lipstein and music by Hans J. Salter.

Wichita is an origin story, that of one Wyatt Earp (McCrea), the story is set before he gets to Dodge City, where apparently some famous gunfight occurred. From a narrative stand point it's a town tamer story, Earp arrives in a newly thriving Wichita, at this point he's a hunter of buffalo only. But as the cowboys converge on the town, and things turn very dark, Earp - a bastion of good and just righteousness - finds it impossible to continue in turning down the town superior's offers of becoming the town Marshal.

It's one of those Western movies that made Western movie fans become Western movie fans. A film you would have watched as a youngster and just bought totally into the good guy against the baddies central core. Of course as youngsters we wouldn't have cared a jot about thematics such as capitalism ruling over common sense, or metaphysical leanings ticking away, all while a genius director is composing shots and frames of great distinction. Hell! Even the intelligence and maturity in the writing would have escaped us, the dark passages merely incidents of no great concern...

Wichita is damn fine film making. OK! It isn't wall to wall action. Sure there is a good round of knuckles, a bit of trench warfare and the standard shoot-outs, but these are just conduits to smart and compelling human drama, richly performed by McCrea (brilliantly cast) and company. Tourneur, Ullman and Lipstein make sure there is no waste on the page or via location framing, the costuming authentic and pleasing, and of course the story itself, the set up of the iconic man himself, is as compelling as it is splendidly entertaining.

It be a traditional Western for the traditional Western fan. Nice! 8/10