Drango

Its worth a watch because it is a decent Western with all the right mix except this one takes place right after the Civil War and shows you quite effectively the hatred the South had for the rest of the country. I found this depiction rather accurate right down to the prejudice, murders and realism as this really happened. Remember, people were so opposed to this war that they went to war to make their point. We got whiskey drinking, fighting, horses, love interest, lynchings, farms and a good look at things back then. The plot is a good one and it cost many people their life (in the move and out) to make the point of stopping what doesn't work and doing what does. Killing always starts with a reason and ends with a reason to stop as well. I had a hard time with the name of this movie i.e. "Drango". It makes no sense, doesn't capture a personality or point and leaves you with a sense of unfinished business even though it is the name of the main character. Obviously whoever named this movie wanted to get it over with or had an appointment elsewhere. Even when I accepted the name, hearing others say it took effort. It just doesn't have the Western flavor and in fact detracts. Pay close attention how people lived with the seasons as you needed a crop in one season to make it through the next one. Miss an opportunity and it can cost you your life and your farm in other words everything. Nice little portrait of an orphan family whose mom & dad were killed. They had shelter but lacked food and clothing. This is as real as it gets as well as the solution given. I like to eat during movie watching. This one is a sandwich or even some beef jerky with a tasty drink. Confederate or rebel, ride into this, dismount and sit a spell

DRANGO is a sturdy little western that has an interesting tale to tell but doesn't quite fulfill its potential as a saga about a town in Georgia that is still bristling with hostility over what the dirty Yanks have done to their burned out village. And what they have yet to learn is that Major Clint Drango (JEFF CHANDLER) had a large part in destroying and pillaging the town under orders from Sherman to do exactly that. Now he's involved in the town's reconstruction.

It's an interesting story, directed in crisp, no nonsense fashion with the major finding out just how hard his job is going to be the moment he sets foot in town with his helpmate Captain Marc Banning, played by JOHN LUPTON. He also has to contend with a woman (JOANNE DRU) who has her own reasons for despising him until she learns that he's a caring man who is only seeking justice in a town torn apart by hatred and fear.

The villain of the piece is Clay Allen (RONALD HOWARD), the man who opposes Drango every step of the way, leading an angry mob to hang Dru's father before his trial can even begin. Julie London is wasted in a colorless supporting role. Ronald Howard is the spitting image of his father, LESLIE HOWARD, only a bit finer in features--but he has the same walk, the same voice pattern and was, judging from this film, a very competent actor.

Overall, it's an unusual western with some slow spots but it's a western best appreciated by Civil War fans.

Intriguing bit of history circa 1865, as a Union Army major is assigned to bring law and order to a burnt-out, starving Georgia town, but finds the residents hostile to post-Civil War change. Director Hall Bartlett also wrote and co-produced this forgotten film for United Artists, which deals with some complex issues and fiercely tangled emotions and loyalties. Jeff Chandler is forthright in the lead, attempting to do his job politely and carefully, unarmed, but forced to fight an entire town seemingly bent on destruction and savagery. The dramatic scope of the proceedings is minimized for a 90-minute format, and the circumstances Bartlett chooses to focus on--a local man's trial, a tyrannical land baron's desired leadership--nearly reduces the power the director manages to build up in smaller corners (such as Chandler bringing a winter coat to an orphaned youngster). The absence of blacks (the freed slaves) is noticeable, though judging the movie on what is presented culls up much bigger problems. The townsfolk flip-flop laughably between the two sides (vicariously cheering evil, glinty-eyed Southerner Ronald Howard one minute, then turning inward and solemn once Chandler's Major Drango takes the floor). We don't see a full-scale view of what is transpiring personally within these people's lives (probably due to a limited budget), and so are forced to rely on the performances (which are adept) and the direction (the writing being alternately too soft and too harsh). The brutalities inherent to the scenario are discreetly presented--with one very important murder happening off-screen--but the affects are still quite strong. An intriguing drama for history buffs. ** from ****

Drango is directed by Hall Bartlett and Jules Bricken and Bartlett writes the screenplay. It stars Jeff Chandler, Joanne Dru, Julie London, Donald Crisp and John Lupton. Music is by Elmer Berstein and cinematography by James Wong Howe.

In the months that followed the War between the States, the South lay in pitiable desolation. Within the people, a fire still smouldered. proud, unbowed, they watched with ominous foreboding as the hated Yankees again rode down upon their land ... this time as military governors.

Drango offers up two genuine delights for fans of Westerns and Civil War pieces. Firstly it further adds weight to the pro argument case for Jeff Chandler being under valued as an actor, secondly is that the theme of the reconstruction period at the end of the Civil War simply doesn't have enough cinematic ventures. Here in plot we have Chandler as Major Drango, sent into Kennesaw, Georgia, to help rebuild a town that as part of Sherman's March he helped destroy. He is up against it since nobody trusts him and certain factions want to continue the war.

Tone is magnificently set by Wong Howe's (Pursued/Hud) monochrome photography, visually sombre as it portents troubles ahead, this is at one with Major Drango's battle to not only win over the town, but also to exorcise his demons. The bitterness left over from the war is evident, strikingly born out by some scenes that stir the emotional heart, while the political machinations on offer are deftly played into the narrative. The two ladies of the piece are most important, each offering up a different side of the political divide, with both Dru and London competent in their acting turns. Action is played well enough in a film that has more to say in characterisations than blood stirring for sake's sake, all while the great Elmer Bernstein provides a score that tantalises the tonal flow of the narrative.

The whole thing is anchored by Chandler's strong performance, for even when he is not delivering potent dialogue from a thought provoking script, he exudes pained anguish via visual touches, believably so.

The absence of black characters has rightly been noted across the review spectrum, the area where the story is set and the period of reconstruction at the film's heart demands more insight there. And yes! it can be argued that there's a little bias in the writing. But this holds up as a most intriguing pic, it's well performed, with technical merit as well, whilst simultaneously reminding us all that the end of wars doesn't mean work isn't still to be done. 7/10

A rather dour Reconstruction Western that's probably too earnest for its own good. Writer Hall Bartlett's heart is in the right place—reconciling North and South following the Civil War. Union Major Drango (Chandler) wants to unite rebellious Confederate town around a regime of humane occupation, despite widespread resistance. The supporting cast is familiar from about every popular TV series of the day—Stone, Phillips, Sande, Ankrum, Baer. Too bad the powerful Donald Crisp is largely wasted in a circumscribed role, and why Julie London's presence other than to build box-office appeal is unclear to me. In fact, her romantic subplot with Lupton sprawls the story without strengthening it.

Also, reviewer Lorenellroy is right—Chandler's major comes across as too stiff and unappealing for a central character. His besieged Major should be serious, but the seriousness is finally carried to a deadening degree. Bartlett was interesting as a producer, especially with Navajo and Unchained. Here, however, I'm afraid he tries to do too much with a screenplay that ends up in too many talky subplots. Then too, direction should have been left to a better stylist since the core material had potential.

In passing—note that no reference to slavery or appearance of a black person occurs anywhere in the movie, a rather startling omission for a film dealing with the post-Civil War South. My guess is that the producers, like others of the period, didn't want to risk dealing with a sensitive subject at a time when Jim Crow laws still prevailed below the Mason-Dixon Line. Anyway, considering the number of Westerns on TV and in theatres in 1957, it's probably not surprising that despite good intentions and a fine performance from Joanne Dru this dour little oddity has remained lost in the mix.