Il cavaliere della vendetta

I originally saw this film on TCM many years ago and just recently rewatched it, again on that same network. It's as fun and fast-paced as I remembered.

I'm a big fan of Constance Bennett and I try to see as many of her films as possible. This film stands out in her catalog as a rarity because its a western.

By the early '40s her stardom was beginning to wane and she took parts where she could find them. Although it's an atypical film and part for her, she's quite good as the owner of a gambling hall. She even sings a tune to entertain her customers!

But I couldn't help thinking that this part could've been played more effectively by the likes of Marlene Dietrich. In fact, she was perfect for these types of roles. Think Destry Rides Again, as a prime example.

If this had been an 'A' picture, Warner Brothers might have persuaded Dietrich to star in this one alongside Errol Flynn. Now that would've been a fun film to see.

I still urge you to check this out, regardless of it's lack of bigtime stars. Bennett, Bruce Cabot, Warren Williams and Ward Bond still put on a good show.

I just read the comment left by the gentleman back in 2005 and am really glad he enjoyed the film. I only wish to correct the info here under "soundtracks". "The Lady Got a Shady Deal" was composed by my grandfather, M.K.Jerome, as noted, but the lyric was written by Charles Newman, not 20th Century-Fox composer Alfred Newman. For some strange reason neither are credited on the film itself. M.K. had to rehearse Bennett in the song of course, and said she wasn't exactly a picnic to work with! My father (who was then working on the lot as a messenger) said he had to help Bennett the day she came to the music dept. to rehearse with my grandfather. She came out in the "Grand Manner" of the stars of the period, chauffeured limo, maid, secretary, dogs and husband Gilbert Roland all bringing up the rear. But, having said all that, I've always loved Bennett's work, which is what prompted me to look this title up in the first place, and as somebody else said, in reference to "After Office Hours", she deserves to be remembered!

Chicago burns down in 1871. The Chicago Cattle Exchange remains untouched. Harry Farrel (Warren William) is unconcerned and plans his business takeover. Belle Andrews (Constance Bennett) loses her gambling house in the fire and takes her girls to join him in Powder River, Wyoming to open a new casino. On the train ride, they are saved from bandits by Wild Bill Hickok (Bruce Cabot).

I don't know much about Wild Bill Hickok. I definitely don't picture him looking like that and Bruce Cabot is too civilized for my idea of the man. He doesn't have the grit and neither does the movie. It is a B-movie western. There are some good old fashion stunts. Otherwise, it's nothing more than a good time waster.

The combination of the title of this film with the name "Constance Bennett" (sophisticated cosmopolitanism personified) is mildly startling but all is well. Basically it's a standard action-packed, fast-paced feature along the lines of Universal's 1942 remake of "The Spoilers," wherein a glamorous chanteuse accompanied by an African-American maid relocates to a dirty frontier town and finds herself caught between a bad guy and a good guy, in this case Warren William as a crooked city slicker and Bruce Cabot as the legendary titular character. Bennett dominates every scene she's in because the camera loves her and she shines in her feisty no-nonsense role, inhabiting Orry-Kelly's costumes to a tee and doing justice to a song called "The Lady Got a Shady Deal" by M. K. Jerome and Charles Newman. The supporting cast includes familiar old reliables such as Ward Bond, Walter Catlett, Howard Da Silva and J. Farrell MacDonald, with Betty Brewer excellent as the young daughter of a rancher up against the outlaws. The scenes alternate between fast-talking dialogues bursting with plot points to raucous crowd scenes, shoot-outs, and horse gallopings ranging from the Chicago fire of 1871 (which sets the plot in motion) to a lynch mob, a dam burst and a cattle stampede. A breezy old fashioned entertainment.

"What are you gonna do, Miss Andrews?" "Anybody I can."

Woah. How did that get past the Hays Office.

I had to stick around after hearing that line.

Turns out it's a Blazing Saddles inspiration. Warren William schemes for land rights that will make him rich, just like Harvey Korman's Hedley Lamarr. Bruce Cabot plays the name-brand sureshot Wild Bill Hick0k, a sober versionn of Gene Wilder's Waco Kid. Bennett plays the English-speaking version of Madeline Kahn's Lili Von Schtupp, complete with cabaret act and instructions to ''seduce and abandon the sheriff of Rock Ridge," so to speak.

So mix land sn@tch in with some call girls, train robbers, and a thrilling horse-and-buggy chase and you've got a decent way to waste a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon.

Actually surprised it hasn't cropped up on TV more often. If Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan or Alexis Smith were the leads thisthing would be in heavy rotation.