A Indomável

Doris Day, in my opinion has given only two "bad performances." One was in "Do Not Disturb" and the other in "That Touch of Mink." And, it wasn't so much Doris' fault...it was the scripts and unwise directors who tried to keep her pure as the driven sunshine.

"Ballad of Josie" had spunk. It was about a woman who decided to take control of her own life after having been a battered wife. She needed to take care of her little boy and she felt that she didn't NEED A MAN to do anything FOR her. We should be applauding, not hissing this independent woman.

Day didn't want to make this film (her husband had signed for her to do it), but she felt, "a deal's a deal." She put 110% into Josie Minick and she gave a VERY professional performance. No surprise to me, because Day always gave her all, even with drivel like "Disturb" and "Mink." As an actress, she fulfilled her obligation and then some in this part. Could Shirley MacLaine or Debbie Reynolds have given a more convincing performance? I think not. Doris' approach to any scene is so natural, people forget that she's acting. Therefore, audiences and critics ignore what an incredible job she's done, despite poor scripts.

This is not among Doris Day's great films, but she was wonderful in all of her scenes. The script? It wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't the worse. I felt that her supporting cast was well-represented by some of the best character actors in the business. She got marvelous support from Andy Devine, William Talman, Peter Graves, George Kennedy, John Fiedler, Audrey Christie, David Hartman, Elizabeth Fraiser, Paul Fix, etc. And, didn't she look incredible in those jeans?!!!!!!!!

... without Dan Blocker and with Doris Day. It's basically about a Wyoming woman (Doris Day) who finds herself minus a husband who shocks the men of the town by deciding to herd sheep instead of cows and by wearing (OH THE HORROR!) mens' pants!!! You know, I haven't seen this since I was twelve and I actually remembered it fondly until I saw it today. George Kennedy plays the cattle ranch owning buffoonish bully who wants Josie's sheep dead. Peter Graves is the love interest who threatens to do endearing things like spank Josie if she doesn't shut up. Andy Devine is still playing the same character he was thirty years before. William Talman, after so many years of losing to Perry Mason, plays a district attorney who is trying to get Wyoming statehood. In the end, the lesson seems to be "who needs the vote anyways ladies, and wear a dress if you want a man!" Oh, the sexism. I guess I just didn't notice this in 1970. And what's worse, this is what passed for feminism in 1970.

This is the problem with so many 60s films. They have one foot in the 50s, one foot in the 70s, and nothing works. This thing might just reach a 5/10 mainly because of its star power, even if those stars are being badly used.

By this time in her career Doris was being forced into roles by her husband Marty Melcher. The forever beautiful Doris looked a little worn out on this production. Filmed on location, the scenery is beautiful and Doris' performance makes up for the simple plot. Its too bad the script was just so so. The best scenes are when she is defending her land and causes a "womens riot" in the town. It is enjoyable to see David Hartman ( 70's host of Good Morning America )and supporting star Elisabeth Fraser ( who played Doris Day's sister in Young at Heart). Doris is Hollywood royalty although she has never received the recognition she deserves.

The Ballad of Josie for Doris Day marked the beginning of the end of her film career. Her agent/husband/svengali Martin Melcher forced her into a whole lot of mediocre films because he knew and she would find out that their wealth was something done with mirrors. She had to keep working.

Not that it's a bad film, just not a terribly good one. It's populated with a whole good cast of veteran players and her leading man in this is Peter Graves. Graves is someone who should have had a good career as a screen lead in his youth. Unfortunately he got to do a lot of bad science fiction movies(and some real classic good ones) which didn't help. He opted for the small screen instead.

William Talman makes his farewell appearance here. He's a big shot politician who sees his dream of statehood in Wyoming going down the tubes because of the controversy of Doris Day trying to raise sheep in what has been traditionally cattle country.

Doris's husband Robert Lowery is killed in the first few minutes of the film. She has to raise her son alone now and lots of professions and trades were closed to her as they were to women back in that day. She decides to become a shepherd as she's told it doesn't have the overhead expense of cattle on the 460 acres she's inherited.

That starts a whole big controversy with a shooting range war about to break out.

Granted that women were kept barefoot and pregnant in those days, but it's hard to believe that Doris might not have heard SOME discussion about the cattle and sheep problem and why there was this unofficial line of demarcation in Arapahoe County, Wyoming.

Fans of Doris will want to see her in anything though.

A light hearted comedy based on both the range wars of the 1800's and the eternal battle between man and woman. If you're nostalgic for movies without a moral or a lesson, no violence and just plain fun, then this oldie but goo die is for you. Doris Day comes across as a spunky but humorous woman, trying to make her way in a man's world, and her antics are at times, almost classic slapstick. Peter Graves and George Kennedy offer wonderful foils against Doris Day, and even William Talman gets into the mood with more than a few bright quips. The characters of Klugg and Bratsch afford their own dry humor as they sit, observe and bet and comment on the activities of the other characters. The tone of the movie itself is upbeat and fun, and if you like light hearted family fare, then you could do a lot worse than spending an evening with this older flick.