richardrandbman

Here is a good example of a film with good intentions that go slightly awry. One could presumably place it in the screwball comedy category but that may be overstating the case. It is intended to be amusing, and for the most part, it lives up that standard.While some may carp that Melvyn Douglas lacks the same credentials as a Cary Grant,he does have an expert sense of timing in his delivery that overcomes his essential lack of charisma.Myrna Loy gives it the old college try and never disgraces herself.(Although she didn't manage to hide her heavyset ankles in this one and we realize why she would never be considered a pin-up queen despite a face that always lit up the screen.) There is only one scene that goes on and on becoming less funny by the minute and that is between Douglas and the unfortunate Lee Bowman playing drunk.If it had been cut the continuity would have survived quite nicely. All told, you could spend time with this one and not feel badly cheated.Better than mediocre, less than scintillating.

Despite being a 30 year old dyed-in-the-wool film buff when this was released I don't remember hearing about it.That despite being a huge fan of Dean Martin and his "playboy" sensibility at the time. (Still am.) This was approximately the period when the country's sense of humor slowly began to change to that of irony and sarcasm.In less than 10 years it would be David Letterman, the Smothers Brothers, and Saturday Night Live.The humor extant in this film would be relegated to dreary TV sitcoms. Dean holds his own with Eli Wallach (no easy feat) and he really seems to be working a little harder than usual to get the laughs.While I'm not familiar with Stella Stevens' body of work (no pun intended)if this is representative then she bears closer examination(again no pun intended). The best way to put it? This is 1968's version of those great screwball comedies that dominated the 30's and early 40's and it doesn't do too badly by comparison.

Several things make this B western look and act like an A picture. Not least is the obvious 'chemistry' between Wayne and Ella Raines.For once a female dishes it out and Wayne loves it. But, the most important aspect of this film is the characterization Wayne imbues in his role as 'Rocklin', a somewhat mysterious cowpuncher. He seems able to make men stop in their tracks by a certain glare or tone of voice. He is no longer a sweet natured cowpuncher who somehow stumbles into his predicaments.This time he's rather mean and if he can answer you in one or no words he does.

In later years Wayne developed this "loner"/ "don't mess with me" type to such a degree that it has become part of movie lore.We take it for granted .This was the film where it burst full fledged on to the screen.And I believe the "macho walk" for which Wayne is so famous was displayed as never before in a showdown with his old nemesis in many 1930's films, Harry Woods. For me this was the obvious lead-in to his monumental performance in "Red River"