The Texans

Cute as a button Joan Bennett and cute as a button Randolph Scott make for a lovely early western in the aptly titled The Texans. Set in the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, it once again illustrated how wonderful it would have been if a man with a natural Southern accent had been cast in Gone With the Wind, instead of other actors who couldn't have been bothered to put one on.

This movie deals with carpetbaggers and the terrible way the South was treated after the war. If you don't like that message, rent a different movie that favors the Yankees. Joan and her tough-as-nails grandmother May Robson run an illegal route through the back country so people can bring cattle, whiskey, or other supplies through without getting taxed. Scottie joins the trail, lured in part by the money and in part by her appeal. You'll also see Walter Brennan, Robert Cummings, and Robert Barrat in supporting roles; the latter won a Hot Toasty Rag nomination for his hilarious performance.

With stiff competition in the music department, The Texans won the Rag award for its groundbreaking theme. Before 1938, western movies just used old standard tunes as the background music. Gerald Carbonara wrote a beautiful, heart-tugging theme that was the granddaddy of all the lovely western themes we know today. This movie has been forgotten through the decades, but if you like to see obscure flicks, check out this cute one. You'll definitely have enough eye candy to see you through.

Some of today's viewers might be a bit put off by what they see as racism in the beginning. Just remember not to judge other times by the current time in which you dwell. Black Union soldiers did make themselves unwelcome in post Civil War South. Carpetbaggers did go to the South to take advantage. The South WAS desperately poor after the war and unfair taxes were levied. These are historical facts which do not take sides. The writer took the facts and the attitudes, of both sides, and wove them into this story. Randolph Scott as a former Confederate who wanted the country reunited instead of taken over by Mexico. He said that all Yankees were not like the ones pushing their way around Texas, as he had met them in the war. The Union officer felt the same about many former Confederates. The movie showed this as the beginning of understanding between former foes. The acting was good. Perhaps one of Scott's better performances. Mae Robson was great and reminded me of Beula Bondi. Robert Cummings (well before his TV successes) was the former Confederate officer who could not accept the loss of the war. Joan Bennett was beautiful as the center of the love triangle between Scott, Cummings and herself. Character actors brought the film along quite well as they often do - Walter Brennan, Raymond Hatton, Frances Ford, Robert Barrat, Harvey Stephens. And there was Richard Denning with a small speaking part before his Mr. North fame. There was a most believable fight scene in the streets between Union troops and former confederates. It was well directed. There was an action scene of wagons, horses and cattle running from brush fire set by Indians that was very well done considering this was before digital special effects. The movie moved along nicely from the very beginning with plenty of Western excitement. Be sure to catch this Western if you get the chance. Although it has some twists and turns, it is still a good old fashioned Western.

Enjoyable movie. Sorry to be picky, but some continuity problems. Scott has to sell his land for a badly fitting suit to be able to leave town, even though he is wearing a gold ring. Bennet, Robson and Brennan go home, Scott rides up the same day and has a whole new buckskin outfit. Bennet and co are still wearing same clothes, where did Scott get his? Great scenes of cattle driving and river crossings. Robson is magnificent. Interesting historically to think that Bennets character thinks the French and the Mexicans can revive the South. Robert Cummings is always good, very young in this and not a lot alof screen time.

I don't know if this movie was based on a true story, but it is believable, in that it was quite likely that there were mixed loyalties after the Civil War; some wanted to continue the fight, and some that wanted to put it behind them. I've seen plenty of movies where the Confederates are portrayed as bitter sore losers. This is the first time I've seen a movie with the Rebs trying to abide by the new rules, while being persecuted at the same time. Quite believable.

Somewhat Rare in 1938, a Big Budget Western with Plenty of Plot Involving the Post Civil-War Angst in Texas.

Randolph Scott in His Earlier Years before Maturing into the Granite Faced, Unshakable Moral Hero He would become in the Final Act of a Long Career.

Here He is a Fresh Faced Ex-Confederate that has a Progressive Attitude Concerning the War and is Ready to Forgive and Forget Unlike Most of the "Texans".

The North has its Villains Portrayed here by Carpetbaggers and Alcoholic Fat-Cat Politicians and Eager Plunderers.

Joan Bennett, a bit Miscast, but Pretty and Pretty Set in Revenge against the "Yankees" at All Costs.

The Highlight of the Movie is the Cattle Drive with one Fiery Sequence an Exciting Eye-Popper that is Late Thirties Hollywood Showing its Stuff.

Overall, the Themes would be Revisited in Future Better Westerns, but this is Worth a Watch for its Early Experiment in the Genre.

A Good Cast, quite a bit of Humor, and some Sprawling Outdoor Action make it quite an Entertainment.

It was the Period when the Studio System was Peaking.

This was the Type of Achievement that could Showcase the Movie Machine Approaching High-Pop-Culture-Art from a Conglomerate of Cooperative Creators.