Dallas

Gary Cooper has given us much much better in his career, for instance the awesome HIGH NOON or MAN OF THE WEST. This one is directed by the bland Stuart Heisler whose film have never excited me that much, except maybe I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES. That makes me think I should watch some of his stuff again. So this one, a Warner movie, remains a good western, but a but boring because so much predictable plot with foreseeable characters and also character study. I have it in French dubbled in my collection, and the characters - with American first names in the genuine movie - are named with FRENCH first names in the French version. Such a disgrace, replacing Will, Bryan, Blayde but Guillaume, Marcel - ha ha ha - or Julien. Why, why, why? In most other dubbed westerns that I have seen in my French movie goer life, American first names are kept. But not here. Ok, that doesn't remove the interest and quality of this movie, nor add however, but that bings a comic situation, totally weird. So, to summarize my review, this is a western to be watched for Gary Cooper's fans, but not one his best.

I don't think I've ever watched a good cast work harder to make a bad script work. Which means the directing had to be good too. And, for the period, the production values are pretty high too. But the real candidate for lynching was the writer, not the bad guy in the movie.

I would have scored it lower but for the laughs I got out of the woefully bad dialog and virtually every cast member's heroic efforts to keep a straight face while delivering their bits. If you're a Gary Cooper fan, or just like to listen to Ruth Roman's sexy husky voice, the rest is worth a watch for just how funnily bad it is. Funnier than many an intentional western parody.

Dallas stars Gary Cooper, Ruth Roman, Steve Cochran, Barbara Payton & Raymond Massey. It's directed by Stuart Heisler, photography is from Ernest Haller & pen duties fell to John Twist. Produced out of Warner Brothers, Dallas is vividly filmed in Technicolor out of the Iverson & Warner ranches in California. Very much a film with its tongue firmly in cheek, the film is a throwback to the Westerns of yore that exist without pretensions or deep penetrative meanings.

The plot sees Cooper's Civil War renegade, Blayde "Reb" Hollister, fake his own death so as to kill off his reputation and to free himself for the pursuit into Dallas of the brothers who massacred his family. In essence a routine plot, Twist's story is perked up along the way by many a fun and exciting diversion. There's role reversals, dandy fashions, horseback pursuits, shoot outs, a love triangle, vigorous dialogue and deft little twists to keep the piece purely from painting it by numbers.

Cooper seems to be enjoying himself too, which further enhances the feel good factor on offer. It's true he isn't really asked to do anything more than be a laconic dude on a mission. But when called on for action duties, he delivers the goods that his fans have come to expect during his successful career. The villains entertain (particularly Steve Cochran's vile and dopey Bryant Marlow) because each have their own little peccadilloes to keep them from over familiar blandness. The two ladies of the piece look gorgeous and hold up well in amongst the machismo, while the high production value allows Haller to really treat the eyes with the lush Technicolor and involving camera work around the locations.

It has ideals to being an "A" list Oater does Dallas, something it just can't quite attain. But it's not for lack of trying and the end result is one of pure entertainment, that, in truth, should be enjoyed on a cold winters day when the viewer needs a pick me up. 7/10

The only reason I watched this film was because of Gary Cooper. While maybe not the nicest person in the world in real life, he was a wonderful actor and I'd watch even one of his weaker films just to see him act. And, as usual, he was very good (though a bit old to win the girl at the end of the film).

The problem, then, is that despite all of Cooper's talent, the film is just a very ordinary and run-of-the-mill cowboy film. I could EASILY have imagined almost any other actor being able to do Cooper's role and the film would STILL have been mediocre. It's because so many elements of the plot just seem too familiar and too clichéd.

About the only thing that stood out was the interesting character played by Leif Erickson---who oddly received such low billing in the film even though he was one of the main characters! The idea of an Eastern "dude" coming West to impress his girl was kind of funny and he did provide a few cute moments and an interesting sidekick, of sorts, for Cooper.

Aside from that, the film is imminently skipable. It's a film that only Cooper addicts or B-quality Western addicts should watch--there are frankly too many better films out there worth your time.

Just about every noted western city shows up sooner or later as the title to a western. This certainly isn't about the early days of Dallas which was founded right after Texas came into the union and was named for the current Vice President George Mifflin Dallas. Dallas was from Philadelphia, was once the Mayor there, and never visited the city named after him.

What this is is a nice Gary Cooper shoot 'em up with a nice post Civil War plot. Hollywood abounds in those, carpetbagger rule in Texas and the men who do something about it. Red River is the best example.

Gary Cooper is outlaw and former rebel Blayde Hollister who is "gunned down" by Wild Bill Hickok so he can operate undercover and get a particularly loathsome family named Marlow who burned his former plantation in Georgia. Aiding him is Leif Erickson who plays a tenderfoot marshal from the East (hey they weren't all Hickoks and Earps). Cooper takes Erickson's identity and Erickson goes along as his own brother.

Up and coming starlet Ruth Roman plays the love interest. She's Erickson's fiancé, but Cooper has caught her eye.

Two of the Marlows are Raymond Massey and Steve Cochran. Massey's villains are always shrewd and are usually done in by circumstances beyond their control. Steve Cochran fresh from his stint as Big Ed in White Heat is the vicious, but stupid underling brother.

It's a good plot and a lot's been edited out badly. For instance at one point you see Gary Cooper in hot pursuit of Massey to Fort Worth. Then it cuts straightaway to the Fort Worth jail and no explanation of how Cooper got in there.

Leif Erickson never made it to the top. He usually was the second lead who never got the girl. Television gave him the stardom that eluded him on the silver screen with High Chapparal.

Steve Cochran usually played villains with a kind of snake-oil charm, like Big Ed in White Heat or as Doris Day's KKK husband in Storm Warning. Same here although the twist is he's not the sharpest knife in the Marlow drawer.

Today's generation thinks of Dallas and they think of the Ewing family of the 80s. This is NOT the story of their early days, but its nice Saturday matinée fare.