No-nonsense Texas border sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) fights off ruthless mercenary gunmen in order to keep a murderer in custody. A ragtag band of volunteers, consisting of a singing kid, a toothless old man, a recovering alcoholic, and a spunky woman, assists. Contains an interesting sing-along interlude among the .. Read more
| Starring | John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson |
|---|---|
| Director | Howard Hawks |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
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No-nonsense Texas border sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) fights off ruthless mercenary gunmen in order to keep a murderer in custody. A ragtag band of volunteers, consisting of a singing kid, a toothless old man, a recovering alcoholic, and a spunky woman, assists. Contains an interesting sing-along interlude among the group, and yes, the Duke participates.
| Starring | John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Ward Bond, Claude Akins, Walter Brennan, John Russell |
|---|---|
| Director | Howard Hawks |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 16 mins Blu-ray: 2 hrs 15 mins HD DVD: 2 hrs 15 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Wild Westerns |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 14 Mar 2005 Blu-ray: 25 Feb 2008 HD DVD: 17 Mar 2008 Production year: 1959 |
| Format | DVD |
Under-rated at the time of its release, this majestically paced western is one of the finest achievements of the genre, and stands as a career-best for many of its participants, its above-average length and simplistic plot masking a work of depth and artistry. Originally intended by director Howard Hawks as a riposte to the liberal High Noon, the quality and class of this movie owe little to what had gone before, save some dialogue lifted from Hawks's earlier To Have and Have Not. This is a definitive study of male camaraderie, particularly in the wordless opening sequence as John Wayne attempts to preserve the drunken Dean Martin's dignity. The casting is perfect (if you believe Ricky Nelson as a gunslinger) and the sense of fun contagious. Superb Technicolor photography and a Dimitri Tiomkin score provide the icing on a very impressive cake.
Cheerfully overlong and slow-moving Western in which everybody, including the director, does his thing. All very watchable for those with time to spare, but more a series of revue sketches than an epic.
Somebody was talking to me about how good they thought that Open Range was and I found this film to be very similar in its style with a surprisingly good performance from John Wayne holding the attention. I'm not a big fan of his, finding his acting a bit limited by the boundaries of his own personality yet this film is one that I really enjoyed. Some really surprising dialogue, decent action and good characterisation turned this into a very enjoyable western. It has dated slightly, with the final five minutes being a bit of a drag but it was tense, funny, dramatic and most importantly, entertaining. My first Howard Hawks western and I'll definitely be having a look at some others.
It says all that needs to be said about friendship, self respect, loyalty, courage, and, well, simply knowing and doing what's right! At its best the Western was a morality play. It was about not just knowing how to fight but knowing when it's right to fight (well that was Shane, but the principle's the same). It was about being on the side of the angels, even if you've only got one leg or you're a washed up drunk. Martin was never better, and the Duke never more vulnerable - at least to a young Angie Dickinson.
This Sporting Life: What Happens When Sports Heroes Act Up? Eric Cantona and Ken Loach. These are not names you would immediately put together. One is a multi-millionaire (surely?) ex footballer, revered by millons of fans; and French. The other is a proud socialist from middle-England (Nuneaton), who has rejected the big money offers; his films are admired but by a relatively small number of committed film buffs. What's more, Ken Loach is a dedicated supporter of Bath FC. I'm guessing there... Read more