Destry Rides Again (1939)

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Felix Jackson (screenplay) &
Gertrude Purcell (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 December 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

THE GREATEST CAST EVER CORRALLED for a frontier drama like you've NEVER seen in all your born days!

Plot:

Kent, the unscrupulous boss of Bottleneck has Sheriff Keogh killed when he asks one too many questions...

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Poker | Singer | Arrest | Eviction

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Marlene Dietrich	...	Frenchy
James Stewart	...	Tom Destry Jr.
Mischa Auer	...	Boris
Charles Winninger	...	Washington Dimsdale
Brian Donlevy	...	Kent
Allen Jenkins	...	Gyp Watson
Warren Hymer	...	Bugs Watson
Irene Hervey	...	Janice Tyndall
Una Merkel	...	Lily Belle
Billy Gilbert	...	Loupgerou
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Judge Slade
Jack Carson	...	Jack Tyndall
Tom Fadden	...	Lem Claggett
Virginia Brissac	...	Sophie Claggett
Edmund MacDonald	...	Rockwell (as Edmund Macdonald)
Lillian Yarbo	...	Clara
Joe King	...	Sheriff Keogh
Dickie Jones	...	Claggett Boy
Ann E. Todd	...	Claggett Girl (as Ann Todd)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Alexander	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Silver Tip Baker	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Chief John Big Tree	...	Indian in Saloon (uncredited)
Billy Bletcher	...	Pianist (uncredited)
Loren Brown	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Ralph Bucko	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Roy Bucko	...	Barfly (uncredited)
George Chesebro	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Dora Clement	...	Woman (uncredited)
Bill Cody Jr.	...	Townsboy telling Wash that Destry has arrived (uncredited)
Spade Cooley	...	Fiddle Player (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Creepy - lends Tom 2 guns (uncredited)
Carmen D'Antonio	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Harold DeGarro	...	Juggler (uncredited)
O.K. Ford	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Sam Garrett	...	Rider / Roper (uncredited)
William Gillis	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Express agent with box of rabbits (uncredited)
Marjorie Kane	...	Saloon Floozie (uncredited)
Harley Luse	...	Accordion Player (uncredited)
Cactus Mack	...	Musician (uncredited)
Frank McCarroll	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Bud McClure	...	Stage Driver (uncredited)
Merrill McCormick	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Philo McCullough	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Charles Murphy	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Mary Shannon	...	Woman on Street (uncredited)
Rudy Sooter	...	Bass Player (uncredited)
William Steele	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Betta St. John	...	Singing Girl in Wagon (uncredited)
Leo Sulky	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Al Taylor	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Stage shotgun rider (uncredited)
Jack Tornek	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Mrs. DeWitt (uncredited)
Leslie Vincent	...	(uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Hank West	...	Musician (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Blackie Whiteford	...	Juror (uncredited)
Alex Woloshin	...	Assistant Bartender (uncredited)
Duke York	...	Townsman (uncredited)

Directed by
George Marshall

Writing credits
Felix Jackson		(screenplay) &
Gertrude Purcell		(screenplay) &
Henry Myers		(screenplay)
Felix Jackson		(story)
Max Brand		(suggested by novel "Destry Rides Again")

Produced by
Islin Auster	....	associate producer
Joe Pasternak	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by
Hal Mohr		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Milton Carruth

Art Direction by
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vernon Keays	....	assistant director

Art Department
Martin Obzina	....	associate art director
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound supervisor
Robert Pritchard	....	sound technician

Stunts
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank McCarroll	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Helen Thurston	....	stunts (uncredited)
Duke York	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Realart Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• M.P.E.A. (1948) (Austria) (theatrical)
• MCA Home Video (video)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #5972) | UK:PG | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1996

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Destry first demonstrates his ability with a firearm by shooting at the knobs on the sign, he shoots a total of seven times. Although he is holding two Colt "Six-shooters", one in each hand, he fires only the pistol he holds in his right hand. Thus, he fired one round more than the gun could hold.

Quotes:

Washington Dimsdale: Oh, Tom! Look here! Look at this post! Soaked through and through with the blood of Sawtooth McGhee. Yeah, he objected to a petticoat a neighbor's wife was wearing... and they fit to a draw. Both are buried in the same grave.
Tom Destry Jr.: Sawtooth and the petticoat?
Washington Dimsdale: No! Sawtooth and the neighbor! And four innocent bystanders!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Go, Bulldogs! (#7.6)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have

When they say they don't make them like that any more . .

. . . this is what they mean.

I'm intrigued by the voting on this movie as I can't imagine any scale on which it wouldn't get top marks. Where exactly does it drop the ball? Cast - inspired; performances - stellar; script - faultless; direction - millimetre perfect; score - find me one better, ("See what the boys in the back room will have" has gone into the language).

Is it because it's not an arthouse movie? Or because of the dangerous idea that restraint, cool and smarts are more effective weapons than playground bully tactics?

As far as I am concerned, if you want to know how to put a movie together, you can start here. 10/10 is the only possible mark for a masterpiece.