Dodge City (1939)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writer:

Robert Buckner (original screenplay)

Release Date:

8 April 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Western

Tagline:

It's Errol Flynn In His Greatest Role . . . A picture for every red-blooded son and daughter of the stars and stripes !

Plot:

Dodge City. A wide-open cattle town run by Jeff Surrett. Even going on a children's Sunday outing is not a safe thing to do...

Plot Keywords:

Cattle | Outlaw | Sheriff | Railroad | Murder

US TV Schedule:

Thur. July 9

10:30 PM

TCM

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Wade Hatton
Olivia de Havilland	...	Abbie Irving
Ann Sheridan	...	Ruby Gilman
Bruce Cabot	...	Jeff Surrett
Frank McHugh	...	Joe Clemens
Alan Hale	...	Rusty Hart
John Litel	...	Matt Cole
Henry Travers	...	Dr. Irving
Henry O'Neill	...	Col. Dodge
Victor Jory	...	Yancey
William Lundigan	...	Lee Irving
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Tex Baird
Bobs Watson	...	Harry Cole
Gloria Holden	...	Mrs. Cole
Douglas Fowley	...	Munger

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (nf) | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (re-rating) (1989) | USA:Approved (PCA #4980)

Filming Locations:

Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The man Errol Flynn throws through the window of the barbershop was none other than his pal and long-time drinking companion, stuntman Buster Wiles.

Goofs:

Continuity: The Matt Cole's tombstone reads "Died June 6, 1875". Afterward, the sheriff's notices, published by Dodge City Star, read "July 1, 1872".

Quotes:

[they're looking at the buffalo herd]
Rusty Hart: Lucky devils: nothin' to do but eat and sleep.
Tex Baird: That's right, hard head. The only difference between you and them is a pair of horns.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dodge City: Go West, Errol Flynn (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Little Brown Jug

Dodge City-Don't Dodge this Film ***1/2

Errol Flynn's British accent was showing big-time in this 1939 film but he made the most of it.

This is an exciting film dealing with western expansion following the Civil War. Michael Curtiz's expert directing along with a strong cast and great story make for one interesting film.

We have Bruce Cabot as usual playing a villain. He will purchase cattle but will kill the seller so as to avoid paying. The bodies begin to mount.

After a tragedy befalls a child whose father had been killed by the Cabot character, Flynn, a cattle dealer, decides to clean up the lawless town.

Earlier, we meet Olivia De Havilland with her irresponsible, reckless brother, played by a very young William Lundigan. When his drunken shooting causes a cattle stampede with death (including his own) and destruction ensuing, his sister (Olivia) despises Hatton (Flynn) for firing the shot that ultimately killed her brother.

Ann Sheridan plays a dance hall queen who will cover up for the brutal Cabot. Miss Sheridan's part is wasted here. She has little dialogue but does light up the screen by her singing and dancing.

As Flynn begins to clean up Dodge City, the arrests and shootings mount up to an exciting climax. A bar room brawl is memorably staged in the film.