Destry Rides Again (1939)

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Felix Jackson (screen play) &
Gertrude Purcell (screen play) ...
(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:

Mayor | Deputy | Sheriff | Singer | Town Drunk

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 of Destry's Arrival (uncredited)
Spade Cooley	...	Fiddle Player (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Creepy - Lends Tom Guns (uncredited)
Carmen D'Antonio	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Harold DeGarro	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Florence Dudley	...	Small Role (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)
Betta St. John	...	Singing Girl in Wagon (uncredited)
William Steele	...	Cowboy (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		(screen play) &
Gertrude Purcell		(screen play) &
Henry Myers		(screen play)
Felix Jackson		(original story)
Max Brand		(suggested by novel "Destry Rides Again")

Produced by
Islin Auster	....	associate producer
Joe Pasternak	....	producer (uncredited)

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)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents: A Joe Pasternak Production) (as Universal)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Universal Picture)
• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Realart Pictures Inc. (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• M.P.E.A. (1948) (Austria) (theatrical)
• MCA Home Video (video)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (3 film set)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2012) (Canada) (DVD) (3 film set)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #5872) | UK:PG | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

Kernville, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

James Stewart's first western.

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:

[Wash announces he will send for Tom Destry to be his Deputy Sheriff]
Frenchy:But Destry's dead!
Bugs Watson:That makes him the right man for the job.
Gyp Watson:Save us a lot of trouble.
Washington Dimsdale:Is that so? Well, young Tom ain't dead and his father brought him up to be the toughest and fightin'est man that ever growed up in the West! He ain't got as big a name as his pa, but he cleaned up Tombstone and I'm sendin' for him to be my deputy and when he gets here, Destry will ride again!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "All in the Family: Beverly Rides Again (#7.8)" (1976)

Soundtrack:

Roth's Dream

Clean and scrappy...

It is true that there are parody elements in George Marshall's delightful "Destry Rides Again" but the real humor lies not so much in these sorts of antics, nor the heavily laid on inquiries of Marlene Dietrich as to the tastes of the backroom boys, but rather in James Stewart's no-gun Destry characterization…

This springs from the same source as Ford's 'characters', recognizable frontier independent-minded eccentrics, with a firm footing in American literature; characters often with a roundabout way of making a point, or pointing a moral, as with Destry's habit of prefacing each little cautionary parable with: 'I knew a fellow once who…' A habit that inevitably drew the aggrieved riposte: 'You know too many fellows, Destry…'

The other 'characters' in this film have more than a color or two of parody—Mischa Auer's improbable Slavonic cowboy, Charles Winninger's town drunk, Brian Donlevy, unprincipled boss, and Samuel S. Hinds' nicely played judge…

In retrospect, it's odd how much this movie gains from its rather touching little postscript… Stewart, the unconventional lawman, having pacified his cowtown, strolls the streets with a hero-worshiping lad at his heels, and yet also takes a little cloud of sadness along with him…

Marshall's film is considered a classic Western which manages to encompass suspense, comedy, romance, tenderness, vivid characterization, horseplay, songs and standard western excitements, without moving for more than a moment from a studio main street set… Hollywood expertise at its very best...