Texas (1941)

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Michael Blankfort (story) and
Lewis Meltzer (story) ...

Release Date:

9 October 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

ROARING...with Adventure! ROUSING...with Romance! RADIANT...with Spectacle!

Plot:

Two young men head west in search of fortune and adventure.

Plot Keywords:

Robber | Stagecoach | Texas | Confederate | Gambling

Cast

William Holden	...	Dan Thomas
Glenn Ford	...	Tod Ramsey
Claire Trevor	...	'Mike' King
George Bancroft	...	Windy Miller
Edgar Buchanan	...	Buford 'Doc' Thorpe
Don Beddoe	...	Sheriff
Andrew Tombes	...	Tennessee (stage robber)
Addison Richards	...	Matt Lashan
Edmund MacDonald	...	Comstock (stage robber)
Joseph Crehan	...	Rancher Dusty King
Willard Robertson	...	Rancher Wilson
Pat Moriarity	...	Rancher Matthews (as Patrick Moriarty)
Edmund Cobb	...	Rancher Blaire

Also Known As:

Vigilantes (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | UK:U | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7231)

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Soundtrack:

Buffalo Gal

A lot of fun - and most undeservedly under-recognized

The other reviewers are right. I would never have rented this when I saw it at the video store if not that I could not resist the temptation of seeing BOTH William Holden and Glenn Ford at only about 23 years old (you almost can't recognize them at first) rounded out by Claire Trevor, and even then I actually put it back on the shelf before changing my mind. Surely, if it were any good, I thought, I would have heard of it before. No doubt it was an early, typically cheesy B-western whose only merit was that it happened to include together two young actors who would eventually become quite famous. Even John Wayne had a dog or two among his early pictures, I thought - it happens to all kinds of great performers. But ignoring my more conservative judgment, I took a risk.

Now I wish I had my own copy - I have to wonder if it's still available anywhere. A quintessential "buddy picture" of the first order, not only is there terrific chemistry between the characters, but it's mostly fast-paced with enough clever plot developments and deviousness to oftentimes seem quite contemporary in 2003! Any film maker looking to do a western revival which would entertain audiences today would do well to remake this picture. One hopes he would stick as close to the original as possible, because there's enough good stuff there already to get him most of the way through. Four stars would be well-deserved.