The Gal Who Took the West (1949) User Reviews

Miss De Carlo Shows Her Dry Sense Of Humor

[boblipton · 6/10 · 1 May 2020]

When Charles Coburn builds an opera house, vaudeville singer Yvonne De Carlo grabs the gig, so she can sing "Frankie and Johnny". Meanwhile, Coburn's grandsons -- Scott Brady and John Russell -- wrangle over her in this silly but entertaining Technicolor western from Universal.

I first encountered Miss De Carlo in TV's THE MUNSTERS. She was born Margaret Yvonne Middleton in British Columbia in 1922. She first appeared in the movies in tiny unbilled roles like "Showgirl" or "Handmaiden", occasionally arising to the dignity of being credited as "Princess Wah-Tah". She shot to stardom in ens of SALOME, WHERE SHE DANCED. She spent the next decade playing the mildly astonished vamp in dozens of B pictures. She died in 2007.

It takes a woman to stop a family feud.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 9 May 2017]

...And who better to do it than slow eyed vamp Yvonne de Carlo, then exotic, exciting and new. She's the lily of the valley of the old west in this fun colorful western, a subject of confusion who three old codgers who can't agree on how their territory was settled. Regardless of what the truth is, one thing is clear. De Carlo doesn't have to go out and demand equal treatment in this man's world; she gets it simply by being smart, independent and determined...and a little bit of femininity didn't hurt either!

Scott Brady and John Russell are the feuding cousins who vie for de Carlo's hand, adding to their already existing animosity. Trying to end this is their feisty big daddy like grandfather Charles Coburn, not because he wants to see them get together, but simply because unlike other generations of the family, in his mind, they don't have a genuine motive! Old codger Coburn is so sly and scheming himself, it's surprising that he doesn't make a play for Yvonne himself! As usual, Coburn is a masterful scene stealer.

Getting to sing an Irish ditty, de Carlo sounds just like she would 22 years later when she introduced the Broadway standard "I'm Still Here!" in "Follies". Like that song, de Carlo often comes off as a bit camp, even breaking into a lively version of "Frankie and Johnny". Like her "McClintock" rival Maureen O'Hara, she's made for Technicolor, and every inch a man's equal. In fact, in westerns, she's just like what Barbara Stanwyck described women to be: just as important as the men out there settling the land. Colorful, funny and yet historically believable, this is a unique western in the sense that this could simply be set anywhere in the unsettled United States: north, south, east or west.

The gal who made the wrong choice

[AAdaSC · 5/10 · 10 July 2018]

Yvonne De Carlo (Lillian) rides into town and becomes the focus of attention for two cousins - Scott Brady (Lee) and John Russell (Grant) - who really don't like each other. They are both super powerful and run half of Arizona each. They are just waiting for old-timer Charles Coburn (General O'Hara) to pop his clogs and then they can battle it out to take complete control of the state.

The story is told in flashback as three old-timers relate their viewpoint of how De Carlo interacted with the two cousins and we learn what happened in the gaps between the stories. The film is basically about the rivalry between the two cousins with the added interest of who De Carlo will ultimately choose to procreate with. That's what we watch for - who will she choose?

The cast are pretty unpleasant - including De Carlo - apart from Coburn who is the funniest as is to be expected. He shines whilst the others don't in this completely unrealistic story. Throw in some terrible songs as well. Not a particularly good film.

How to marry a millionaire

[dbdumonteil · 30 December 2011]

Wonderful Yvonne De Carlo! This story of two cousins,vying with each others for a valuable property ,waiting for the ancestor's death (but it seems he is not about to kick the bucket) is a comedy where nobody seems to take things seriously ;there's a very long fight between the two heirs towards the end and Yvonne's choice does not seem to be the wisest,if we consider the very last picture of the movie.

But it does not matter;the only thing that matters is miss De Carlo:when she appears ,we only have eyes for her;her two songs are a true delight (the second one is witty,funny and infectious);generally I do not go much for those saloon ballads but those are the highlights of the movie.

The story is told by three old "witnesses";thus the arrival of the lady is filmed three times,each one giving his own version of the facts.

Benign Western

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 28 September 2012]

A clever framing device (flashbacks telling the story from the perspectives of three different characters, who however do not contradict but complete each other - each account gives one more piece of the puzzle) leads to some unusual moments: did you expect to see a helicopter in an Yvonne De Carlo Western?! And Yvonne herself has a role that suits her just fine, as it taps into her comedic side, and gives her two fun songs (in which she parodies "operatic" singing). The problem is with the story itself: it's really quite tiresome and repetitive (we get it, the two cousins don't like each other; now what?). And after a point you realize that this is a clear-cut comedy, and nobody is going to get (seriously) hurt anyway. ** out of 4.

Classic Western - and a great film.

[bradywestwater · 10/10 · 26 June 2006]

Other than THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, I do not know of another Western that as accurately captures the true nature of the West - and the men and women who settled it. The plot is that of a romantic comedy, but the characters are wonderfully written and acted - far better than in most 'serious' films.

The two brothers battling each other for the affection of one women is both funny - and dramatically believable. And the telling of the story from three different points of view is superbly done.

In my opinion, this is one of the most under-rated films ever made in Hollywood.

Don't miss it!

Looks good....and is kind of dumb.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 17 July 2023]

"The Gal Who Took the West" is a nice looking film from Universal Studios. It's obvious they put a decent amount of money into the picture, after all, they filmed it in color, but the story is pretty dopey.

When the story begins, a reporter in the present day goes out west to investigate the story of the O'Haras and Miss Marlowe. Three different old coots from the town tell a slightly different tale...a bit like "Rashomon".

It seems that when Lillian Marlowe arrived in the town back during the time of the old west, the land around the territory was run by the O'Hara clan. The General (Charles Coburn) is the family patriarch and his two nephews (John Russell and Scott Brady) are rivals and hate each other with an intensity that seems almost comical. Both of the cousins instantly fall for her and because she's so amazingly sexy and wonderful, they're about to start a little war to get her. The rest of the film is about efforts to stop this insane hatred from boiling over.

The film, to me, seemed like a western combined with an episode of Popeye. This is NOT meant as a good thing and the cousins just seem stupid and annoying. Plus, none of it really makes any sense. Overall, it's a picture that looks great but not much more.

a western Rashomon

[ronnmullen · 26 October 2002]

The fun of this film is telling the story from three different viewpoints -- each version diametrically opposed to the others -- what is the truth? probably a mixture of all of them -- it's a fun film with DeCarlo in fine form and the feuding brothers fighting it out for her affections is half the fun.

A Bad Movie

[wtzanni · 3/10 · 30 March 2024]

The film starts well as it is told in a Rashomon-style flashback, with three local old-timers in the town recounting slightly different versions of the events surrounding the female protagonist's [Lily's], arrival and her manipulation in the feud between two cousins, for her own gain.

De Carlo, Coburn. Brady, Bevans, Stevenson, Simpson, and, Litel are excellent actors. However, the film's theme ruins their performance as this is a feminist-based western which achieves its goal of emasculating the three male protagonists.

Conclusively, the film is a lightweight, campy Western comedy. The plot is not particularly deep or coherent. The resolution left too many plot holes. Don't waste your time on this one.

Grant bests Lee again, in uncivil war over Yvonne

[weezeralfalfa · 8/10 · 3 May 2017]

The screenplay purports to tell the story of Lily Maldoon(Yvonne De Carlo) and her ambition to marry the future richest man in Arizona Territory. But there are 2 candidates for this distinction: Grant and Lee O'Hara(John Russell, and Scott Brady, respectively), who are still under the thumb of their patriarchal grandfather, being the offspring of 2 brothers who fought on opposite sides in the Civil War, and died then or later. The story is told from a flashback viewpoint, by 3 old timers(Houseley Stevenson, Russell Simpson, and Clem Bevans) in the then modern world. That should make it around the turn of the century when these events took place. Others may disagree but, in my opinion, the device of telling the story from 3 viewpoints, not including Lily's own story near the end, was a poor choice, as it makes the story too repetitive.

Easily recognizable Charles Colburn has a gay time as the virtual dictator of Arizona, and of the interactions between the 3 younger generation. Thus, he is rather like Ben Cartwright of "Bonanza" in relation to his sons, only Colburn's "sons" are continuously at each other's throats.

Initially, Colburn told Yvonne she had to go to avoid a civil war between Grant and Lee and their respective supporters. Later, he told her she had to stay and make up her mind which grandchild she wanted to marry before they killed each other. It's interesting that, in the end, Lee tells Grant he'd better hurry up and marry Yvonne or he will shoot him. Talk about a shotgun marriage!

Colburn thought he had contracted for a plump old opera singer from NYC to come to celebrate the opening of his opera house. But Yvonne finally tells him what he suspected all along: she's an imposter(we never are told her real name), attracted to the $10,000. salary Colburn offered for a single appearance. She says she is a (very) different kind of singer. In Grant's saloon, she sings "Clancy Lowered the Boom", while in the opera house, she sings "Frankie and Johnnie". Colburn seems to take this turn of events in stride.

It's obvious that part of the film was shot in the Saguaro cactus forest, while other parts were shoot on a ranch near Calabasas, CA.

The main reason for seeing this film is to experience Yvonne and Colburn at their respective peaks. Also, John Russell, as Grant, is quite handsome, rather like Clark Gable. Also, there is a ferocious indoor fight between Grant and Lee near the end.

See it at YouTube in Technicolor

Yvonne forever

[searchanddestroy-1 · 7 July 2023]

I have always been deeply in love with actress Yvonne De Carlo, she was so beautiful, magnificent, flaming, and what a shame, a disgrace, that the Academy Awards did not even noticed her death during the 2007 ceremony. But beware this is not a true authentic western, but rather a light hearted vaudeville adventure yarn taking place in the olfd west. Universal Studios used us to tougher, grittier than this one, that looks more like a Republic Pictures western, those taking mostly place in cabarets or gambling house. It is however agreeable, fun, not boring and Yvonne De Carlo justifies any plot, any script, the most important is that she was the most gorgeous woman on screen in the movies where she played. And director Frederic De Cordova was a comedy specialist, who was also able to deliver real westerns and adventures too. I prefered SALOME WHERE SHE DANCED, also starring the great De Carlo, and also a "false" western but totally crazy, incredible.