Dallas (1950)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Stuart Heisler

Writer:

John Twist (written by)

Release Date:

30 December 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

When all of Texas was a powder keg...they lit the fuse!

Plot:

A former Confederate officer hunting for an outlaw who wronged him finds him in Dallas, but now as a wealthy, respectable citizen.

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Marshal | Fiancee | Revenge | Texas

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Blayde Hollister
Ruth Roman	...	Tonia Robles
Steve Cochran	...	Bryant Marlow
Raymond Massey	...	Will Marlow
Barbara Payton	...	Flo
Leif Erickson	...	U.S. Marshal Martin Weatherby
Antonio Moreno	...	Don Felipe Robles
Jerome Cowan	...	Matt Coulter
Reed Hadley	...	Wild Bill Hickok
Gil Donaldson	...	Luis Robles

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #14638) | UK:PG | Norway:16 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: While Tonia plays the piano, Hollister heads for a armchair and sits down ostensibly with the cigar in his mouth. Subsequently he is shown finishing to sit with the cigar in his right hand.

Quotes:

U.S. Marshal Martin Weatherby: But Marshal! This - this outlaw; if you don't arrest him, I shall!
Wild Bill Hickok: Outlaw? Let me tell you something, son. This ain't Boston. We had a war down here and you'll find men in high offices who are thieves and cutthroats. You'll find others who are branded outlaws that are only fighting for what's their own. There's those known as bad men and those as are bad men. You better learn to tell the difference!

Apart from Cooper's acting, it's a pretty ordinary little Western

The only reason I watched this film was because of Gary Cooper. While maybe not the nicest person in the world in real life, he was a wonderful actor and I'd watch even one of his weaker films just to see him act. And, as usual, he was very good (though a bit old to win the girl at the end of the film).

The problem, then, is that despite all of Cooper's talent, the film is just a very ordinary and run-of-the-mill cowboy film. I could EASILY have imagined almost any other actor being able to do Cooper's role and the film would STILL have been mediocre. It's because so many elements of the plot just seem too familiar and too clichéd.

About the only thing that stood out was the interesting character played by Leif Erickson---who oddly received such low billing in the film even though he was one of the main characters! The idea of an Eastern "dude" coming West to impress his girl was kind of funny and he did provide a few cute moments and an interesting sidekick, of sorts, for Cooper.

Aside from that, the film is imminently skipable. It's a film that only Cooper addicts or B-quality Western addicts should watch--there are frankly too many better films out there worth your time.