Destry (1954)

In the old West, a small frontier town is being controlled by ruthless mob boss Decker and his cronies. After the local sheriff dies under mysterious circumstances, Decker arranges to have ... See full summary »

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Max Brand (suggested by novel "Destry Rides Again"), Felix Jackson (story),

Stars:

Audie Murphy, Mari Blanchard, Lyle Bettger

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Audie Murphy	...	Tom Destry
Mari Blanchard	...	Brandy
Lyle Bettger	...	Phil Decker
Thomas Mitchell	...	Reginald T. 'Rags' Barnaby
Edgar Buchanan	...	The Honorable Hiram J. Sellers, Mayor
Lori Nelson	...	Martha Phillips
Wallace Ford	...	Doc Curtis
Mary Wickes	...	Bessie Mae Curtis
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Jack Larson
George Wallace	...	Curly Adams
Richard Reeves	...	Mac
Walter Baldwin	...	Henry Skinner
Lee Aaker	...	Eli Skinner
Anthony Lawrence	...	The Professor (as Mitchell Lawrence)
Frank Richards	...	Dummy

Storyline

In the old West, a small frontier town is being controlled by ruthless mob boss Decker and his cronies. After the local sheriff dies under mysterious circumstances, Decker arranges to have the town drunk appointed sheriff, thinking he will be ineffectual. But the new sheriff sends for Tom Destry, son of a famous two-fisted lawman, to be his deputy. When Tom arrives, he isn't exactly the swaggering he-man the sheriff had in mind. In fact, Destry doesn't even carry a gun. But the new deputy's mild exterior masks a fierce determination to see justice done, as Decker and the other locals soon discover.

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | deputy | lawman | justice | frontier town | 

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Taglines:

From the roaring , raucous, rowdy pages of the best-loved legend of the West!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Destry räumt auf

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Audie Murphy acted with Alan Hale Jr. in this film. Hale would go on to be Skipper in Gilligan's Island. Murphy made Ride Clear of Diablo with Russell Johnson, who played "The Professor" on "Gilligan's Island".

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Goofs

In the bar scene where Brandy is singing "Empty Arms", one of the lines is, "Do you hear me, Dad" addressing one of the male admirers. The slang use of "Dad" (similar to "dude", "bro", etc) came into usage in the 1950's at least 70 years after the setting of the movie. But the movie was made in 1954 when the saying was popular.

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Quotes

[Destry is checking all the saloon patron's guns]
The Honorable Hiram J. Sellers, Mayor: I'm like you, I never carry a gun. I prefer a bow and arrow.

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Connections

Remake of Destry Rides Again (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Trit Trot"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Henry Mancini

User Reviews

enjoyable enough

This movie will always suffer from comparisons to the original classic of 1939. Of course Audie Murphy is no James Stewart and I'm sure he never attempted to be. Honestly, what's the point of doing a remake if it only sets out to mimic the original actors? Surely we want to see something a little different, a little new and fresh! Audie brought his own easy-going, modest and likeable style to the role, playing Destry with his trademark understatement. Don't get me wrong, I love the original and I love James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich but it was brave to attempt a remake and, for the most part, this wasn't a bad attempt. We mustn't forget that Audie Murphy wasn't a natural actor, he was invited to Hollywood on the back of his military career and all American good looks. He got a lot of tough breaks and was seldom offered quality scripts or challenging roles as the industry had little faith in his ability as an actor, but he does a pretty good job here. And yes, he looks good in this one too!