Dallas (1950)

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

Director:

Stuart Heisler

Writer:

John Twist

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Ruth Roman, Steve Cochran

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gary Cooper	...	Blayde 'Reb' 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

Storyline

After Confederate officer Blayde Hollister's home and family are destroyed by the Marlowe Brothers during the Civil War, he swears revenge, refusing to surrender and becoming a wanted man. In order to pursue the three brothers into Texas, Hollister fakes his own death in a staged gunfight with his friend Wild Bill Hickock. He then befriends Martin Weatherby, the newly appointed U.S. Marshal to Dallas, an affable, but not very experienced lawman, who agrees to let Hollister assume his identity. The eldest of the Marlowe brothers, Will, masquerades as a law-abiding real estate dealer while feigning righteous indignation over the brutal acts of lawlessness and violence visited on the honest citizens of Dallas by his sociopathic brothers, Cullen and Bryant. (Their parents were evidently fond of the renowned poet William Cullen Bryant). When Hollister becomes a rival for the affections of Weatherby's aristocratic fiancee Tonia Robles, Martin wonders whether he should let Blayde know that ...

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Plot Keywords:

buxom | double gun holster | gun holster | gun | holster | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gene Evans, who plays the drunk in saloon, appeared in 1 episode of Dallas (1978), playing Miss Ellie's long-lost brother Garrison Southworth.

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Goofs

Approximately one hour into the film, Will Marlow passes a sign that says "Dr. White - Dentist" though dentistry was not separate profession in the USA in the 19th century. Dentistry was usually performed by barbers and general practitioners.

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Quotes

Judge Harper: You gave us more than a town hall - you gave us the grit to get our town back!

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Connections

Referenced in Kenjû 0 gô (1959)

User Reviews

The Reb and the Blue Belly come to town.

Dallas stars Gary Cooper, Ruth Roman, Steve Cochran, Barbara Payton & Raymond Massey. It's directed by Stuart Heisler, photography is from Ernest Haller & pen duties fell to John Twist. Produced out of Warner Brothers, Dallas is vividly filmed in Technicolor out of the Iverson & Warner ranches in California. Very much a film with its tongue firmly in cheek, the film is a throwback to the Westerns of yore that exist without pretensions or deep penetrative meanings.

The plot sees Cooper's Civil War renegade, Blayde "Reb" Hollister, fake his own death so as to kill off his reputation and to free himself for the pursuit into Dallas of the brothers who massacred his family. In essence a routine plot, Twist's story is perked up along the way by many a fun and exciting diversion. There's role reversals, dandy fashions, horseback pursuits, shoot outs, a love triangle, vigorous dialogue and deft little twists to keep the piece purely from painting it by numbers.

Cooper seems to be enjoying himself too, which further enhances the feel good factor on offer. It's true he isn't really asked to do anything more than be a laconic dude on a mission. But when called on for action duties, he delivers the goods that his fans have come to expect during his successful career. The villains entertain (particularly Steve Cochran's vile and dopey Bryant Marlow) because each have their own little peccadilloes to keep them from over familiar blandness. The two ladies of the piece look gorgeous and hold up well in amongst the machismo, while the high production value allows Haller to really treat the eyes with the lush Technicolor and involving camera work around the locations.

It has ideals to being an "A" list Oater does Dallas, something it just can't quite attain. But it's not for lack of trying and the end result is one of pure entertainment, that, in truth, should be enjoyed on a cold winters day when the viewer needs a pick me up. 7/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 December 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dallas

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1