King Vidor brings his usual sincerity and visual austerity to this tale of the early years of the Texas Rangers, as seen through the eyes of a pair of lawbreakers (Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie) who join the force planning to use inside information to make their robberies more effective. But gradually through the course of the film first Wahoo (Oakie) and finally Jim (MacMurray) face responsibility and turn in the direction of the law. Jim is influenced in this regard by his love for his commanding officer's daughter, Amanda (Jean Parker).
This is one of those films that looks kind of important but ultimately feels like lazy film-making. For instance there are all these scenes with Jim and the Rangers on the top of a hill shooting Indians . They're using pistols but somehow shooting them off their horses from hundreds of yards away. I know realism isn't always the requisite for Westerns, but at least in the matter of firearms that could be expected from a non-comedy film. It features put-you-to-sleep narration from the Ranger commander that feels like it was lifted out of a G-man film. Overall there's just a feeling of smallness, of a lack of aspiration surrounding this movie.
MacMurray struggles to give his character dignity. He's a good actor but he's been given a pretty standard character here. In fact all 3 villains just feel a bit too goofy and affable for us to believe they are "badmen" or for the possibility of reformation to feel really dramatic. Oakie's character is interesting because he begins as basic comic relief and ends up becoming the moral voice of the film. Lloyd Nolan gives probably the film's best performance as the third man in their partnership who doesn't want to "go straight." Not too much to recommend but it's not horrible, so it's the type of film to watch when you're bored and feel like an oater, but not something worth seeking out or re-watching in particular.
This is one of those films that looks kind of important but ultimately feels like lazy film-making. For instance there are all these scenes with Jim and the Rangers on the top of a hill shooting Indians . They're using pistols but somehow shooting them off their horses from hundreds of yards away. I know realism isn't always the requisite for Westerns, but at least in the matter of firearms that could be expected from a non-comedy film. It features put-you-to-sleep narration from the Ranger commander that feels like it was lifted out of a G-man film. Overall there's just a feeling of smallness, of a lack of aspiration surrounding this movie.
MacMurray struggles to give his character dignity. He's a good actor but he's been given a pretty standard character here. In fact all 3 villains just feel a bit too goofy and affable for us to believe they are "badmen" or for the possibility of reformation to feel really dramatic. Oakie's character is interesting because he begins as basic comic relief and ends up becoming the moral voice of the film. Lloyd Nolan gives probably the film's best performance as the third man in their partnership who doesn't want to "go straight." Not too much to recommend but it's not horrible, so it's the type of film to watch when you're bored and feel like an oater, but not something worth seeking out or re-watching in particular.