In about 90 per cent of the 74 movies he directed Jacques Tourneur's name on the credits was as good as money in the bank, as was his father's Maurice in France, but everyone is entitled to an off day and Great Day In The Morning was Jacques, which is a shame because although he continued to direct he never shot another Western. Apart from Tourneur the Casting Director assembled a cast of great interest to film buffs if not necessarily bonding together. Top- billed Robert Stack was not a natural 'western' star and was much more at home as Elliott Ness in The Untouchables, his top-rated television show. Neither of his two leading ladies, Ruth Roman and Virginia Mayo offered much in the way of chemistry and chief heavy Raymond Burr appeared to be phoning it in. Leo Gordon's threat never really materialised and Regis Toomy was wasted as a priest. The plot began in the lead-up to the Civil War and featured unease between the Yankees and the minority of Southerners based in Denver. The conflict, such as it was, was resolved rather weakly when Alex Nicol looked the other way as Stack lit out for home. Worth a look as a curio but no more.
Review of Great Day in the Morning
