I typically avoid using first person in reviews, but for this film, I'll make an exception. Dodge City is a phenomenal film that I've watched at least twelve times since discovering it around 2014. It's important to note that this film is from 1939, arguably the greatest year in film history, and it ranked sixth at the box office that year, which is a testament to how great the film truly is. Errol Flynn was reluctant to take the part. He didn't feel he would be accepted in Westerns, and to that point, no successful Western film had a non-American playing its lead. Errol Flynn ultimately accepted the part and knocked it out of the park. His portrayal of the good boy looking to clean up Dodge City was excellent, while Alan Hale Sr. and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams we're both effective and humorous as his sidekicks. Bruce Cabot and Victor Jory were magnificent heels in this film. Unlike some bad guys who skirt the line between good and evil, or have some redeeming qualities, there was absolutely nothing good or likable about Cabot or Jory in this film. As for Olivia de Havilland, it's widely known that she was unhappy with her cookie-cutter Warner Bros. roles at this time (this was a few months before she made Gone With the Wind), but she still played this role excellently. This role of a stubborn, independent young woman was a perfect vehicle for her to vent her frustrations through acting (although she did end up marrying Flynn's character at the end of the movie). Lastly, for those who love a good saloon brawl, this film probably has the best bar fight ever in the history of both film and television. There are so many great reasons to love this film!
Review of Dodge City
