User Reviews

Sometimes remakes do turn out for the best and Audie Murphy was a perfect in the casting of another edition of the Destry saga. I will say this though, Destry's grown up considerable. Audie uses some forensic science to clean up the town and the final gunfight is played a bit more seriously than in the James Stewart-Marlene Dietrich classic.

For those who haven't seen either film, a certain crooked saloon keeper/ town boss has been grabbing land by hook or crook and kills the sheriff who's opposing him. Lyle Bettger is every bit as nasty as Brian Donlevy was. Bettger gets the idea to make the deputy, Thomas Mitchell, the sheriff. Mitchell is the town drunk, but Mitchell fools them and sends for the son of legendary lawman Tom Destry to be his deputy.

When Audie Murphy as Destry comes to town it's without wearing firearms, but in his own quiet way Audie gets results.

Of course saloon girl Mari Blanchard ain't a patch on Marlene Dietrich, but that's pretty stiff competition for anyone. Edgar Buchanan is the mayor and does his usual foxy and calculating part and we're not quite sure where he'll wind up in the end.

Destry is one of Audie Murphy's better B westerns from the Fifties and it shows with the right casting, a classic can be done well a second time.

RELEASED IN 1954 and directed by George Marshall, "Destry" is about a tough Western town run by corrupt local mogul Decker (Lyle Bettger) and the Mayor who's in league with him (Edgar Buchanan). They appoint a drunk as the new Sheriff (Thomas Mitchell) because they know he'll be easy to control, but the Sheriff hires as his deputy the out-of-town son of an expert lawman for whom he used to work (Audie Murphy). Unfortunately, when Destry (Murphy) comes to town he quickly becomes a laughing stock because he refuses to even carry a gun!

The film is a remake of Marshall's 1939 hit "Destry Rides Again," which was a remake of the 1932 movie of the same name, a closer rendition of Max Brand's novel. Marshall desired to do the film again because he wanted to do it in color and thought he could improve upon it. While most critics say "Destry" is inferior I give it the edge because (1.) it's in color, (2.) Murphy is stalwart as the humble-yet-confident protagonist, and (3.) Mari Blanchard is hotter than Marlene Dietrich as the saloon entertainer and has the mojo to pull off the challenging role. Blanchard's saloon babe of dubious character is counterbalanced by Lori Nelson's character.

Another thing I appreciate about "Destry" is that it supports the concept of LIMITED pacifism, which is the ideology that one should only resort to violence when there's no other recourse, after more peaceable means have been sought and proved ineffective. This, by the way, is what Christ and the early church subscribed to, as detailed in the New Testament, not the idea of TOTAL pacifism, which is the idiotic mindset that a person should NEVER resort to violence in any form, even when loved ones and innocents are threatened.

The Messiah's teaching on "turning the cheek" didn't refer to responding to criminal acts and, particularly, not to a law officer responding to potentially violent criminality. Slapping someone on the cheek was considered a personal insult in 1st century Near East and therefore when Jesus instructed people to "turn the cheek" he was simply illustrating that ignoring an insult a couple of times (you only have two cheeks) is a matter of wisdom & self-control and is a good way to stave off unnecessary strife, which effectively squelches the escalation of violence (not always, but generally speaking). It helps prevent you from being victimized by fools who want to draw you into their darkness and ruin your day (or week or life). This was nothing new at the time because the Old Testament taught the same principle (e.g. Proverbs 19:11).

THE MOVIE RUNS 95 minutes and was shot at Universal Studios, Universal City; Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks; and Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. WRITERS: Edmund H. North & D.D. Beauchamp from Felix Jackson's story based on Brand's book.

GRADE: A-

Because, it followed behind the 1939 classic, Destry rides again, the 1954 movie, titled Destry, was given very little credit for being a good film.

In fact I thought that it was better written than the original version.

Most movie critics, of the time, was more determined to compare the performances of Marlene Dietrich and James Steward, to that of Audie Murphy and Mari Blanchard.

Of course there is no comparison to the kind of acting talent that Steward and Dietrich had, but Destry was still a very good film that did justice to the original version.

The film also featured three actors that would go on to successful television shows.

Alan Hale and Russel Johnson of Gillian's Island, and Edgar Buchanan of Petticoat Junction.

It is a waste of time to compare either movie. Both versions are good, but the 1954 film is my personal favorite.

Destry is directed by George Marshall and adapted to screenplay by Edmund H. North and D.D. Beauchamp from a story by Felix Jackson; itself suggested by the novel Destry Rides Again written by Max Brand. It stars Audie Murphy, Mari Blanchard, Lyle Bettger, Thomas Mitchell, Edgar Buchanan and Lori Nelson. Music is by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by George Robinson.

When the sheriff of a small frontier town is shot and killed in mysterious circumstances, mob boss Decker (Bettger) and the crooked mayor (Buchanan) appoint the local drunk, Rags Barnaby (Mitchell), as sheriff. Thinking it will be easy to control the town now, Decker is surprised to learn that Barnaby has sent for help in the form of Tom Destry (Murphy), the son of a famous hard nosed lawman. However, when Tom arrives, he isn't exactly the all conquering macho lawman the town were expecting, in fact he doesn't even carry a gun!

OK, when judged against the James Stewart/ Marlene Dietrich starring Destry Rides Again from 1939 (also directed by George Marshall), this Audie Murphy led remake is standard stuff. The third attempt at adapting Max Brand's novel (there was also a Tom Mix version in 1932), George Marshall's movie has good production values, is well represented by the cast and all told is an amiable way to spend an afternoon. Three songs light up proceedings: Bang! Bang! If You Can Can-Can and Empty Arms (words and music by Herbert & Hughes), while the Technicolor is gorgeous (check out those costumes) and the final gun play is very well staged by Marshall and his team.

Sadly much of the picture is spent within the confines of the town, with a number of dialogue based scenarios that come off as samey. This means we miss out on ample usage of the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, location exteriors. Yet in the capable hands of Marshall and Murphy it rounds out as a safe recommendation to B Western fans. 7/10

World War II hero Audie Murphy assumes the role that western icon Tom Mix created in the 1932 black & white version of Universal Studios' "Destry Rides Again" and that James Stewart recreated later for director George Marshall in the black & white 1939 remake "Destry Rides Again" as an easy-going lawman that prefers to ask questions first and sling lead second in the Technicolored rehash retitled "Destroy," ostensibly based on Max Brand's novel "Twelve Peers." There is a mite more irony in the casting of Murphy as a deputy sheriff who guzzles milk rather than liquor and shuns shooting irons than either Mix or Stewart. Basically, Murphy earned more medals during World War II on the battlefield for killing German soldiers as a U.S. Army infantryman than anybody else. Murphy squares off in this flavorful comic remake with actor Lyle Bettger, the epitome of 1950s' western villainy who went on to lock horns with the likes of Burt Lancaster in "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957) and Clayton Moore in "The Lone Ranger." Bettger fares even better as the smiling but slimy varmint that mustached Brian Donlevy played in "Destry Rides Again." The same cannot be said for raven-haired beauty Mari Blanchard who cannot hold a candle to the volatile Marlene Dietrich from the 1939 version. Interestingly, Donlevy's owl hoot went by the handle of Kent, while Bettger was named Decker, and Dietrich was called Frenchy whereas Blanchard was named Brandy.

As the infamous Phil Decker, Bettger establishes is villainous credentials early on when he swindles a rough-hewn homesteader, Henry Skinner (Walter Baldwin, the original Floyd the Barber on "The Andy Griffith Show") out of the deed to his ranch in a rigged poker game. Decker does this with the help of saloon siren Brandy who splashes steamy hold coffee on Skinner so he is distracted long enough to have his ace-in-the-hole card switched for a lesser card. When the outraged Skinner tries to reclaim his IOU from Decker, Sheriff Joe Bailey (Trevor Bardette) intervenes. However, Bailey gets gunned down for his noble efforts when he turns his back on Decker's henchmen. Once the sheriff is dead and cold, the Honorable Hiram J. Sellers, Mayor (Edgar Buchanan of "Texas") follows Decker's wishes and swears in the town drunk Rags (Oscar winner Tomas Mitchell of "Stagecoach") as the new sheriff. Determined to clean up the crooked town of Restless, Rags recruits the son of legendary lawman, Tom Destry (Audie Murphy) to help him. Rags expects Destry to behave like the pistol packing image of his father, but Tom disappoints him when he arrives in town with no guns. Surprises galore ensue once Tom pins on the badge and appears to be aiding and abetting the greedy Decker.

Although he never displayed a broad range of diverse roles as an actor, Audie Murphy acquits himself more than adequately with a personable performance. Director George Marshall doesn't let the momentum lag in this cheerful, upbeat oater for a minute. The finale in the saloon with Murphy swapping lead with multiple villains maintains the best western tradition in this clean-cut, freshly laundered 1950s sage-brusher. Lori Nelson as the good girl plays second fiddle to Blanchard's bad girl in this formula western, but she manages to rope the hero into her amorous embrace by fadeout. Alan Hale, Jr., who made a name for himself on CBS as the Skipper in "Gilligan's Island" lends solid support as a trigger-happy cattleman. "Destry" gives remakes a good reputation.

Sadly, remakes of successful movies are seldom as good as the original films. Destry -- director George Marshall's remake with Audie Murphy of Destry Rides Again, which starred Jimmy Stewart -- is one of the rare exceptions. No, Audie Murphy was not a better actor than Jimmy Stewart. But, given a good script and good direction, Audie Murphy was a far better actor than his many B movies would lead one to expect, and Destry was one of his best performances.

The fact that director George Marshall chose to remake his black and white Jimmy Stewart hit, Destry Rides Again, in Technicolor with Audie Murphy as Destry clearly indicates that Marshall felt his original film could be equaled or improved upon. And, in this viewers opinion, he was right. Both the original and the remake are good westerns but, if one can get past bias toward Jimmy Stewart -- and his co-star Marlene Dietrich -- and evaluate the movies purely on their merit, I believe that Audie Murphy's Destry is the better film. At worst, it is at least as good as the original and deserves to be recognized on its own merits.

Western comedy with George Marshall's inspired direction . This spirited realization that never flags results to be a potpourri of Western , comedy , irony and action . A peaceful and milksop cowboy named Tom Destry performed by the good-mannered Audie Murphy cleans up an uncontrollably lawless Western town . The mild and unarmed Tom is appointed as deputy by the crusading sheriff , the battle-loving drunk called Barnaby (well played by Thomas Mitchell) . These were the adventures , fighting , laughing and brawling from a peace-loving stranger named Destry . He had a grudge to settle , a town to tame and two woman fighting to make him their man . At the small town rules the powerful villain Decker (Lyle Bettger previously played by Brian Donlevy) . There Tom meets Brandy , a beautiful dancer (Mari Blanchard in a similar interpretation to Marlene Dietrich) . Tom makes Brandy change her brand . A hard-boiled Brandy with a difference -rouged but rugged- who fights , yells , yodels her way , sharp-nailed to love . When a tough western town needs taming , the mild-mannered son of the famous hard-nosed Tom Destry gets the job .

From the roaring pages of Max Brand's immortal classical comes the story of the day the West will never forget .., the day Destry carried a gun . This Universal-International-Picture gets Western action , shootouts , a love story , musical numbers and a breathtaking final confrontation at the saloon . This is a classic Hollywood Western , print in Technicolor , it turns out to be a mixture of thrills , brawls , crossfire and humor . Audie Murphy gives a sympathetic acting as a sheriff helper , new deputy's mild exterior masks a fierce determination to see justice done, this brawling Western turned him movie career all around the world and became him a box-office again . Murphy won more tan 20 medals , being the most decorated American soldier , including the Congressional Medal of Honor and he was also awarded five decorations by France and Belgium . Murphy starred a great number of Westerns as ¨The kid from Texas¨, ¨Cimarron Kid¨, ¨Gunpoint¨, ¨Night Passage¨, ¨The Gunrunners¨, ¨Posse from Hell¨, ¨Gunfight at Comanche¨, ¨Rifles Apaches¨, ¨The Unforgiven¨, ¨Red badge of courage¨, ¨Legend of Sam Ward¨, ¨Whispering Smith¨, ¨40 Guns at Apache pass¨ , ¨Texas kid¨ , among others . Being usually directed by Jesse Hibbs who directed various Audie Murphy vehicles such as : this ¨To hell and Back¨ (1955) , ¨World in My Corner¨ (1956) , ¨Ride a Crooked Trail¨ (1958) , ¨Medal of Honor¨ and ¨To Hell and Back¨. Support cast is frankly nice , providing splendid interpretations . Thomas Mitchell ideally cast as sheriff shows his usual delicious fair play for comedy . Lovely acting of Mari Blanchard as the stubborn Saloon girl at a similar role to previous Marlene Dietrich , she is the dance hall entertainer who sings on the bar some vintage songs , including new catchy tunes. And excellent Lyle Bettger as the crooked gambler and Lori nelson as Martha , the trusting sweetheart.

This motion picture was professionally directed by George Marshall in colorful style , though has a few flaws . He realized a great number of films , especially Westerns . His first Western was ¨Wild Gold¨(1934) and he subsequently directed ¨Destry rides again¨ with James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich in which years later he would make a remake titled ¨Frenchie¨ with Audie Murphy and Marie Blanchard . As George Marshal introduces hilarious elements and amusement in his Westerns , such as ¨Texas¨ , ¨Fancy pants¨, ¨Advance to the rear¨, and also directs Musical Westerns as ¨Red Garters¨ and ¨The second greatest sex¨ . Being particularly known for his co-direction of the epic Western ¨How the west was won¨ along with Henry Hathaway and John Ford .

This is the fourth of the quartet adaptations based on the novel by Max Brand . The novel was adapted for a Broadway musical starring Andy Griffith and opened at the April 23 , 1959 at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 472 performances . And several cinematic renditions : the first was titled by American exhibitors as ¨ Justice rides again (1932)¨ with Tom Mix and the role of Tom Destry was originally intended for Gary Cooper , but he wanted more money than the producers were willing to pay him . It was then offered to James Stewart , who took it in ¨Destry rides again¨(1939) , along with Marlene Dietrich , Charles Winninger , Thomas Mitchell ; the following version released in 1951 under title ¨ Frenchie ¨ and this fourth take on exhibited in 1954 also directed by George Marshall with Audie Murphy and Marie Blanchard in similar characters to James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich .

OK, it's probably not a good idea to try to remake a classic as with this film and George Marshall's "Destry Rides Again".............but don't sell it too short. Max Brand's sentimental potboiler has seen many versions from Tom Mix's (1922) through a failed TV series in the 60's but this Audie Murphy attempt could be worse. Murphy who confessed that he couldn't act surely gave it a try during his career and was particularly good in "A" productions such as "The Unforgiven". He was attractive enough and rather appealing.....hell, he probably was a better actor than Roy Rogers. This film provides a showcase for his genial screen personality and Mari Blanchard, that queen of the "B" films, does her usual great job in the Marlene Dietrich role. The supporting cast is a dandy with such stalwarts as Thomas Mitchell, Lyle Bettger and Edgar Buchanan. Obviously, this film is not in the same league with James Stewart version but it works for what it is......a 1950's programmer which offers some hidden delights. Give it a try.

I'm a big fan of Audie Murphy, but even I willingly admit that most of his movies are mediocre at best. That being said, AMC has been running some Audie Murphy movies that I've never been able to see before...and much to my surprise, I found myself thoroughly enjoying "Destry"! Whenever the studios cared enough to surround Audie Murphy with top-quality supporting players (such as Thomas Mitchell, Edgar Buchanan, Alan Hale, Jr., and Lyle Bettger in this film), Audie's performances always rose to the level of those around him. Everyone is good in this movie, with very little of the over-acting that was the style then.

I saw the Dietrich/Stewart version many years ago...I've never liked Marlene Dietrich and never understood what the big deal with her was, but Jimmy Stewart tops the list of my favorite actors, so it surprises me that I honestly can't remember a single scene from their film. The Murphy remake, however, has some really nice moments that have stuck with me. I'm sure I'll offend a lot of people by saying the following, but Mari Blanchard has more beauty and sex appeal than Dietrich ever DREAMED of having. Mari Blanchard is absolutely stunning in this film.

As for the technical end, I found the directing good, the script devoid of the usual brainless dialog and plot holes that many B Westerns of the time seemed burdened with, and the score was not intrusive. People seem to think this is a comedy, but it is not...it is a Western with humor in it...there's a difference. The humor is derived from the real situations, but never descends into broad comedy with pratfalls and nonsense.

Many Audie Murphy films are good for a single viewing and can be forgotten, but "Destry" is definitely worth repeat viewing. If you run across it, I highly recommend checking it out...there is good stuff throughout.

An unnecessary but enjoyable enough remake by George Marshall of his own classic 1939 western. Murphy and Blanchard are no Stewart or Dietrich, but they're good enough and they're supported by a colourful cast which includes Thomas Mitchell as the town drunk promoted to sheriff who hires the pacifist title character to clean up his town, Lyle Bettger as the obligatory shady saloon owner, and Edgar Buchanan as the scruffy town mayor in league with Bettger.

When the Sheriff of Restful asks one too many questions about the legitimacy of Decker's card games, he winds up dead and the new sheriff is the town drunk. The corrupt forces behind Restful think that things will be just how they like it from now on but don't figure that the drunk will call in help in the form of a deputy, Tom Destry – son of the famous lawman. However Destry Jr turns out to not only be against carrying guns but also be soft-spoken and good-humoured – not characteristics that Rags hoped for in his deputy. However with a culture of silence, gun crime widespread and the town in the grip of the sultry and dangerous Brandy, can Destry make an impact?

Just to prove that modern Hollywood does not have the sole rights to the concept of the totally unnecessary remake, we have this film made 15 years after the definitive version starring Stewart and Dietrich; and true to form, this version is just that – unnecessary. The plot is pretty much a carbon copy and indeed a lot of the scenes are almost copies of the 1939 version and the only thing this achieves is to highlight that it has all been done before – and better. Although it is a copy, it isn't as free-wheeling, fun or energetic as the previous film and it does show.

The main reason for this is the cast as this bunch show how important the cast were in 1939. Murphy bravely plays against type but he just isn't as well suited to the role as Stewart was – he plays naïve well enough but it isn't that funny or fun. Blanchard does the best she can and in fairness she does pretty well filling Dietrich's boots. Mitchell is always fun and does well enough but the rest of the support cast aren't really there. The musical numbers are quite fun but again feel like it is aping other numbers rather than going out on its own territory.

Overall nothing in this film is bad, in fact it is quite enjoyable across the board. However when you watch the 1939 film you have to wonder why they bothered to go back and remake it at all since all it manages to do is highlight how the "original" was better in the first place – and that only knocks the fun out of it that bit more.

This western is worth especially for its supporting characters such as Lyle Bettger, Edgard Buchanan, Mary Blanchard, etc...And it is very enjoyable, entertaining, though not the best of Universal Pictures, not the most original. Audie Murphy as a tenderfoot, as Jack lemmon in COWBOY, may be believable because of baby face Murphy, but whan you remember his other roles, it may look bland. Jimmy Stewart was more powerful in the genuine version of Marshall, back in 1939. In this western, characters are actually the opposite as they seem to be at first sight: Murphy and Buchanan, that was the most interesting for me. Murphy looks like a pussy and it happens later in the film to be something very different. Buchanan also seems to be a good and funny fellow, but the following moments in the movie are very surprising. This western hesitates between drama and comedy moments, George Marshall's trademark, and Audie Murphy's character in the line of a kind of Zorro, false tenderfoot, adds something interesting. The peculiarity of this feature, this western is that it takes place entirely indoors. Not common for a western isn't it? George Marshall remade his own film, as did Michael Haneke with FUNNY GAMES, Cecil B De Mille with THE TEN COMMANDMENTS or Michael Mann with HEAT and the first draw made in the eighties.

I see a lot of people want to compare a remake to the original. Somehow the remake seems to always fall short of the original. I tend to only look at the movie for what is and nothing else.

I really enjoyed the. Now I haven't seen every Audie Murphy movie, but I've seen a lot of them. This one is my favorite. I would have like to see more of Lori Nelson.

Just a good picture!

I saw Destry Rides Again when I was 10 years old and Destry 4 years later. I thought the 1st was great but that the remake was even better and both versions lived in my memory over the years. Am I able to still say that 40 years later?

Gunless and seemingly chinless man is called upon to clean up lawless wild west town much to the gang of baddies initial amusement and eventual regret. Audie Murphy was called upon to re-enact for Technicolor audiences James Stewart's pre-War original after a mere 15 years. It's a straightforward almost frame for frame remake, yet with some subtle yet utterly pointless differences, almost as if deliberately to stamp a minute independence from the original. From now having seen the original about 30 times more than the remake: the remake's colour is OK but the original b&w, lighting and therefore atmosphere was way better; characterisation and acting in the original was topnotch, believable and trod a fine comedic line perfectly, acting was OK in the remake but characterisation was almost non-existent; the original script was slavishly followed except the remake didn't want to trash the expensive sets and props for the final fight scene; the songs sung by Marlene Dietrich became world famous classics, in the remake the songs were brash and instantly forgotten.

I still enjoyed this version, only it's a colourful pale imitation of the classic original, imho one of the best films ever made. To Western fans who can't cope with black and white films made in prehistory the remake version will do for you, indeed it will have to do for you.

"Destry" is a remake of the classic 1939 western "Destry Rides Again" which starred James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich. This version has Audie Murphy and Mari Blanchard as the leads.

Right away the two movies suffer in comparison. Murphy is certainly no Stewart and Blanchard doesn't even come close to Dietrich. If you take "Destry" on its own merits however, it's not all that bad.

The story involves a non-gun toting deputy sheriff (Murphy) who is brought to town to clean it up by town drunk Thomas Mitchell who was "appointed" as sheriff by villains Lyle Bettger and Edgar Buchannan following the murder of the former lawman (Trevor Bardette). Into the mix comes Blanchard (woefully miscast) in the Dietrich part as Bettger's girlfriend and saloon singer. Naturally she falls for Murphy and well, you know the rest.

Murphy does his best in the role of Tom Destry, but when you come down to it it is the excellent supporting cast that make this film watchable. Mitchell stands out as "Rags" and Wallace Ford and Mary Wickes as the town doctor and his overbearing wife are also very good. There's a knock-down, drag-out fight between Blanchard and Wickes that is well done. Bettger is suitably oily and sinister as the chief villain and Buchanan does a good turn as the Mayor.

Interestingly enough Alan Hale Jr. plays a character called "Jack Larson". This was the same character played by Jack Carson in the original. Also it was curious that both films were directed by George Marshall.

"Destry" tries on a "B" Plus budget to re-do a classic but in the end is just another in the series of Murphy westerns released during the 50s.

This NEEDS to be released on DVD! It has all of the content necessary to be a great western. All of the acting is good, and the dialog is good, the camera-work and sets and costumes. Everything about this movie is good. It's a solid Western as they used to be made. It gives as good as "Destry Rides Again". Sure, it doesn't have Jimmy S., but then his presence doesn't a western make.

This is one of those movies that isn't even available on VHS except the rare old deteriorating copies that are floating out in the universe of crumbling static-filled fuzzy video tape. Our local library used to have a VHS copy of it about a decade ago and then something happened to it and it disappeared from the shelves. Haven't seen another copy since.

A restored DVD version would also do well to complement the "Destry Rides Again" movie. I mean, there are probably a bunch of people out there saying "Destry Rides Again... hmm, he's riding again? Where did he ride originally?". That's when they'll come looking for this movie... you corporate guys should be smelling profit by now.

Remakes are sometimes necessary. At least Audie Murphy was the perfect casting choice for a continuation of the Destry line. At least this new Destry line is modernized in that he engages the other cast members with a little knowledge of forensics, which came as a (nice) surprise.

Lyle Bettger is every bit as devilish as the bad guy of the original work (Brian Donlevy), and will do anything to make a buck and maintain his hold over a small western town. The town drunk is made sheriff after the former sheriff is murdered when he attempts to stop the bad guy from a land-grabbing deal via a bad hand of poker.

The new sheriff (again, the town drunk) pulls a surprise on the bad guys by sending for Tom Destry's son as his deputy. When Audie Murphy joins his boss (as little Destry), he comes without benefit of a firearm, and bearing a bird cage and a parasol! However, his mild demeanor does achieve some surprising results, and when he is pushed, the firearms come to bear.

Mari Blanchard can't hold a candle to Marlene Dietrich (of the original), but who could? And while Audie Murphy isn't Jimmy Stewart, the final gun battle is a good bit more tense and somber than the original, which I highly enjoyed.

This is one of the best of the B western line put out by Audie Murphy, and in my opinion proves that remakes CAN be done well, with the proper casting and direction. I HOPE modern film makers can find that groove.

This is one of my favorite old westerns, and rates an 8.7/10 on the B Scale. That's about a 5.4/10 on the A Scale from...

the Fiend :.

fNo sooner had the big budget To Hell and Back been released than everyone began to wonder if Audie Murphy, who played himself in that autobiographical flick about his WWII experiences, might be on the way out of B westerns and into major movies. It was, after all, one of the most successful films in Universal Studios history to that point in time. No such thing, though - later that same year, Murphy was back in a better-than-average remake of the classic Destry Rides Again - this time, with the title shortened to the character's name, doubtless because that was in vogue at the time: Shane (Alan Ladd), Hondo (John Wayne), Jubal (Glenn Ford), etc. While this film may never come close to the heights of the earlier A movie starring James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich, it sure rates far and above the average oater of that time. Murphy is actually far more close to the descriptions of Tom Destry in the original novel than was Stewart, and while Mari Blanchard isn't Marlene Dietrich (who was?), she is pretty terrific as the exotic saloon girl whose cynical attitude melts whenever she's around the likable young marshal. Murphy's self-effacing style may not have been acting precisely, but when one critic dubbed him a half-pint Gary Cooper, he got it right in everything except the intended insult. Murphy was, and still remains on celluloid, one of the greatest of all B movie cowboy heroes. The little boy who idolizes him is played by Lee Aaker, who that same year became "Corporal Rusty" on Rin Tin Tin. Lori Nelson, a gorgeous blonde then under contract at Universal, is the 'nice' girl. Uninspired but solid, this is as fine a representation of the era's B westerns as you could ask for - and the perfect film for anyone out there who hasn't seen one of them and is looking for a good place to start. Nice color photography, too!

I've seen both versions, 1939 and 1954, more then once or twice. The only saving grace for the latter is that the supporting cast is pretty good. I respect his outstanding war record, but Murphy was only a mediocre actor on his best day. Even when he portrayed himself in "To Hell and Back" his acting style is plodding and dull. Stewart could play a role low key and then show a range of emotions when called on to do so - he was a true artist in that regard. Murphy seems almost dull witted at times. Stewart had an outstanding military record that was, at times, used to lend credibility to some of his roles. It was unfortunate that Murphy was exploited just because his war record was deemed to be a box office draw, but he just couldn't act.