Destry Rides Again
Dir: George Marshall
1939
*****
George Marshall's Destry Rides Again is one of the most overlooked films of the genre and one of the best Westerns of all time in my opinion. I've said it before (and I'll say it again) but give me James Stewart over John Wayne every day of the week. Going against the grain, Destry Rides Again tells the story of a Marshal whose quick fire mouth is greater than his quick fire draw. It has a script to die for, every line is brilliant and every one delivered perfectly. Marlene Dietrich oozes class and is as sultry as you can get, even in the scenes whereby her character is shown to be floored, she carries it with seductive panache. It's not an anti-Western as such but the way it turns the formula on it's head is a great change of pace, even though it pre-dates the films that are most recognized as the classics. Jean-Luc Godard once said that all you need is a Girl and a Gun. Turns out he was only half right.