The Comic Critic Reviews "Cat Ballou"

Cat Ballou is the name of this movie and the name of Jane Fonda’s character, a schoolmarm she plays straight. Her straight acting is necessary as she strikes the perfect counterbalance for most of the other main characters, who are provided comedic roles. Lee Marvin, who’s given the chance to overact in not one but two roles, gets most of the laughs. Historically, the gimmick of a double role, while interesting, doesn’t enhance a movie very much. But that isn’t the case in Cat Ballou. Had the writers decided to write the movie as a straight-up traditional Western, the gimmick would have been stale and lonely in its presentation. But they gave up on making Cat Ballou a classic Western and instead decided to make a Western that parodies Westerns. And that is why Lee Marvin was given full rein to be as broad as he wanted. Few actors get this chance. Marvin was deeply familiar with Westerns. He knew which subtle quirks would poke at audiences’ experience of Westerns. As a result, filled theaters roared each time Marvin hiked up his belt. Cat Ballou became the breakaway hit of 1965 and audiences ate up Marvin’s performance as he walked away with the picture. Not that Cat Ballou is a particularly tight picture. One of the plot holes is Cat Ballou herself. Fonda is introduced as a rancher’s daughter returning home from boarding school where she’s learned to be a schoolmarm. But the town takes little to no notice of a returning citizen, let alone the arrival of a new teacher. In fact, Fonda never steps foot in a schoolhouse. The schoolmarm is there because there’s usually a schoolmarm in Westerns. Just like there are usually horses, fancy shooting, sheriffs, trains, and other trappings. The story’s inconsistencies are overlooked because the movie doesn’t take itself, nor the genre it parodies, seriously.

Received one Academy Award out of five nominations.

The Comic Critic Reviews "Destry Rides Again"

Destry Rides Again is a well-constructed movie. It provides just the right amount of lush details so your suspension of disbelief is firmly established. A few shots of horses barreling down 

dangerous mountain roads and a few head of cattle going past a fence and you completely discount the fact that nearly every scene is either inside a studio set or a backlot façade of a boomtown. A string of comedic elements and dialog entertains us so well that its somewhat thin storyline is overlooked. We are all wrapped up in the characters—the town drunk who gets appointed sheriff, the Iron Matron of the dance hall with a secret heart of gold, the easy mannered deputy with a sly mind, and the silent but crafty mayor. All of these roles are filled with well-accomplished actors and character actors. The true charm of Destry Rides Again is that there is nothing wanting. You get song, humor, action, suspense, and a tug on the heartstrings. While Destry Rides Again performed well at the box office, it was not an extravagant success at the time. However, and I think this is because of how well the movie was constructed, Destry Rides Again remains high on the list of memorable westerns. A couple of quick side notes: Destry Rides Again was James Stewart’s first Western. It was also credited with revitalizing Marlene Dietrich’s career. 

The Comic Critic Reviews "River of No Return"

River of No Return did well at the box office when it was released in 1954. This western has a relatively simple script and might have blended in well with average western fare if it weren’t for two things. The first was the scenery. Director Otto Preminger and Cameraman Joseph LaShelle took full advantage of Cinemascope to capture the grandeur of national parks as mesmerizing settings for the story. Also beautiful on the screen was the leading lady, Marilyn Monroe. Her role as a saloon singer served as useful excuse to have her fill the screen. To extend her screen time, Preminger has her sing several musical numbers. When Marilyn or the gorgeous buttes of Idaho aren’t depicted on screen, we have Robert Mitchum tangling with scoundrels, Indians, and mountain lions. There’s not a lot of depth to or explanation of these characters. No reasons are given for the Indian and mountain lion attacks other than the assumption that’s what Indians and mountain lions do. As a result, those scenes lack strength and are forgotten as quickly as a childhood game. There is more chemistry between Marilyn and the boy, played by Tommy Rettig, than there is between Monroe and Mitchum. Had there been more of a spark, River of No Return might rank higher in its status as a classic Western.

The Comic Critic Reviews Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

I’m absolutely convinced I saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in the theater with my family. But I was only six years old (going on seven) when the movie was released. I know my parents would never take me to an adult feature at such a tender age. So I did some research and found that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was rereleased in 1974. No doubt the studio did this to take advantage of the success of Paul Newman and Robert Redford starring in The Sting the previous year. Slap a PG rating on it and make it fun for the whole family. But had no doubts that I saw it with the whole family. My sister Brenda assures me that she didn’t see it in the theater. My mother doesn’t know what the movie is about. My father is confident that he and I saw it, and probably the rest of the boys. My brother Stan says, “If you were there, I was there.” My brother Randy is fairly confident that it was a Boys' Night Out. I didn’t bother calling my other two brothers, Cliff and Scott. That’s the problem with having so many siblings: it can take you a couple of hours just to make all the phone calls. How am I so convinced that I saw the movie in the theater? Because I can still hear my dad sucking in his breath with an empathetic wince during the knife fight scene. I remember the troop of us walking across the spotlighted parking lot with a light, cool evening breeze. I remember how we were laughing and commenting to each other about the excellent final scene as the frame faded to sepia while the soundtrack continued.

The Comic Critic Reviews: Appaloosa - 2008

Appaloosa is a slim, trim, and neatly executed Western. Driven by the depth of the characters, the story is lovingly framed with a level of set and costume detail that is hard to equal. The visuals are so tempting that, after the movie, you are left longing to know this mysterious little town’s location. I give it a very strong seven, and was very tempted to give it an eight. I nearly did it, since it contained so many of my favorite actors. I’m still tempted and will do so—if I get enough fans clamoring to sway me to score it higher.