1. DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939) – INTRO
ESSENTIALS 2016
LANSKY
HI EVERYBODY, AND WELCOME TO TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES. I’M YOUR HOST, KEITH
CARRADINE. WE CONTINUE TONIGHT WITH OUR LOOK AT BARROOM BRAWLS AND
WESTERNS. UP NEXT WE TAKE A LOOK AT A WILD WESTERN MUSICAL, A SPOOF AS
FUNNY AS IT IS GROUNDBREAKING. AND THAT’S SAYING SOMETHING! FROM 1939,
IT’S “DESTRY RIDES AGAIN.” DESTRY RIDES AGAIN WAS A SUCCESS BY EVERY
DEFINITION OF THE WORD: CRITICS LOVED IT, MOVIEGOERS LOVED IT, SOCIALLY IT
BROKE MILESTONES, AND FINANCIALLY IT MADE MONEY. THE STORY TAKES PLACES
IN THE CROOKED AND CORUPT TOWN OF BOTTLE NECK, NEVADA. JIMMY STEWART
PLAYS TOM DESTRY JR., THE NEW GUY IN TOWN AND SON OF THE LEGENDARY
SHERIFF TOM DESTRY SR, BUT WHEN DESTRY JR. ARRIVES IN TOWN HE QUICKLY
BECOMES THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE TOWN. A SKINNY PACIFIST WHO CLAIMS TO
NOT BELIEVE IN USING GUNS STEWART APPEARS COMPLETELY OUT OF PLACE AND
QUICKLY BECOMES THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE TOWN. THE TOWN SOON WISES
UP TO DESTRY AND REALIZES HE NOT SUCH A DOPE AFTER ALL. ON THE FLIP SIDE
OF THINGS THERE’S THE RING LEADER OF THE CHAOS, “FRENCHY” (PLAYED BY
MARLENE DIETRICH.) A CON ARTIST AND A HUSTLER FRENCHY USES HER SEXUALITY
TO STEAL FROM THE MEN IN TOWN. FRENCHY’S UNLIKE ANYTHING AUDIENCES IN
1939 HAD EVER SEEN. SHE DRANK AND THREW WHISKEY, CHOMPED SLOPPILY ON A
CHICKEN LEG, AND HID CASH IN HER BOSOM. SHE EVEN ENGAGED IN A WILD
“BARROM BRAWL” OF HER OWN. FIST FIGHTING, KICKING, AND THROWING CHAIRS.
SHE WAS AGGRESSIVE, UNRULY, UNRESTRAINED, AND UNASHAMED…AND
AUDIENCES…WELL, THEY LOVED IT. FROM DIRECTOR GEORGE MARSHALL
FEATURING JAMES STEWART, MARLENE DIETRICH, MISCHA AUER, AND CHARLES
WINNINGER, HERE’S “DESTRY RIDES AGAIN” ******
DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939) – OUTRO
DIRECTOR GEORGE MARSHALL KNEW HE WAS MAKING HISTORY WITH A FEMALE
CHARACTER LIKE FRENCHY. SHE WAS BOTH PROMISCUOUS AND A HERO. DIETRICH
JUMPS IN FRONT OF STEWART TO SHIELD HIM FROM A GUNSHOT, TAKING THE
BULLET HERSELF AND DYING IN HIS ARMS. A FEMALE HERO AND RARITY OF THE
TIME. THIS WAS CLEARLY A TURNING POINT, NOT JUST IN DIETRICH’S CAREER
(WHICH IT WAS) BUT ALSO IN HOLLYWOOD. WITH THIS ROLE DIETRICH WAS
SUDDENLY ONE OF HOLLYWOOD’S ELITE, LEADING, WOMEN. SHE JOINED THE LIKES
OF JEAN ARTHUR AND ROSALIND RUSSEL. WOMEN WHO WERE STRONG, ACTIVE,
HEROINS COPING WITH AND OFTEN OUTSMARTING THEIR MALE CO-STARS WHO
WERE PORTRAYED AS IMMAUTERE AND OFTEN INTELECTUALLY INFERRIOR. THIS
WAS A TRANSITIONING PERIOD FOR HOLLYWOOD AND DIETRICH WAS AT THE
FOREFRONT OF IT. BUT IT’S WORTH NOTING ALL ALONG THE WAY, DIETRICH HAD
FELT “DESTRY RIDES AGAIN” WAS GOING TO BE A HUGE FLOP. DIETRICH HAD TO BE
CONVINCED TO TAKE THE ROLE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS HAD ONCE BEEN ONE OF
THE MOST GLAMOUROUS WOMEN WORLDWIDE, ONE WHO HAD REGULARLY BEEN
ASSOCIATED WITH SOPHISTICATED ROLES AND NOW SHE WAS BEING ASKED TO
PLAY A SALOON HUSSY. FORTUNATELY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED SHE TOOK THE
ROLE AND HER STARRDOM ASCENDED TO EVEN GREATER HEIGHTS THAN EVER
BEFORE. THANKS FOR JOINING US, UP NEXT THE ORIGINS AND FEATS OF JESSE
JAMES. I’M KEITH KARRADINE, THIS…IS TCM- ******