Jimmy Stewart comes blazing into town to save the day, armed to the teeth, with a sinister glower. Actually, he shows up unarmed, carrying a birdcage and a parasol, and order milk at a bar. Not your typical western hero. It would eventually become a typical role for Stewart to play, but here it feels so fresh.
Marlene Dietrich plays an old-west bar-floozy to a T (not that I'm an expert on old-west bar-floozies) in one of her most wonderfully dynamic roles. In one memorable scene she scams a man at poker and then tells the man's wife "he would rather be cheated by me than married to you". Classic!
Another great quotable line is when Stewart tells a dying man who feels he is dying without honor, "That's how they shot my father. They didn't dare face him either."
The ethical statement of taking on an anarchic old west town unarmed can be applied to any time period. And it's written, directed, and performed so well that it's a wonder the American Film Institute insists on ignoring it.
The climax to the film starts off like many other westerns, with men assembling on both sides for a big final shootout. But it's broken up by housewives armed with rolling pins and rakes. And that doesn't even spoil the touching resolve. A western from Hollywood's golden year way ahead of its time that needs to be seen!
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