Capital Celluloid 2020 — Day 127: Fri Dec 11

 Destry Rides Again (Marshall, 1939): BFI Southbank, NFT3, 6.05pm


This screening (also being presented on December 4th, 19th, 28th and 30th) is part of the Marlene Dietrich season runnign right through December at BFI Southbank (details here).

Time Out review:
Marvellous comedy Western, with Stewart's pacifist, reputedly wimpy marshal taming the lawless town of Bottleneck by means of words and jokes rather than the gun Donlevy's villain repeatedly provokes him to use. What is remarkable about the film is the way it combines humour, romance, suspense and action so seamlessly (with individual scenes - Dietrich singing 'See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have', Stewart's delicious parable about a homicidal orphan, Mischa Auer losing his pants - indelibly printed in the memory). Flawless performances, pacy direction and a snappy script place it head and shoulders above virtually any other spoof oater.

Here (and above) is the trailer.

 

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