Review of Dallas (1950) by Van R — 27 Jul 2010

Gary Cooper masquerades as a lanky, fish-out-of-water, U.S. Marshal dressed in a stove-pipe hat and a fancy frock coat in "Along Came Jones" director Stuart Heisler's tongue-in-cheek western potboiler "Dallas" that depicts our protagonist's efforts to track down the low-down, no-account varmints that torched his Georgia plantation and killed his wife and son. Raymond Massey, Steve Cochran, and Zon Murray are suitably cast as the dastards that destroy our leading man's life and turned him into a hunted man with a price on his head. Warner Brothers released this post-Civil War oater in December 1950 before "High Noon" came out in 1952. Although this Technicolor horse opera lacks the brooding gravity of "High Noon," "Dallas" qualifies as respectable, lightweight, horse opera that offers enough thrills and frills to keep Cooper fans and western fanatics occupied during its brisk 94 minutes. An interracial romance between our former Confederate officer and a beautiful Mexican senorita highlights the narrative about the lawless days that followed the end of the Civil War in Texas.

"Colorado Territory" scenarist John Twist enlivens this routine shoot'em up with some flavorful dialogue. The scene in the stagecoach when a former unreconstructed Confederate trades places with a woman who champions the cause of the carpetbaggers benefits from the spicy dialogue. Massey makes a good, conniving villain but his plans unravel because he cannot control his trigger-happy siblings. Moreover, Cooper outsmarts him at every turn. Most of what transpires in this western is thoroughly unbelievable. The famous frontier lawman Wild Bill Hickok puts in an appearance during the first quarter-hour. The romance between Gary Cooper and Ruth Roman generates only minimal sparks. The funniest scene occurs before a gunfight when Cooper spooks one of the villains by stepping on a cat's tail. Of course, Heisler doesn't show Cooper squashing the cat's tail. Anyway, the feline cuts loose with an eldritch screech that flushes the villain out into the open to blast away at our hero. Predictably, Cooper drops the bad guy in his tracks. "King Kong"composer Max Steiner's score incorporates a great deal of traditional Warner Brothers' soundtracks.

"Dallas" opens with the villainous Marlow family rustling the cattle of Mexican rancher Don Felipe Robles(Antonio Moreno of "Seven Sinners") but Bryant Marlow (Steve Cochran of "White Heat")doesn't understand how stealing Robles' steers will help his older brother, Will Marlow (Raymond Massey of "Desperate Journey"), get the money back that he has loaned Don Felipe. "I don't buy mortages to get paid back. I buy them to foreclose." Will assures Bryant and Cullen (Zon Murray of "Hurricane Island") that "the black soil of Dallas County" will make them wealthy. Will reminds them that they have to restrain their use of violence so his evil plans can succeed. "There'll be no killing here," Will dictates. "Things won't be like they were in Georgia." Bryant and Cullen out as Don Felipe and his son Luis (Gil Donaldson of "Treasure of the Golden Condor") ride up. Don Felipe openly accuses Will and his family of rustling their cattle. "You're blaming me for all the war-bred scum in Texas?" Will is appalled by Don Felipe's implication. "It isn't my fault that Texas isn't back in the Union." Luis sees through Will's double-talk. Bryant and Cullen rein up nearby and Cullen shoots Luis in the thigh against Will's orders. Don Felipe spews venom. "Brave, strong, . . . just like lizards in dark corners." The Mexican warns Will that his lawless day are numbered because a U.S. Marshal is in route.

Boston born Martin Weatherby (Leif Ericson of "Carbine Williams") is the new marshal. He is dressed outrageously like the tin-horn that he is and doesn't even tote a six-shooter. When he arrives in Springfield, Missouri, Weatherby finds himself caught in the middle of a shoot-out between Blayde Hollister (Gary Cooper of "Sergeant York") and the legendary Wild Bill Hickox (Reed Hadley of "Now, Voyager") on main street that leaves Blayde in the dust. As it turns out, Blayde and Wild Bill staged the duel so Blayde doesn't have to worry about bounty hunters. Blayde accompanies Weatherby to Dallas, but he swaps clothes with him and impersonates him. Blayde is after Will and lulls him into a false sense of security for him. No sooner than he rides into Dallas, Blayde blows holes in Cullen and takes up with Weatherby's girl, Tonia Robles (Ruth Roman of "Champion"), who doesn't quite understand his motives.

Predictably, Blayde exacts his revenge on Will Marlow. Martin engineers a pardon for the former Confederate officer, but he hesitates to give it to Blayde after our hero steals his girl. The John Twist screenplay is about as far-fetched as a western comic book, but Cooper seems to be having fun impersonating a dude and making a fool out of the chief villain. "Dallas" is nowhere as good as either "High Noon" or "Vera Cruz," but it is still an above-average opera with a sense of humor.