Review of Destry Rides Again (1939) by Joseph H — 17 Feb 2012

When the sheriff of a corrupt frontier town is murdered and replaced with the town drunk, the man calls on the services of the son of a legendary law man only to find that he is a pacifist. James Stewart is at his very best for this, one of his defining roles.

His easy going charm and integrity are a perfect foil for Marlene Dietrich's feisty music hall girl (so brilliantly parodied by Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles) and they have fantastic chemistry together; the cat-fight scene is pure comedy gold.

Essentially a story about standing by your principles no matter what the provocation, all the characters are impossible to dislike with some great comic relief provided by a quality supporting cast. Consistently funny with a timeless story of a hero who refuses to resort to violence in the face of adversity, this is one of my all time favourites and a true classic from the golden age.