Good movie but grossly overrated

Absolutely Fantastic

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This is a rousing western with great ingredients: Errol Flynn, Olivia De Haviland, Michael Curtiz direction, Max Steiner score, and vivid color. It's a fun movie. But it belongs to an earlier generation of western movies that was superseded by many films that later appeared during the golden age of the genre in the late 1940s and 1950s.John Ford's Stagecoach appeared in the same year as Dodge City and already pointed the way forward to a deeper, more grown-up western. It would be followed by other fine films by Ford himself, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher, and many others. These movies focused on character, complex themes, or simply the poetry of the western myth itself.What Dodge City provides is standard horse-opera fare elevated by great production values. We have the pure-hearted, noble hero, kind to all ladies even when they scorn him; the comical but dumb sidekick; the saloon brawl, the really nasty bad guy and his even nastier gang, and so on.There's a great opening sequence in which the new railroad train races a stagecoach. Another attraction is Olivia De Haviland, whose delicate beauty perfectly complements Flynn's persona. It's easy to see why Flynn was so popular in swashbuckling movies like this one--he could wield a six-gun or sword, handily defeating enemies, yet remain a gentleman. Compared with movie heroes to come--Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca! John Wayne in The Searchers!--Flynn was a Boy Scout.The famous saloon fight in Dodge City is way over the top. We are meant to revel in the high spirits and manly foolishness of many dozens of Yanks and Confederates literally reducing the establishment to rubble as they beat each other with every weapon available. Later westerns continued the tradition of bar-room confrontations, but the casts would be smaller and the situations far more desperate ones with lives at stake and justice at issue.

"Dodge City, Kansas - 1872. Longhorn cattle center of the world and wide-open Babylon of the American frontier - packed with settlers, thieves and gunmen"."Dodge City... rolling in wealth from the great Texas trail-herds... the town that knew no ethics but cash and killing".Enter trail boss Wade Hatton, cunningly disguised as a dashing Errol Flynn........Dodge City, an all action Western from start to finish, finds Errol Flynn {in his first Western outing} on tip top form. Based around the story of Wyatt Earp, Michael Curtiz's expensively assembled film charms as much today as it did to audiences back in 1939. All the genre staples are holding the piece together, dastardly villains, pretty gals, wagon train, cattle drive, iron horse, Civil War, shoot outs, fist fights and of course an heroic Sheriff. All neatly folded by the astute and impressive Curtiz. Aided by Sol Polito's fluid Technicolor enhanced photography, and Max Steiner's breezy score, Curtiz's set pieces shine as much as they enthral. A burning runaway train and the finest saloon brawl in cinema are the stand outs, but there are many other high points on which to hang the hat of praise.Very much a male dominated film, it's with the ladies that Dodge City fails to reach greater heights. Olivia de Havilland, who is always a feast for the eyes in Technicolor, disliked her role as Abbie Irving, and it's not hard to see why. There is not much for her to get her teeth into, it's a simple role that demands nothing other than saying the lines and to look pretty. Ann Sheridan as Ruby Gilman gets the more sparky role, but she sadly doesn't get that much screen time. Which is a shame because what little there is of Sheridan is really rather great.Those problems aside, it's with the guys that Dodge City is rightly remembered. Flynn attacks the role of Hatton with gusto and a glint in his eye. When he straps on the Sheriff badge for the first time it's akin to Clark Kent shredding his suit to become Superman. Yes it's that exciting. Bruce Cabot and Victor Jory are growly and great villains, while comedy relief comes in the fine form of side-kickers Alan Hale and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams. Dodge City sets out to entertain, and entertain it does. In a year that saw other notable and lauded Westerns also released {Stagecoach, Jesse James and Destry Rides Again} give credit where credit is due, Dodge City deserves its place amongst those offerings. Most assuredly so as well. 8/10

"Dodge City" is Warner Bros.' action star Errol Flynn's attempt at the western genre. He portrays Wade Hatton, an adventurer who settles in Dodge City, Kansas and attempts to clean up the unruly city to make it safe for civilians who find the "cowtown" dangerous. Hatton's main antagonist is Jeff Surrett, a businessman who uses violence to achieve his aims. Hatton is ably assisted by his sidekick, Rusty (Alan Hale), who acts as deputy and backs up Hatton in all his fights, while he is sheriff and before. Wade has a contentious relationship with a woman, played by Olivia deHavilland. At first she does not like Hatton, blaming Wade for the death of her brother on a cattle drive but coming to love him when he shows his courage in opposing the men who make Dodge City a dangerous place to live. This film is directed by Michael Curtiz, one of Warners' top directors and top-billed by Flynn, a major star, bu this is only an average western, so it gets a grade of B-

In "Dodge City" Flynn and de Havilland make us forget they were ever Peter and Arabella or Robin and Marian. As Wade Hatton, Flynn is the softspoken - but strong- gentleman cowboy with manners and demeanor that would charm your great-grandma. I can understand why de Havilland was so unhappy with this assignment-her part is the generic love interest. HOWEVER..she gives it her all, delightful and believable as the intelligent, determined Abbie Irving, and she looks gorgeous. The scene between Flynn and de Havilland in the newspaper office has the spark we expect from these two great stars. Only complaint - not enough scenes of them together. And Flynn should have kissed her in the last scene when she agrees as a new bride to take the next wagon train west so he can clean up another lawless town. Alan Hale is terrific as Flynn's sidekick. Steiner's music is again stirringly beautiful. Sol Polito, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer, presents the viewer with the most beautifully photographed scenery and the wagon trains that took the pioneers west.One should remember that the film is not the cliché others have pronounced it to be. What you see here is the original. Curtiz knew how to fill a screen with action.