Good start, but then it gets ruined

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This was very interesting and I enjoyed it significantly. It's weird watching very early James Stewart--he's not what one would consider a conventional romantic male lead--and this is a very bizarre Western/comedy/musical. Anything starring Marlene Dietrich of this vintage is priceless, no doubt. Very weird, especially considering America's ever-present right-to-bear-arms controversy, watching a film like this, too. A purely magical film that's essential to own and re-watch for any Stewart, Dietrich or Western enthusiasts--and a strong reason why 1939 was the greatest year ever for American cinema. A fine feather for director George Marshall's cap, to be sure.

This is a gem of a movie. Jimmy Stewart comes across as very comical at times, but in one scene he shows fierce anger. The songs are great and very well done. The fight between Janice Tyndall and Marlene Dietrich is a real classic as they really get into the action. The sound of a piano playing makes for an image of the west. I love Charles Winninger's role in this movie. He almost steals the show. I like how Frenchy, in one scene, looks up at Destry and smiles. The scene with the guns firing and the music along with it makes the drama build up. Then, in the bar, at the end of the movie, where the bad guy stands on the second floor watching closely to shoot Tom, but he kills Frency is another classic scene. If you want action, comedy, and a good western you have to see this one. Enjoy!

George Marshall directs this popular western comedy as Jimmy Stewart plays Tom Destry Jr., son of a famous lawman whose former deputy(now town drunk) is made Sheriff of the corrupt western town of Bottleneck, run by a ruthless man named Kent(played by Brian Donlevy)and aided by saloon singer Frenchy(played by Marlene Dietrich) who just murdered the most recent sheriff, who had been asking too many questions about Kent's corrupt gambling house. When Destry Jr. arrives, people are shocked at the mild-mannered man they see, who doesn't like to use guns, but instead his wit! They then dismiss him as a threat, but that turns out to be a mistake...OK western spoof(of sorts) is amusing but hardly a comedic gem, and not very credible either, with an all-too predictable romance between Frenchy and Destry. Still, it's amiable enough, and Stewart is quite good.

James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Brian Donlevy, Charles Winninger, Jack Carson, and Mischa Auer star in "Destry Rides Again," from that magic year of 1939. Directed by George Marshall, a good director from the silent era, it's the story of a corrupt town, Bottleneck, in the old west. One of its leaders, Kent (Donlevy) has the sheriff killed when he questions a rigged poker game that is giving Kent power over the local cattlemen. The mayor is in there with him. They appoint the town drunk, Dimsdale (Winninger), as the new sheriff, knowing they can control him.Dimsdale, however, was a deputy under Tom Destry, a great shot and a great lawman. Dimsdale contacts his son, Tom Jr. (Stewart) to become his deputy. Tom Jr. becomes a laughingstock when the town realizes that he doesn't carry a gun and doesn't believe in it.This film is important for several reasons: It revived the stalled career of Marlene Dietrich, who does a great job as Frenchy, the saloon girl who, despite being Kent's girl, falls for Destry. In one of the first scenes, she gets into a hilarious fight with Lily Belle (Una Merkel), which was improvised by the actresses and done in one take. Frenchy of course was the inspiration for the Madeline Kahn character in "Blazing Saddles." The other reason is, it's James Stewart's first western, and he went on to do many. Third, it was made into a Broadway musical starring Andy Griffith and had a good run on Broadway.Dietrich sings "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have," "You've Got that Look," and "Little Joe, the Wrangler," and she's fantastic.Stewart, who took this role after Gary Cooper turned it down, is both sweet and sexy, with a gentle voice and manner that belies his lawman status.Very good film with a downbeat ending that is quite touching and really adds to the movie.