MARLENE!

'Destry Rides Again,' 1939
(Handout)
In George Marshall's exhilaratingly enjoyable Western farce, James Stewart brings a drawling ease and sociability to the role of a loquacious Western hero -- the opposite of "the strong, silent type." Set in a tough spot named Bottleneck, this superb, bare-knuckled comedy mixes brawling action and moral fables with slapstick, verbal wit and sex appeal. Marlene Dietrich supplies exotic allure, erotic frankness and haughtiness. As a saloon singer named Frenchy, the right-hand gal to Bottleneck's Mr. Big (Brian Donlevy), she envelops the movie in a hard-boiled je ne sais quoi. Frenchy shares in the corruption of Bottleneck, but Destry is nonetheless captivated when she huskily croons "You've Got That Look" (one of three jaunty Frederick Hollander-Frank Loesser songs). Even if Frenchy and Destry never get amorous (she gives him one farewell kiss), Stewart and Dietrich play off each other with such grace that this movie boasts the flirty delights of the best romantic comedies. It's vastly more entertaining than most "serious" Westerns, and even far more adult.