Dallas [VHS]

Warner Bros. presents "DALLAS" (30 December 1950) (94 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) -- Our story line and plot, A throwback to the "old fashioned" Westerns of the 30s and 40s such as DODGE CITY (1939) --- DALLAS has a number of things going for it: Gary Cooper at his coolest, blazing Technicolor photography by Ernest Haller "GONE WITH THE WIND" (1939) and a pulse-pounding score by Max Steiner the composer of "PAINTED DESERT" (1938), "KING KONG" (1933), "GWTW" (1939), "DODGE CITY" (1939) and so many other scores for Warner Bros --- In addition, there is a masquerade, mistaken identity, a faked death and more hair-breath escapes than a Republic serial --- As always, Cooper defines what it is to be a man under pressure --- this is pure entertainment! --- Some interesting cast members with Reed Hadley playing Wild Bill Hickok, Buddy Roosevelt an old time B-Western star during the '20s & '30s, Leif Erickson as U.S. Marshal Martin Weatherby, Fred Graham the great stuntman from so many action serials and western films, the beautiful Barbara Payton whose life away from the screen was even more interesting --- Gary Cooper's laconic performance holds the audience's interest throughout.

Under the production staff of:
Stuart Heisler - Director
Anthony Veiller - Producer
Derek N. Twist - Screenwriter
John Twist - Screenwriter
Ernest Haller - Cinematographer
Max Steiner - Composer (Music Score)
Clarence Kolster - Editor
Douglas Bacon - Art Director
George James Hopkins - Set Designer
Marjorie Best - Costume Designer
Oliver S. Garretson - Sound/Sound Designer
Albert S. Greenway - Makeup
Fred Phillips - Makeup
Chuck Hansen - First Assistant Director

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Gary Cooper (aka: Frank James Cooper)
Date of Birth: 7 May 1901 - Helena, Montana
Date of Death: 13 May 1961 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California

2. Ruth Roman
Date of Birth: 22 December 1922 - Lynn, Massachusetts
Date of Death: 9 September 1999 - Laguna Beach, California

3. Steve Cochran
Date of Birth: 25 May 1917 - Eureka, California
Date of Death: 15 June 1965 - Pacific Ocean (acute infectious edema)

4. Raymond Massey
Date of Birth: 30 August 1896 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date of Death: 29 July 1983 - Los Angeles, California

the cast includes:
Gary Cooper ... Blayde Hollister
Ruth Roman ... Tonia Robles
Steve Cochran ... Bryant Marlow
Raymond Massey ... Will Marlow
Barbara Payton ... Flo
Leif Erickson ... U.S. Marshal Martin Weatherby
Antonio Moreno ... Don Felipe Robles
Jerome Cowan ... Matt Coulter
Reed Hadley ... Wild Bill Hickok
Gil Donaldson ... Luis Robles
Monte Blue ... Tarrant County Sheriff
Roy Bucko ... Prisoner
Ben Corbett ... Bystander
Gene Evans ... Drunk in Saloon
Al Ferguson ... Springfield Citizen
Fred Graham ... Tough in Saloon
Cactus Mack ... Dallas Citizen
Zon Murray ... Longfellow Cullen Marlow
Buddy Roosevelt ... Springfield Citizen

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- If you're into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- please stand up and take a bow Western Classics --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 94 mins on DVD ~ Warner Bros. ~ (5/13/2003)

This movie was first released in 1950(1978)1997, in rich technicolor, in fullscreen 1.33.1 and runs 90 minutes. The sound and the picture quality are very good. The DVD is available as part of Gary Cooper - The signature collection 2006. The movie starts with a rider coming fast to the Robelis saying that the Marlow brothers were raiding their cattle. Mr Robelis says to Will Marlow(RAYMOND MASSEY) that their days of raiding cattle will be coming to an end and the US Marshall, Martin Wetherby(LEIF ERICKSON) was on his way. As a stagecoach comes into town, Blayde 'Reb' Hollister(GARY COOPER), former colonel in the confedrate army, comes into the street and faces Marshall Wild Bill Hickock. Hickock pretends to shoot Hollister, as an outlaw, but later meets him for breakfast. The people think, outlaw Hollister is dead. Wetherby is shocked to see Hollister and Hickock as friends. Hollister take Weatherby's name and comes into town. The real Wetherby was going to the Robelis ranch to meet Antonia Robelis(RUTH ROMAN), as his fiancee. Later in town Hollister(Wetherby) intoduces himself as the new Marshall. He goes into William Marlow's office to purchase land for a town hall, but Bryant Marlow(STEVE COCHRAN) is also there. Bryant shoots the saloon owner and William asks him to leave as he is always causing trouble. In the gunfight, Hollister is shot on his left arm and goes to Robelis ranch for treatment. Bryant tricks Hollister to come to him, but Hollister escapes. Later the town asks for Bryant to be caught, dead or alive. Hollister finds out Bryant's hide out and expects to fight him , possibly in Dallas.
How will it end? Will Hollister stay as wanted man? Who will Antonia fall for, Hollister or real Wetherby? What will William do about his younger brother Bryant? Will Dallas town fight back? Will Bryant be caught? Will the town find out Hollister's identity?
This story of JOHN TWIST is well photographed by ERNEST HALLER and briskly directed by STUART HEISLER. Gary Cooper gives again an excellent performance. The action scenes are good.
FRANK JAMES 'GARY' COOPER was born on 7.5.1901 in Helena, Montana. When 13, he injured his hip in a car accident. He studied at IOWA Grinnell College until 1924. By 1925, he worked as extra, usually as a cowboy. In 1925, he accepted a contract with Paramount Pictures and changed his name to 'GARY'. He made over 100 pictures. In 1929, he did his first sound picture -'Virginian'. In 1942, he won his 1st Academy award for best actor -'Sergeant York'. His 2nd award was in 1953 for Marshall Will Kane in 'HIGH NOON'. His final picture was in 1961 -'The Naked Edge'. He married VERONICA BALFE on 15.12.1933. They had one child -MARIA COOPER JANIS. Cooper separated from his wife between 1951-1954. He died on 13.5.1961, aged 60, of prostate cancer, which had spread.
Some of Gary Cooper's westerns are:-
(1) The Virginian, 1931(1989)
(2) The Plainsman, 1936(2004)
(3) Cowboy and The Lady, 1938(1994)
(4) Along Came Jones, 1945(2001)
(5) Unconquered, 1947(2007)
(6) The Westerner, 1940(2008)
(7) Distant Drums, 1951(2004)
(8) Springfield Rifle, 1952
(9) High Noon, 1952(2008)
(10)Vera Cruz, 1954(2011)
(11)Garden of Evil, 1954(2008)
(12)Man of the West, 1955(2008)
Watch and ENJOY.

Dallas stars Gary Cooper, Ruth Roman, Steve Cochran, Barbara Payton & Raymond Massey. It's directed by Stuart Heisler, photography is from Ernest Haller & pen duties fell to John Twist. Produced out of Warner Brothers, Dallas is vividly filmed in Technicolor out of the Iverson & Warner ranches in California. Very much a film with its tongue firmly in cheek, the film is a throwback to the Westerns of yore that exist without pretensions or deep penetrative meanings.

The plot sees Cooper's Civil War renegade, Blayde "Reb" Hollister, fake his own death so as to kill off his reputation and to free himself for the pursuit into Dallas of the brothers who massacred his family. In essence a routine plot, Twist's story is perked up along the way by many a fun and exciting diversion. There's role reversals, dandy fashions, horseback pursuits, shoot outs, a love triangle, vigorous dialogue and deft little twists to keep the piece purely from painting it by numbers.

Cooper seems to be enjoying himself too, which further enhances the feel good factor on offer. It's true he isn't really asked to do anything more than be a laconic dude on a mission. But when called on for action duties, he delivers the goods that his fans have come to expect during his successful career. The villains entertain {particularly Steve Cochran's vile and dopey Bryant Marlow} because each have their own little peccadilloes to keep them from over familiar blandness. The two ladies of the piece look gorgeous and hold up well in amongst the machismo, while the high production value allows Haller to really treat the eyes with the lush Technicolor and involving camera work around the locations.

It has ideals to being an A list Oater does Dallas, something it just can't quite attain. But it's not for lack of trying and the end result is one of pure entertainment, that, in truth, should be enjoyed on a cold winters day when the viewer needs a pick me up. 7/10