Frenchie *** (1950, Joel McCrea, Shelley Winters, Paul Kelly, Elsa Lanchester, Marie Windsor, John Emery, John Russell) – Classic Movie Review 11,500

The 1950 Western film Frenchie is the third of four versions of Max Brand’s story Destry Rides Again, and stars Shelley Winters and Joel McCrea. Shelley looks great, exuding allure, and the film looks real nice in Technicolor.

Director Louis King’s 1950 Universal Pictures Technicolor Western film Frenchie is the third version (of four) of Max Brand’s story Destry Rides Again, and stars Shelley Winters and Joel McCrea, along with Paul Kelly, Elsa Lanchester, Marie Windsor, John Emery, and John Russell.

Shelley Winters stars as saloon gal Frenchie Fontaine, who queens it over the boys of Bottleneck, but she is there to find her father’s killers.

Frenchie’s father Frank Dawson was killed in the town of Bottleneck by his double-crossing partner Jack Lambert (Paul Kelly). Now, 15 years later, she returns to Bottleneck to find the killer, and buys the Scarlet Angel casino, but learns sheriff Tom Banning (McCrea) has cleaned up the town, forcing gamblers to go to nearby Chuckaluck, where Lambert is the boss.

Destry rides yet again, and stumbles, at least in comparison with the 1939 Western film Destry Rides Again that Frenchie is based on. Shelley looks great, exuding allure and appeal, even if she does not seem entirely at home in the West, though McCrea settles comfortably in the saddle as the town’s mild sheriff Tom Banning, while Lanchester (as The Countess) and Windsor (as Diane Gorman) are typically good value.

The stylish cast counts for a lot, with John Russell as Lance Cole and George Cleveland as Mayor Jefferson Harding also notable. Also Maury Gertsman’s cinematography makes it look real nice in Technicolor (whereas Destry Rides Again was in black and white).

Joel McCrea.

Also in the cast are George Cleveland, Regis Toomey, Paul E Burns, Frank Ferguson, Vincent Renno, Lawrence Dobkin, and Lucille Berkley.

Oscar Brodney writes the story and screenplay from a plot loosely based on the 1939 Western Destry Rides Again.

Destry Rides Again was published in 1930 as Twelve Peers in instalments in Frank Blackwell’s Western Story Magazine, then in paperback later in 1930 as Destry Rides Again. It is not a sequel story: ‘again’ refers to Destry’s returned freedom to ride after being freed from jail. Four film versions were made between 1932 and 1954 owing little to the novel other than their name. The plots are unrelated to Brand’s story and Destry’s first name is also changed to Tom. The films are Destry Rides Again (1932) starring Tom Mix in his first sound film, Destry Rides Again (1939) starring James Stewart, Frenchie (1950) and Destry (1954) with Audie Murphy. It was made into a Broadway musical in 1959. A TV series starring John Gavin as Harrison Destry ran for 13 weeks in 1964.

The main cast

The main cast are Joel McCrea as Tom Banning, Shelley Winters as Frenchie Fontaine, Paul Kelly as Pete Lambert, Elsa Lanchester as the Countess, Marie Windsor as Diane Gorman, John Russell as Lance Cole, John Emery as Clyde Gorman, George Cleveland as Mayor Jefferson Harding, Regis Toomey as Carter, Paul E Burns as Rednose, Frank Ferguson as Jim Dobbs, Vincent Renno as Tony, Lawrence Dobkin as Joe the Bartender, Chubby Johnson as miner, Jerry Paris as Perry, and Lucille Berkley as dealer.

Frenchie is directed by Louis King, runs 81 minutes, is made and released by Universal Pictures, is written by Oscar Brodney, is shot in Technicolor by Maury Gertsman, is produced by Michael Kraike, is scored by Hans J Salter, and is designed by Alexander Golitzen and Bernard Herzbrun.

Release date: December 25, 1950 (Los Angeles).

It was shot from April 18, 1950 into May 1950. Locations include Buttermilk Country, Inyo National Forest, California, and Universal Studios, California.

Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,500

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