After WW2 Warner Bros let Errol go into a few different sort of films – melodrama, comedy, film noir – before putting him in two big budget blockbusters, this and The Adventures of Don Juan. While the latter was soon realised as a classic this one didn’t recoup its budget, despite teaming him with Ann Sheridan, an ideal Errol co-star if there ever was one, full of booze and sass. It’s an enjoyable film, very well made with all of Raoul Walsh’s energy.
Its main problem with the public, I think, is it was a melodrama about the redemption of a scoundrel rather than an action movie – closer to The Sisters than San Antonio. And the public didn’t embrace it –maybe they would have with a few more gun fights or a more prominent villain (Barton MacLane is fine but he’s always a henceman).
Errol actually gives a good performance – he looks a bit more seedy than in his glory days but it totally suits his more unscrupulous character and he teams well with Ann Sheridan (you imagine they could go vodka for vodka). It’s an entertaining movie that should be better known – I think it would if it were made pre 1946. It seems to belong more to the Great Years of Hollywood, especially with Thomas Mitchell playing another drunk.
No comments:
Post a Comment