Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Nonureva Really Surprised!

GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

classicsoncall With the lyrics "Let's start the evening with a bang!", this film gets off to a lively start with Mari Blanchard kicking up her heels, and I might say, all the rest of her leggy assets as well. It's interesting how she transforms her character from a conniving saloon moll to an almost decent citizen by the end of the story. I was curious how the near romantic triangle between Brandy, Destry and Martha Phillips (Lori Nelson) would play out, but villain Decker's (Lyle Bettger) bullet took care of that. It would have been interesting to see who Destry might have picked if Brandy made it to the end of the picture.I've always been a little on the fence about Audie Murphy as an actor. He's almost always a bit too laid back and laconic in his delivery, and when cast as a villain or anti-hero ("No Name On The Bullet", "Gunsmoke"), his baby face good looks generally don't fit the role. His portrayal here might be one of the better situations he found himself in, he shows up as the unassuming green horn and grows into the deputy role over a series of confrontations with Decker's henchmen. It was neat to see how ballistic science was worked into the story as well, but I wondered why Decker or the honorable mayor (Edgar Buchanan) simply didn't throw the bullets away when they had the chance.The other curious thing about the picture was the cat-fight scene between Blanchard's character and that of Mary Wickes playing the doctor's wife. It got pretty scrappy, but it would have made more sense for Destry's romantic rivals to go at it. Oh well, maybe the next remake. Speaking of which, I haven't seen the original yet with Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Deitrich, but other reviewers on this board are pointing me in that direction.All in all, not a bad little Western, certainly entertaining enough with all the musical numbers thrown in. It could have used a little more Alan Hale as long as he was on hand to begin with. A lot of other familiar faces, if not names on hand as well. But one thing that kept me scratching my head - 'Promiscuous shootin'?

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) This is an outstanding Audie Murphy western. Directed by George Marshall who also directed the 1939 version this film manages to be as good with a slightly different, more dramatic style. Audie is an ideal Tom Destry, with a young boy's face and stature, but with self confidence. Mari Blanchard as Brandy has the talent and looks. The film reaches its high point when Murphy is made fun of by the bad guys at the saloon and replies by showing how he can handle guns. The final shootout is excellent with Murphy and Lyle Bettger seeing each other though a mirror. Probably because Audie and George Marshall made many average films, Destry did not get the praise it deserved from the critics.

walkerote Audie Murphy displays his toughness, charisma, and just plain like-ability in this film. Thomas Mitchell is once again great in his role as the lawman who brings in Destry to help him clean up the town. He also provides some comic relief, but then so does the clever dialog.Lyle Bettger is great in his role as the smooth talking "Bad Guy". Bettger was one of those guys who could deliver his lines with a smile, in almost a mocking manner, because he always seemed to have the upper hand. And if he didn't have the upper hand he was a good bluffer. A good blend of, action, comedy, romance, and clever dialog make this a must see for any fan of the cast members. And like many of the classic westerns of those days, it makes a great family film. Hopefully this film will make it to DVD to be enjoyed by future generations.

DSchryer Sadly, remakes of successful movies are seldom as good as the original films. Destry -- director George Marshall's remake with Audie Murphy of Destry Rides Again, which starred Jimmy Stewart -- is one of the rare exceptions. No, Audie Murphy was not a better actor than Jimmy Stewart. But, given a good script and good direction, Audie Murphy was a far better actor than his many B movies would lead one to expect, and Destry was one of his best performances.The fact that director George Marshall chose to remake his black and white Jimmy Stewart hit, Destry Rides Again, in Technicolor with Audie Murphy as Destry clearly indicates that Marshall felt his original film could be equaled or improved upon. And, in this viewers opinion, he was right. Both the original and the remake are good westerns but, if one can get past bias toward Jimmy Stewart -- and his co-star Marlene Dietrich -- and evaluate the movies purely on their merit, I believe that Audie Murphy's Destry is the better film. At worst, it is at least as good as the original and deserves to be recognized on its own merits.