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But it does. Vera Ralson is part of the problem, she's pretty but bland in the role of Wayne's new bride who sweet-talks him in going to the title state so they can run a riverboat business, but the real weakness is the overall look of the film. An overabundance of rear projection and rather obvious indoor/outdoor scenes gives this 'outer' a distint fake feeling. Duke is amicable in the lead, Bond makes a sturdy villian, Brennan is fine doing his Gabby Hayes impersonation and the film has a rousing climax, but it never rises beyond it's B origins
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I had high hopes for this movie, being it had Wayne, Brennan, and Ward Bond. However, my hopes were dashed with each passing scene. The plot is weak and confusing. Director Joseph Kane obviously believed the more action, gunfights, and fistfights he could add would make a better film. He was wrong. The action is overdone, actually ridiculous at times, and rather than add to the movie, it detracts. The love story is equally implausible and ridiculous. All in all, this is a very disappointing movie. Made in 1945, it is a very immature western, lacking the depth of plot and characterization that bespeak good films. This is a "B" western all the way, and if if comes your way, get out of its way!kone
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We are HUGE John Wayne fans! Absolutely thrilled to have this movie added to our collection! It's a true classic!Honest reviews on Dakota (1945)
He's a happily married newlywed who is a little henpecked by his strong Polish wife.He dances, makes faces, and tells jokes.
He's not a very good shot, gets beaten up a lot, sucker punched, robbed, and rides around in a carriage.
He's..... John Wayne.
John Wayne!? Yup. John Wayne. Not the 1930s singing cowboy from the 50+ B movies, but a post 1939 ("Stagecoach") John Wayne who had just finished "Back to Bataan" and "They Were Expendable" and would shortly redefine the western hero with films like "Red River" and "Fort Apache" (1948) and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949).
So what is he doing in this stinker from RKO? And what fool wasted this cast that contains Ward Bond, Walter Brennan, Paul Fix, Mike Mazurki, Nick Stewart, Grant Withers, and Robert Barrat, to name a few.
Well, for one thing, the war had ended and people were getting a little sick of watching war films. Wayne had made a slew of them, starting in 1942 with "Flying Tigers" followed in quick succession by "Reunion in France" and "Pittsburgh", then "Fighting Seabees" (1944), "Back to Bataan" (1945) and "They Were Expendable". The last film came out post war and was a flop at the box office. "Dakota" was an attempt to put Wayne back into the profitable Republic westerns he had made prior to the war.
Then there was Republic's President Herb Yates' new girlfriend (and future wife), Vera Ralston (1919-2003), whom Yates insisted get the leading lady role. Ralston plays Wayne's wife, a role later filled usually by Maureen O'Hara, but up until 1945 Wayne was unmarried in films even if he did get the girl at the end of the picture. Ralston was a Czech skating star and was brought to the US to be the next Sonja Henie. Ralston and director Joseph Kane were also having an affair while she was dating Yates. She made a total of 27 films from 1941 to 1958. Wayne said "As a human being she was OK, but she was no actress."
Bear in mind, by 1945 Wayne was accustomed to notable co-stars, like Donna Reed, Susan Hayward, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Jean Arthur, and Paulette Goddard.
At Wayne's insistence, Yates hired Wayne's old pals Ward Bond, Paul Fix, and Grant Withers.
Ward Bond (1903-60) plays a villain. He was a football player at USC with his life time friend, John Wayne, and together they appeared in nearly a dozen films including "They Were Expendable" (1945), "Fort Apache" (1948), "3 Godfathers" (1948), "The Searchers" (1956), "Wings of Eagles" (1957), and "Rio Bravo" (1959). Without Wayne, Bond was also a staple in Ford's stock company and appeared in "Young Mr. Lincoln" (1939), "Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)", "My Darling Clementine" (1946), and "The Grapes of Wrath (1940) among the 25 films they made together. He's probably best remembered for his role as Major Seth Adams on the TV series "Wagon Train" (1957 1961), based on the 1950 film "Wagon Master" in which he appeared. Bond was in more Top 100 AFI films (7) than any other actor, and appeared in 11 films that were nominated as Best Picture.
Grant Withers (1905-59) plays a thug. He is the heavy you love to hate. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1925 to 1958. He was in many John Wayne and John Ford movies, and the Duke was his best man when he married in 1953. I remember him best as Ike Clanton in "My Darling Clementine" (1946).
Paul Fix (1901-83) has a small role as another of Bond's henchmen. Fix was originally Wayne's acting coach and eventually appeared in 26 films with him including "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949), "The Fighting Kentuckian" (1949), "Big Jim McLain" (1952), "Hondo" (1953)" and El Dorado" (1967). Fix played in more than 200 films, many of them westerns, starting in the silent film era. He gave us such memorable roles as old man Maxwell in "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), and Joan Crawford's confidant Eddie in "Johnny Guitar" (1954). He's best remembered for his role as the Marshall in Sam Peckinpah's TV series "The Rifleman" (1958-65).
Also in the cast are Walter Brennan, Big Jim Mazurki, Robert Barrat, and Nick Stewart.
This is probably Walter Brennan's worst film. Walter Brennan (1894-1974) won 3 Oscars for Best Supporting Actor ("Come and Get it" in 1936, "Kentucky" in 1938, and "The Westerner" in 1941) and was nominated for his work in "Sergeant York" (1941). We know him best for his Emmy nominated role in the TV series "The Real McCoys", and his film comedies ("The Over the Hill Gang") or as the grumpy side kick Stumpy in "Rio Bravo", but he was equally capable of playing the villain, as he showed in "The Westerner" (1940), "My Darling Clementine" (1946), and again In "How the West Was Won" (1962). Brennan and Wayne teamed up in 8 films including "Red River" (1948), "Three Godfathers" (1948) and the most memorable being "Rio Bravo" (1959).
Big Jim Mazurki (1907-90) plays Bond's enforcer. At 6'5" he was an imposing figure in more than 100 films from 1934 to 1990. He played Indians, Arabs, and Italians. In the 1950s he transitioned to TV
Robert Barrat (1889-1970) plays a land owner. He appeared in more than 100 films. He did 7 films with Jimmy Cagney (e.g., "The Mayor of Hell") and appeared in such classics as "The Life of Emile Zola" (1937), "Captain Blood" (1935), "Union Pacific" (1939), and "They Were Expendable" (1945). He's best remembered for his role as Chingachgook in "Last of the Mohicans" (1939).
Nick Stewart (1910-2000) plays Brennan's shipmate. We know Stewart best as Lightnin' from the great Amos and Andy TV series. He started in films in 1932 and transitioned to TV in the 50s.
Production values are terrible. Most of the film is shot in a studio. Backdrops are obvious and the use of models makes the early British films look like Star Wars.
Joseph Kane (1894-1975) is the director. Kane directed Wayne in "Lawless Nineties" (1936) and "Flame of the Barbary Coast" (1944) but his real experience came from Gene Autry and Roy Rogers films and he really didn't understand how to use Wayne.
In 1945 the top grossing films were "Mom and Dad", "The Bells of St. Mary's", "Leave Her to Heaven", "Spellbound", and "Anchors Aweigh." The big Oscar and Golden Globe winner was "The Lost Weekend" (Picture, Director, Actor). Notable films released that year included Joan Crawford's Oscar winning "Mildred Pierce" and film noir classic "Scarlett Street".
On any terms this is a poor film. Given the year it was made and the quality of the cast, there is no excuse for such a poor film.
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