Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Along Came Jones Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 15, 2018

Seeing an iconic actor known for one particular type of portrayal skewer that image can often lead to unexpectedly enjoyable results, as evidenced by the relatively recent Killing Gunther, a film which had undeniable problems but which generated some substantial laughs from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s gonzo take on the titular action adventure hitman character. Something perhaps even more extreme is on display in the engaging Along Came Jones, Gary Cooper’s sole producing credit (though he evidently had some sort of production input on Casanova Brown, also recently released by ClassicFlix) and a film where the laconic actor upends his image as a stalwart and stolid western hero. That very subterfuge begins with his character’s name, Melody Jones, one that makes him sound for all the world like one of those “singing cowboys” from days of yore (and indeed the film trumpets — no pun intended — that built in reference), but the disconnect between perceived image and “reality” continues when it turns out Melody can’t handle a gun, has more than a few problems getting the girl, and basically stumbles through a series of admittedly rote western escapades without much of a clue as to what’s actually going on.

A daring stagecoach robbery, certainly a longstanding tradition in Western films, starts Along Came Jones off with several bangs, one of which wounds bandit Monte Jarrad (Dan Duryea), who drops his monogrammed rifle (doesn’t every bad guy have one of those?) in the process, something that at least alerts law enforcement types as to who is wreaking all this havoc. The Sheriff (Arthur Loft) of nearby Paynesville (get it?) puts out a fairly cheeky wanted poster (see screenshot 8) that has just enough information in it to make sure that ambling duo Melody and sidekick George Fury (William Demarest) are mistaken for Jarrad and his supposed sidekick “Uncle Roscoe something”. (The fact that Melody Jones and Monte Jarrad share the same initials also adds to the confusion.)

Now there’s already such a concatenation of conceits at play in Along Came Jones that the sheer weight of the plot mechanics may tend to deflate any whimsical proclivities in Nunnally Johnson’s screenplay. Things only get more contrived when Cherry de Longpre (Loretta Young) helps spirit Melody out of Paynesville because she somehow knows he’s not the real Monte Jarrad, something that turns out to be the case because (of course) she’s involved with the real Jarrad, who is holed out in her barn due to his injury sustained during that aforementioned stagecoach robbery. There’s really no sense of an incipient ménage à trois here, despite the burgeoning jealousy Monte experiences as Melody and Cherry predictably start to feel romantic sparks for each other, since it’s so patently obvious that whatever the backstory between Cherry and Monte may have been, he’s the bad guy and fated not to get the girl.

There are some kind of fun deconstructionist attempts made in Along Came Jones, with the supposed hero (Melody) often coming across as a helpless dolt, and the supposed damsel in distress (Cherry) proving she’s more than a match for anyone, including in terms of being able to handle a firearm. But the film is often a little on the listless side, never really going for the gusto in terms of laugh out loud comedy. Instead, Along Came Jones is kind of gently amiable, managing to eke out grins and giggles due mostly to the expert performances by Cooper, Young and a typically irascible Demarest. Some of the funniest material is actually unintentional, with some rear projection work supposedly helping to create the illusion that Melody and George are on horseback trodding across the wide open plain. Let’s just say it’s an illusion that is unbelievable on any number of levels.

Along Came Jones Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Along Came Jones is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of ClassicFlix with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. Both the restoration comparison and the film itself begin with the (same) text cards alerting the viewer that "time has not been kind" to the elements utilized as source material, and the restoration demonstration in particular makes it clear that there were some pretty bad examples of age related wear and tear (one particularly bad example involving what looks like ripping and tearing on the left side of the frame in a scene involving Demarest is testament to the repair efforts that were made by ClassicFlix). This is another extremely commendable job by ClassicFlix, one that has obviously eliminated all sorts of damage, and helped to stabilize what was at times evidently a warped and decidedly unstable image. While this is largely a pristine looking presentation, some very small anomalies creep through (look at the tiny spot on Cooper's cheek in screenshot 1), and there are still signs of warped frames that couldn't be completely corrected. Contrast and black levels are markedly improved (judging by the restoration comparison), but as with a couple of other ClassicFlix titles I've reviewed, I personally found the overall look here arguably a bit on the dark side, something that tends to mask some detail levels in darker scenes. Detail levels are generally quite pleasing, especially in close-ups. The most ragged looking moments here are the (many) optical dissolves, several of which are fairly fuzzy looking (see screenshots 18 and 19).

Along Came Jones Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Along Came Jones features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix which, like the video element, can't quite completely overcome some of the ravages of time. This is one of the more ubiquitously noisy tracks ClassicFlix has offered in terms of hiss and even occasional pops and cracks. There's one kind of interesting moment at circa 10:23 where a brief pop is followed by an obvious change in overall fidelity and dynamics, suggesting that perhaps this had to be cobbled together from more than one source, or that a single source had some significant damage. There's also at least a bit of noticeable distortion in louder amplitudes as in the gonging bells that announce the Independent Productions masthead. That said, dialogue makes it through the gauntlet fine, with nothing really falling by the wayside despite occasional blips in quality.

Along Came Jones Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Image Gallery (1080p; 1:56) allows for a manual advance but defaults to auto advance (so the timecode will continue ticking away even if you chapter skip ahead), so have your remote handy if you want to pause on any given photo.


• Restoration Comparison (1080p; 4:08) begins with the same disclaimer that precedes the film, and then documents some of the impressive attempts to improve the quality of the image.

Along Came Jones Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are a couple of interesting if tangential things about Along Came Jones that may interest those who otherwise might not care one whit about a largely forgotten comedy western with two stars who are sadly perhaps also becoming forgotten. First of all, the film closes with a little vignette which may make some a bit uneasy in this #metoo environment that is sweeping the nation. Less "problematically", though, this film is a really interesting stylistic collaboration between director Stuart Heisler and cinematographer Milton R. Krasner, and in fact some of the uncharacteristic chiaroscuro lighting techniques in the second half of the film would have been more at home in a noir (there's a very interesting little B film from Heisler that anticipates several noir stylistic conceits, 1941's Among the Living, with Albert Dekker as twins, one of whom is crazed, Susan Hayward as a floozy who attracts the crazy one and Frances Farmer as the wife of the normal one). Along Came Jones is fitfully humorous, if rarely laugh out loud hilarious, and ClassicFlix has done another nice job in rescuing a lesser remembered film from the ash heap of history. Recommended.