Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Destry Rides Again Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 19, 2020

George Marshall's "Destry Rides Again" (1939) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an arhcival program with the director; new program with critic Imogen Sara Smith; vintage Lux Radio Theatre radio broadcast; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Farran Smith Nehme as well as technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The longer they wait, the more they like it.

Very few critics dispute the fact that a direct comparison between Ben Stoloff and George Marshall’s cinematic takes on Max Brand’s novel Destry Rides Again immediately reveals that the former does a much better job of respecting the original material. But this is largely a moot comparison because the latter was pursuing an entirely different goal. Indeed, it was very carefully scripted to reinvigorate Marlene Dietrich’s career, which is precisely what it accomplished.

The film is set in the lawless western town of Bottleneck where the well-connected criminal Kent (Brian Donlevy) calls all the shots. The only person who dares to question his authority is Sheriff Keog (Joe King), which is why eventually he ends up with a bullet in his head. With Kent’s blessing, the town’s mayor then quickly appoints the popular drunkard Wash (Charles Winninger) to fill the vacancy, and life returns to normal.

But Wash surprises everyone and shortly after welcomes in town Tom Destry Jr. (Jimmy Stewart), the son of a famous lawman he had once befriended and appoints him deputy. Destry quickly figures out that Kent has the mayor and everyone else with some meaningful authority in town on a tight leash and then proceeds to find out the details behind Sheriff Keog’s ‘mysterious death’. While working on the case, Destry gradually warms up to the town’s most popular beauty, saloon performer Frenchy (Marlene Dietrich), who is also in an open relationship with Kent.

The script provides Dietrich with numerous opportunities to impress and she does make the best of them. Between the poker game at the very beginning of the film and the giant melee in the saloon at the very end of it, Dietrich undergoes a sizeable character transformation that allows her to shine in contrasting situations that also end up defining the film’s identity. So, it is the strength of this particular transformation that makes the comedy-drama swings work.

Stewart’s character, which was the first major western character the great actor played, is the catalyst that unleashes the transformation. It takes a while before he steps in front of the camera and while he does look convincing it is fair to say that there are also parts of the film where he seems somewhat suspiciously cautious. (Admittedly, this becomes obvious only because Stewart went on to play some much bigger characters in westerns that are now universally considered to be among the genre’s greatest classics). In a more conventional western this could have been perceived as a weakness, but the manner in which the comedy and drama are blended here provides a decent cover and eventually invalidates it.

Marshall’s direction also infuses the film with an attractive lightness that has an indisputably positive effect on the action. This isn’t a memorable action that would have made an impression on anyone who had been wowed by John Ford’s films, but it has the right energy and serves its purpose. Given the strength of Dietrich and Stewart’s performances, this is an important quality of the film that is actually quite easy to overlook. In a reversed scenario, where the action is either overly dramatic or comically exaggerated, the crucial relationship between Dietrich and Stewart quite simply would not have been right for the film. The end product would have been an odd and quite uneven spoof which in a few years no one would have remembered.

*Criterion’s release of Destry Rides Again is sourced from a new 4K master, which was struck from a 35mm nitrate composite fine grain and 35mm safety composite fine grain. The restoration work was carried out by Universal Pictures in collaboration with The Film Foundation.

Destry Rides Again Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Destry Rides Again arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new 4K digital restoration was undertaken by Universal Pictures in collaboration with The Film Foundation, with special consultation by filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. A new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution from a 35mm nitrate composite fine-grain and a 35mm safety composite fine-grain.

The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm nitrate composite fine-grain by NBCUnibersal StudioPost Audio Operations. The audio restoration involved fixing loose sync; the removal of anomalies, noise, and hum using Avid's Pro Tools with iZotope RX; and a final mix performed to balance out the levels."

The release is sourced from a new 4K master that was prepared by Universal Pictures with the assistance of The Film Foundation. One could speculate that in an ideal world the lost OCN would have produced an even better end product, but the current master is outstanding. Indeed, aside from having the film look just marginally softer, the rest of its technical characteristics are as solid as I expected them to be. Density and image stability are particularly impressive, which is why even on a very large screen the visuals continue to look rather striking. The new is also very carefully graded, allowing great ranges of grays and whites to coexist with equally solid looking blacks. There are no traces of compromising digital work. The entire film is spotless as well. Fabulous restoration. My score is 4.75.5.00 (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Destry Rides Again Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are no technical anomalies to report in our review. After the restoration, the audio sounds very clear, clean, and nicely rounded. Balance is also very good. I was even pleasantly surprised by the good dynamic intensity that emerged during some of the mass sequences. (See the cat-fight and the final shootout in the saloon).

Destry Rides Again Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Imogen Sara Smith - in this new video program, critic Imogen Sara Smith highlights some of the unique qualities of Destry Rides Again. The program was created exclusively for Criterion in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• George Marshall - director George Marshall recorded this oral history of his silent film career for the American Film Institute in 1973. It is presented here with images from the films he discusses. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080p).

• Donald Dewey - in this new program, Donald Dewey, author of James Stewart: A Biography, discusses Jimmy Stewart's contribution to Destry Rides Again as well as the evolution of his career. The program was created exclusively for Criterion in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080p).

• Radio Broadcast - presented here is the November 5, 1945, Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of Destry Rides Again. In it, Jimmy Stewart reprises his role as Tom Destry Jr., with Joan Blondell playing Frenchy and Leo Cleary playing Wash Dimsdale. In English, not subtitled. (54 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Farran Smith Nehme as well as technical credits.

Destry Rides Again Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is not far-fetched to assume that Marlene Dietrich's bad girl was a blueprint that many writers and directors carefully studied over the years. Frenchy is one of those classic characters that undergoes the type of transformation films need to look great and be remembered. There are plenty of other reasons why Destry Rides Again works well, but Dietrich's performance comes first. Criterion's release is sourced from a lovely exclusive new 4K master that was prepared by Universal Pictures with the assistance of The Film Foundation. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.