The Texas Rangers

This is my first recollection of Lloyd Nolan. He played "Polkadot Sam", the buddy who went wrong while Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie became lawmen. Jack Oakie was the wise-crackin' comedy relief. Nolan's nickname came from the polka-dotted neckerchief he always wore. Wouldn't ya know it, Fred MacMurray had to gun him down at the end, and as he cradled his fallen former buddy in his arms we were treated to one of the tear-jerkinest death scenes ever in a western, on a par with Gary Cooper and Richard Arlen in "The Virginian". A lot of ridin' and shootin' made it a Saturday afternoon well spent.

If you like old fashioned westerns speaking of friendship, vengeance, action, this film is made for you. King Vidor brings here a classic without any surprise, where everything is predictable, but it is a movie that is worth watching if you are a moviegoer in love with oldies; great acting and directing too.

Two Texas bandits (Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie) join the Texas Rangers in order to avoid being caught and slowly reform. They take on raids by Native Americans and another bandit (Lloyd Nolan) while MacMurray further reforms thanks to a beautiful woman (Jean Parker). Exciting action sequences (particularly a scene with falling boulders)and humor by Oakie are among the highlights. MacMurray, then at the start of his lengthy career, is quite likable in spite of a tough facade. Benny Bartlett is excellent as the young boy MacMurray mentors initially against the law and later on its side. Parker gets some better material than most heroines do in westerns. This is a perfect old movie to introduce today's youth to the great westerns of yesteryear.

This to me is a magical western of the straightforward "goodies in white hats, baddies in black" genre. It has style, humour and excitement and should be compulsory viewing for every 12 year old and above.