Along Came Jones (1945)

Gary Cooper is Melody Jones, a slow-on-the-draw cowpoke, who rides into the town of Plainville with sidekick George Fury (William Demarest).

Because of the initials M.J. on his saddle blanket and because of his tall, lean build, he’s mistaken for quick-on-the-draw outlaw Monte Jarrad (Dan Duryea).

Thanks to the interference of Monte’s girlfriend Cherry de Longpre (Loretta Young), the two men are able to escape Plainville with their lives.

Cherry convinces them to ride off to the south to avoid trouble. Her ulterior motive: When the posse follows Melody, that will leave the entire north as an escape route for her wounded boyfriend.

But Melody turns back, for a number of reasons. He’d like to make something of himself; he could do that by catching Monte.

And he senses Cherry might be in trouble; and that’s one fine looking filly.

Thing is, the posse isn’t alone in the search for Monte. There are three brothers out for vengeance. And a detective looking for the money Monte stole during a stage holdup.

And if Melody keeps thinking the way he’s thinking about Cherry — well, Monte might become a threat to him, too.

Gary Cooper as Melody Jones, kissed by Cherry and confused in Along Came Jones (1945)

Loretta Young as Cherry de Longpre, trying to convince Melody and George to follow her for their own good in Along Came Jones (1945)

Review:

Wonderful comedy Western with strong performances by Cooper, Young, Demarest and Duryea. The marked Cooper’s first film as a producer; he even sings a bit.

The opening is a particular delight, as an entire town cowers before Melody, much to his partner’s confusion. Explains Melody: You have to act tough and “unsmiling,” and people will respect you. His partner scoffs, then scoffs some more when he finds out the real reason Melody was “respected.”

Demarest keeps right on wise-cracking throughout the film, watching on helplessly as Melody gets in deeper and deeper because of his affection for Cherry.

There’s even a clever ending, during which Cherry proves “when I aim at something, I hit it. And when I hit something, that’s what I aimed at.”

William Demartest as George Fury, baffled by the way the folks of Plainville are acting in Along Came Jones (1945)

Dan Duryea as Monte Jarrad, warning Cherry not to mess around with other men in Along Came Jones (1945)

Directed by:
Stuart Heisler

Cast:
Gary Cooper … Melody Jones
Loretta Young … Cherry de Longpre
William Demarest … George Fury
Dan Duryea … Monte Jarrad
Frank Sully … Avery de Longpre
Don Costello … Leo Gledhill
Walter Sande … Ira Waggoner
Russell Simpson … Pop de Longpre
Arthur Loft … Sheriff
Willard Robertson … Luke Packard
Ray Teal … Kriendler
Lane Chandler … Boone

Runtime: 90 min.

Don Costello as Leo Gledhill, threatening Melody Jones in Along Came Jones (1945)

Arthur Loft as the sheriff, leading a posse in search of a killer and $40,000 in Along Came Jones (1945)

Memorable lines:

George: “It’s spooked. The whole dang-blamed town is spooked.”

Monte to Cherry: “Just don’t monkey around with nobody at all, unless you want that belly blasted open.”

Melody: “I might even get to be sheriff.”
George, shaking his head after Melody fumbles on the draw. “That or a corpse, one or the other.”

George, providing advice on self-defense: “You always want to shoot ’em in the right eye. Spoils their aim.”

Cherry, upset with Melody: “Why you … you butter-fingered, gun-juggler.”

Gary Cooper as Melody Jones and William Demarest as his partner George in Along Came Jones (1945)

Willard Robertson as Luke Packard, a bank agent looking for a stolen $40,000 in Along Came Jones (1945)

Loretta Young as Cherry de Longpre, intervening on Melody Jones behalf in Along Came Jones (1945)

Dan Duryea as Monte Jarrad, angry over Melody Jones’ interest in Cherry in Along Came Jones (1945)

Loretta Young as Cherry de Longpre, worried about the changes she’s seeing in Monte Jarrad in Along Came Jones (1945)

Gary Cooper as Melody Jones, eager to go his way, not Leo’s in Along Came Jones (1945)