Dodge City (1939)

Errol Flynn is Wade Hatton, hired to help supply buffalo meat for the railroad along with buddies Rusty Hale and Tex Baird.

In the process, they run afoul of Jeff Surrent (Bruce Cabot). He and his men have been killing buffalo on Indian land without a government contract. Hatton puts an end to that, earning a vicious enemy in the process.

Asked to stay on in Dodge City by the man who created the community, Hatton and his sidekicks instead return to Texas, but eventually return guiding a wagon train.

Its passengers include pretty Abbie Irving (Olivia de Havilland) and her hot-headed brother Lee. No sooner is Wade warming up to the former than he winds up having to kill the latter in self-defense.

Meanwhile, back in Dodge, Surrett is ruling a lawless roost, running a gambling house in the open and strong-arming his way into lucrative beef deals privately through intimidation and murder.

Town leaders appeal to Hatton to take on the sheriff’s job; he doesn’t agree until a young boy is dragged to death after horses spook because he’s caught in the crossfire during a gunfight.

From that point on, Hatton is determined to bring law and order to Dodge, even if it means prohibiting guns within city limits.

Ultimately, he knows that will mean a showdown with Surrett.

After the death of a newspaperman named Joe Clemens, Hatton’s other priority is protecting his assistant, Abbie. After all, he’s fallen in love with the stubborn young lady who balks when he tries to order her around.

Errol Flynn as Wade Hatton, determined to bring justice to Dodge City (1939)

Olvia de Havilland as Abbie Irving, iritated with wagon train boss Wade Hatton in Dodge City (1939)

Review:

In his fifth teaming with Olivia de Haviland, Flynn goes West for the first time. It was a genre that suited his swashbuckling style; he’d wind up making seven more Westerns, with de Havilland along his side again for “Sante Fe Trail” and “They Died with Their Boots On,” both released during the 1940s. Their first film together had been 1936’s “Charge of the Light Brigade.”

This offers a nice mix of action and occasional comic relief. Even if the outcome is pretty predictable, getting there is fun. And the final shootout aboard a flaming railroad car is especially well done.

Alan Hale and Guinn Williams provide much of that comic relief as Hatton’s sidekicks. At one point, Hale joins a temperance union. For a heartbeat. Next thing you know, he’s in a barroom brawl and nearly lynched by Surrett and his gunmen.

Speaking of which, those gunmen include Victor Jory and Ward Bond.

The youngster whose father was killed by Surrett’s men and whose death prompts Hatton to pin on a badge is played by Bobs — that’s not a typo — Watson. He’s best known for the role of Pee Wee in the 1938 film “Boys Town.”

Bruce Cabot as Jeff Surrett, the man who wants to keep Dodge City as wide open as possible in Dodge City (1939)

Victor Jory as Yancy, Jeff Surrent’s fast gun, about to be jailed in Dodge City (1939)

Directed by:
Michael Curtiz

Cast:
Errol Flynn … Wade Hatton
Olivia de Havilland … Abbie Irving
Ann Sheridan … Ruby Gilman
Bruce Cabot … Jeff Surrett
Frank McHugh … Joe Clemens
Alan Hale … Rusty Hale
Guinn Williams … Tex Baird
John Litel … Matt Cole
Henry Travers … Dr. Irving
William Lundigan .. Lee Irving
Henry O’Neill … Col. Dodge
Victor Jory … Yancey
Bobs Watson … Harry Cole
Gloria Holden … Mrs. Cole
Douglas Fowley … Munger
Ward Bond … Bud Taylor

Runtime: 104 min.

Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams as Tex Baird, one of Wade Hatton’s sidekicks in Dodge City (1939)

Alan Hale as Ruty, Wade Hatton’s sidekick, trying to keep his temperance pledge in Dodge City (1939)

Memorable lines:

Rusty Hale, of Abbie and Lee: “Those two youngsters are more trouble than they’re worth.”
Wade Hatton: “I’ll sure be glad to hand them over to their uncle in Dodge.”
Rusty: “Yeah. She sure is pretty though.”
Wade: “Yes. I’d still trade the two of them for one good cigar.”

Abbie to Wade, about his bossiness as trail boss: “I’ll wager two minutes after you were born you were telling the doctor what to do.”

Wade to Abbie’s brother, Lee: “Look, Irving, we’ve got a very special treatment for bad little boys like you. Now you behave yourself, or you’re going to ride into Dodge City backwards on a mule. You’ll look very silly.”

William Lundigan as Lee Irving, hot-blooded younger brother of Abbie (Olivia de Havilland) in Dodge City (1939)

Henry Travers as Dr. Irving, hearing Wade Hatton’s explain how Lee Irving died in Dodge City (1939)

Wade Hatton: “Well, what’s the news in Dodge?”
Charley: “Well, just about the same as always. Gamblin’, drinkin’, and killin’. Mostly killin’.”

Wade, about the murder of an acquaintance: “I hear you made it pretty interesting for Matt Cole the other night.”
Jeff Surrett: “You always did hear a little too much.”
Wade: “It’s possible you boys are a little too noisy.”

Rusty Hale, after someone has fired a pot shot at Wade Hatton: “They sure make you feel at home around here.”
Wade Hatton: “Yes, they’ll even dig you a home if you’re nice to them.”

Olivia de Havilland as Abbie Irving and Errol Flynn as Wade Hatton, butting heads again in Dodge City (1939)

John Litel as Matt Cole, the cattle broker Jeff Surrett has killed in Dodge City (1939)

Bobs Watson as Harry Cole, aka Shakespeare, the young boy whose death prompts Hatton to become sheriff in Dodge City (1939)

Gloria Holden as Mrs. Cole, who loses her husband and son to Dodge City’s violence in Dodge City (1939)

Errol Flynn as Wade Hatton, trying to talk sense into Lee Irving in Dodge City (1939)

Olivia de Havilland as Abbie Irving, explaining her desire to be a newswoman in Dodge City (1939)

Ann Sheridan as Ruby Gilman, saloons singer and Surrett’s girl in Dodge City (1939)

Ward Bond as Bud Taylor, a Surrett man being grilled by Wade Hatton in Dodge City (1939)

Olivia de Havilland as Abbie Irving and Frank McHugh as Joe Clemens watching new families arrive in Dodge City (1939)

Olivia de Havilland as Abbie Irving and Errol Flynn as Wade Hatton, getting closer in Dodge City (1939)