Dakota (1945)

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  • DAKOTA


    PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY JOSEPH KANE
    MUSIC BY WALTER SCHARF
    REPUBLIC PICTURES


    Photo with the courtesy of lasbugas


    INFORMATION FROM IMDb


    Plot Summary
    In 1871, professional gambler John Devlin (John Wayne) elopes with Sandra "Sandy" Poli (Vera Ralston), daughter of Marko Poli (Hugo Haas), an immigrant who has risen to railroad tycoon. Sandy, knowing that the railroad is to be extended into Dakota, plans to use their $20,000 nest egg to buy land options to sell to the railroad at a profit. On the stage trip to Ft. Abercrombie, their fellow passengers are Jim Bender (Ward Bond) and Bigtree Collins (Mike Mazurki), who practically own the town of Fargo and Devlin is aware that they are prepared to protect the little empire...trying to drive out the farmers by burning their property, destroying their wheat, and blaming the devastation on the Indians. Continuing their journey north on the river aboard the "River Bird', Sandy and John meet Captain Bounce (Walter Brennan), an irascible old seafarer. Two of Bendender's henchmen, Slagin (Grant Withers) and Carp (Paul Fix), board the boat and relieve John of his $20,000 at gunpoint. Captain Bounce, chasing the robber's dinghy, wrecks his boat on a sandbar. At Fargo, the land wars begin and John teams with the wheat farmers against the Bender gang. Several attempts are made on his life and Collins tries to frame him for murder.
    Summary written by Les Adams


    Full Cast
    John Wayne .... John Devlin
    Vera Ralston .... Sandy Poli (Devlin) (as Vera Hruba Ralston)
    Walter Brennan .... Capt. Bounce of the Riverbird
    Ward Bond .... Jim Bender
    Mike Mazurki .... Bigtree Collins
    Ona Munson .... Jersey Thomas
    Olive Blakeney .... Mrs. Stowe
    Hugo Haas .... Marko Poli
    Nick Stewart .... Nicodemus (Capt. Bounce's Bosun) (as Nicodemus Stewart)
    Paul Fix .... Carp
    Grant Withers .... Slagin
    Robert Livingston .... Lieutenant
    Olin Howland .... Devlin's driver (as Olin Howlin)
    Pierre Watkin .... Wexton Geary (Marko Poli's representative)
    Robert Barrat .... Anson Stowe (as Robert H. Barrat)
    Jonathan Hale .... Col. Wordin
    Robert Blake .... Little boy (as Bobby Blake)
    Paul Hurst .... Capt. Spotts
    Eddy Waller .... Stagecoach driver
    Sarah Padden .... Mrs. Plummer
    Jack La Rue .... Suede
    George Cleveland .... Mr. Plummer
    Selmer Jackson .... Dr. Judson
    Claire Du Brey .... Wahtonka
    Roy Barcroft .... Poli's driver
    Melva Anstead .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Eugene Borden .... Italian (uncredited)
    Bob Burns .... Farmer (uncredited)
    Paul E. Burns .... Farmer at meeting (uncredited)
    Lucille Byron .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Martha Carroll .... Entertainer (uncredited)
    Noble 'Kid' Chissel .... Henchman (uncredited)
    Dorothy Christy .... Nora (the cook) (uncredited)
    Peter Cusanelli .... Italian (uncredited)
    Kenne Duncan .... Henchman (uncredited)
    Geraldine Farnum .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Cay Forrester .... Entertainer (uncredited)
    Frances Gladwin .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Fred Graham .... Bouncer (uncredited)
    Lorna Gray .... Entertainer (uncredited)
    William Haade .... Roughneck in saloon (uncredited)
    Harriette Haddon .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Rosemonde James .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Russ Kaplan .... Bouncer (uncredited)
    Marian Kerrigan .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Rex Lease .... Railroad conductor (uncredited)
    Tom London .... Old-timer (uncredited)
    Cliff Lyons .... Bouncer (uncredited)
    LeRoy Mason .... Gambler (uncredited)
    Art Miles .... Ciano (uncredited)
    Al Murphy .... Trainman (uncredited)
    Jack O'Shea .... Bartender (uncredited)
    Beverly Reedy .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Jack Roper .... Bouncer (uncredited)
    Hector Sarno .... Italian farmer (uncredited)
    Betty Shaw .... Entertainer (uncredited)
    Tom Smith .... Gambler (uncredited)
    Dorothy Stevens .... Dancer (uncredited)
    Houseley Stevenson .... Railroad clerk (uncredited)
    Linda Stirling .... Entertainer (uncredited)
    Larry Thompson .... Poli's footman (uncredited)
    Victor Varconi .... Frenchman (uncredited)
    Michael Visaroff .... Russian (uncredited)
    Virginia Wave .... Entertainer (uncredited)
    Dick Wessel .... Roughneck in saloon (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    Howard Estabrook adaptation
    Carl Foreman story
    Lawrence Hazard screenplay


    Original Music
    Walter Scharf (uncredited)


    Cinematography
    Jack A. Marta


    Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
    Yakima Canutt .... second unit director
    Allen K. Wood .... assistant director (uncredited)


    Stunts
    Yakima Canutt .... stunt double (uncredited)
    Bobbie Dorree .... stunt double (uncredited)
    Fred Graham .... stunt double (uncredited)
    Cliff Lyons .... stunt double (uncredited)


    Other crew
    Larry Ceballos .... choreographer
    Walter Scharf .... musical director
    Andrew V. McLaglen .... production assistant (uncredited)
    Andrew Sterling .... songs (uncredited)


    Goof
    * Continuity: When Devlin is tossed out of Poli's house, he tumbles down the steps with his head toward the right of the porch. But on the cut to the close-up, he completes the fall with his head toward the left, a complete mismatch from the previous shot.


    Memorable Quotes


    Filming Locations
    CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 11 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Dakota is a 1945 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane
    and starring John Wayne and Walter Brennan.
    The supporting cast features Ward Bond and Mike Mazurki.

    Here's a film that's pretty bad, not as bad as say Tycoon, but on the way there.
    Even though it was directed by Joesph Kane, and had a great supporting cast,
    including, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, Ona Munson, Paul Fix, Grant Withers and Milke Mazurki,
    it didn't help the film, becoming anything, but an entertaining action drama, full of absurdities and claptrap.
    The spectacular prairie fire, adding, at least something!!


    The weakest casting was that of Vera Hruba Ralston, the Czech skater,,
    who's only claim to fame, is that she was the Republic bosses, moll!!!
    She had trouble speaking English, and couldn't act if it was to save the ice melting!!
    She made 12 films for Republic and the only ones that made a profit,
    were, when she appeared with Duke.


    However, none of the above, could make this film a hit,
    and it's almost sunk, without recognition.


    User Review

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 2 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Sure Dakota is forgettable, but entertaining enough to watch. I like the escape scenes in the beginning, but unfortunately the start promises more than there is to come

    I don't believe in surrenders.

  • Quote

    Originally posted by etsija@Jun 6 2006, 04:12 PM
    Sure Dakota is forgettable, but entertaining enough to watch. I like the escape scenes in the beginning, but unfortunately the start promises more than there is to come

    [snapback]31877[/snapback]



    I enjoyed it too, even when understand the weak parts of the film.
    :rolleyes:

  • Far from being the best Duke film it kept me entertained.Pity it sometimes was a bit too dark to be able to see the scenes properly but I'm not complaing too loud.I know I have an accent speaking English but I'm pretty sure that people can understand me better than they would Vera Ralston.All in all I've seen worse films than this one.

  • IMO not the best Western I saw but I've watched worse than Dakota. The story would have been good enough for a one hour B-Western of the 30's. No wonder that Duke started to produce Movies by himself.
    Walter Brennan had a funny role as Steamboat Captain and he was the most entertaining part of this movie. Without him, John Wayne and Ward Bond Dakota would have been unwatchable.

    "You're too good to give a chance to." John Wayne as Cole Thornton in El Dorado (1966)