Dodge City (1939)

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
Dodge City. A wide-open cattle town run by Jeff Surrett.
Even going on a children's Sunday outing is not a safe thing to do.
What the place needs is a fearless honest Marshal.
A guy like Wade Hatton, who helped bring the railroad in.
It may not help that he fancies Abbie Irving, who won't have anything to do with him
since he had to shoot her brother. But that's the West.
Written by Jeremy Perkins

Full 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 Hart
John Litel ... Matt Cole
Henry Travers ... Dr. Irving
Henry O'Neill ... Colonel Dodge
Victor Jory ... Yancey
William Lundigan ... Lee Irving
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams ... Tex Baird
Bobs Watson ... Harry Cole
Gloria Holden ... Mrs. Cole
Douglas Fowley ... Munger
Georgia Caine ... Mrs. Irving
Charles Halton ... Surrett's Lawyer
Ward Bond ... Bud Taylor
Cora Witherspoon ... Mrs. McCoy
Russell Simpson ... Orth
Monte Blue ... Barlow
Hank Bell ... Arrested Man with Mustache (uncredited)
Clem Bevans ... Charley the Barber (uncredited)
George Bloom ... Townsman (uncredited)
Wally Brown ... Cattle Auctioneer (uncredited)
James Burke ... Cattle Auctioneer (uncredited)
Horace B. Carpenter ... Train Passenger (uncredited)
Nat Carr ... Crocker (uncredited)
Spencer Charters ... Reverend (uncredited)
Tom Chatterton ... Passenger (uncredited)
George Chesebro ... Townsman (uncredited)
Chester Clute ... Coggins (uncredited)
Richard Cramer ... Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan ... Hammond (uncredited)
Jim Farley ... Engineer (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty ... Cowhand (uncredited)
Sam Garrett ... Rider / Roper (uncredited)
Sol Gorss ... Train Fireman (uncredited)
Fred Graham ... Al (uncredited)
George Guhl ... Marshal Jason (uncredited)
Thurston Hall ... Twitchell (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins ... Spieler (uncredited)
Robert Homans ... Mail Clerk (uncredited)
Reed Howes ... Joe (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee ... Printer (uncredited)
Bernard L. Kowalski ... Extra (uncredited)
Lillian Lawrence ... League Member (uncredited)
Vera Lewis ... League Member in Polka-Dot Dress (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas ... Bartender (uncredited)
Merrill McCormick ... Man Wanting Revenge by Hanging (uncredited)
Jack Mower ... Man at Funeral (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley ... Conductor (uncredited)
Bud Osborne ... Stagecoach Driver / Waiter (uncredited)
Henry Otho ... Conductor (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr. ... Mr. Turner (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford ... Brawler (uncredited)
Francis Sayles ... Stage Shotgun Guard (uncredited)
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones ... Willie - Porter (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson ... Man Wanting Revenge by Hanging (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Robert Buckner

Original Music
Max Steiner

Cinematography
Sol Polito

Trivia
The man Errol Flynn throws through the window of the barbershop was none other than his pal and long-time drinking companion, stuntman Buster Wiles.

Country rock band Pure Prairie League, who had a mid '70s hit called "Amie" and later employed future country star Vince Gill as lead singer for hits like "Let Me Love You Tonight" and "I'm Almost Ready," took their name from a temperance union portrayed in this film.

The fifth of nine movies made together by Warner Brothers' romantic couple Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn.

Goofs
Anachronisms
Near the beginning of the film there is a race between a stage coach and a train. A high radio tower is visible on a hill behind the train.

The movie opens with an Atcheson Topeka and Santa Fe train making its first run to Dodge City in 1866. However, Dodge City wasn't founded until 1871, and the ATSF line to Dodge City wasn't completed until 1872.

When little Harry Cole pulls his wooden toy gun on Hatton and Co as they enter town, you can plainly see a rubber band attached to it. Rubber bands didn't exist in the 19th century.

The fast passenger steam locomotives of the era had only 2 large driving wheels each side. The slow freight locomotive in the film has 4 driving wheels each side. The director has had 2 of these 4 wheels painted white to simulate a passenger locomotive. The locomotive in the film is a more modern locomotive and so it is able to speed along even though it is a freight locomotive.

Continuity
The Matt Cole's tombstone reads "Died June 6, 1875". Afterward, the sheriff's notices, published by Dodge City Star, read "July 1, 1872".

Wade Hatton is seen putting on his gun-belt and sheriff's badge in the sheriff's office, two scenes before he and a group of men are seen removing the board across the door to the office.

Errors in geography
During the scene where the angry townspeople gather en masse outside the jail after Yancey is arrested, just above the rooflines of the buildings is seen a group of tall palm trees - certainly not native to Dodge City, Kansas, but relatively plentiful outside the studio sound lot in California.

Factual errors
Lee Irving fires his six-shooter revolver eight times without reload it.

Matt Cole's head stone reads died June 6 1875 yet all the other posted Sheriff's decrees reference July 1872.
During the scene where the angry townspeople gather en masse outside the jail after Yancey is arrested, just above the rooflines of the buildings is seen a group of tall palm trees - certainly not native to Dodge City, Kansas, but relatively plentiful outside the studio sound lot in California.

Factual errors
Lee Irving fires his six-shooter revolver eight times without reload it.

Matt Cole's head stone reads died June 6 1875 yet all the other posted Sheriff's decrees reference July 1872.

Memorable Quotes

Filming Locations
Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA
Warnerville, California, USA
Stanislaus County, California, USA
Calabasas, California, USA
California, USA
Jamestown, California, USA
Modesto, California, USA
Sacramento, California, USA
San Francisco, California, USA
Sierra Railroad, Jamestown, California, USA
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA (studio)
Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA

Watch this Clip
and spot Ward Bond

[extendedmedia]

Dodge City is a 1939 American Western film directed by Michael Curtiz
and starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and Ann Sheridan.
Based on a story by Robert Buckner, the film is about a Texas cattle agent
who witnesses the brutal lawlessness of Dodge City and takes the job
of sheriff to clean the town up. Filmed in early Technicolor,
Dodge City was one of the highest grossing movies of the year.

Look out for Duke 'Pals'
Ward Bond ... as Bud Taylor
and
Bruce Cabot as Jeff Surrett

User Review

Quote

Good early Flynn western in need of color restoration...
4 April 2001 | by Neil Doyle (U.S.A.)

'Dodge City' is a slambang western complete with cattle stampedes, runaway trains on fire, saloon fights and all kinds of mayhem--enough action to satisfy the Saturday matinee audiences for which it was probably intended. The taming of the wicked city of the west is left to Errol Flynn, the new sheriff who has to convince the pretty newspaperwoman (de Havilland) that he is not the man she despises for shooting her errant brother (William Lundigan). Ann Sheridan has a cameo role as the saloon singer girlfriend of Bruce Cabot, the main villain of the piece. All of it is photographed in early technicolor that must have been a lot better than current video prints would have us believe. Some of the outdoor scenes are fine but the interiors have a muddy look. Max Steiner has provided a lusty background score for this very robust entertainment that will probably please fans of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland--but it is definitely not their best venture together. Their main love scene while on an outdoor horseback ride in the country is charmingly done--clearly their chemistry made them an ideal screen team. As usual, all of the proceedings are directed with gusto by Michael Curtiz. One of the comedy highlights features Alan Hale who finds himself as the only male attending a women's temperance meeting--before the screen's wildest saloon fight breaks out next door. Fair entertainment but not as solid as it could have been. Compare the color photography to another Flynn western, 'San Antonio' (seven years later)and observe the vast improvement in technicolor photography.