Destry (1954)

(On TV, September 2020) Considering that I had Destry lying there on my DVR, even as I was watching the original 1939 Destry Rides Again, I had to take a look at the 1954 remake as soon as possible. Curiously, I’m not really disappointed. Sure, the original had none other than James Steward and Greta Garbo, whereas the remake has Audie Murphy and Mari Blanchard. Don’t look for additional plot twists, because this remake is almost shot-for-shot identical to the first film. But the story is fine enough that even another redo is a fun time. Blanchard is surprisingly good—to my eyes more animated than Garbo, which fits the character better. While Murphy isn’t Stewart, this very fact makes it easier to see Destry-the-character rather than the Stewart persona being called Destry. Plus, Destry is in colour—that’s not supposed to matter, but it does. The staging and cinematography are a bit less artificial, as per the evolving technical qualifies of filmmaking over two decades. While the original film remains quite good, there’s nothing specifically wrong with the remake either—as a portrait of a lawmaker out to pacify a town without resorting to excessive violence, it’s even inspiring.