Destry Rides Again + intro

The small town of Bottleneck lives under the thumb of an unscrupulous saloon owner and his gang. After dispatching of the town’s previous law-men, Bottleneck’s criminal fraternity is delighted by the arrival of deputy sheriff Destry: a mild-mannered man who refuses to carry a gun. But it soon becomes clear that Destry intends to use brains, not just brawn, to bring law and order to Bottleneck. 

With Destry Rides Again, director George Marshall brought together two of cinema’s greatest stars, Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart, for a light-hearted take on the western genre. 

Stewart impresses in the first of his many western roles – ultimately, though, the film is Dietrich’s. Her performance as Frenchy, the saloon singer drawn to the law-man on her case, is typically magnetic. Perhaps most memorable of all are her musical numbers, including a vampish rendition of The Boys in the Back Room. 

Event/ This screening will be introduced by Andy Willis, Senior Visiting Curator: Film at HOME, and Professor of Film Studies, University of Salford.