"The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader." ~ Paulo Coelho

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Movie Review: The Cowboy and the Lady (1938)

Hello!
Today is the last day of the Made in 1938 Blogathon hosted by In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood and Pop Culture Reverie.
My third favorite movie ever, The Adventures of Robin Hood, was made in 1938, but I already reviewed it, so I decided to review something I had never seen before! Keep reading to see what I thought of The Cowboy and the Lady.


My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


The Cowboy and the Lady (1938):
To avoid possible scandal caused by his brother, Horace Smith sends his only daughter Mary to Palm Beach, FL. She has barely been out of the house in two years, and because she is bored she convinces her maids to bring her along on a blind date. Trying to get the attention of a handsome cowboy she makes up a sad story about how she is struggling to pay for her family's expenses. The cowboy, Stretch, finds himself pitying and loving the honest girl he thinks he is talking to, and Mary is falling in love with him, but he doesn't know who she is.
Genre: Western, Comedy, Romance.
Length: approx. 91 minutes.
Costumes: 9, pretty standard. 
My favorite: This white dress!
Script: 10, I don't recall a bad word.
"'What's goin' on?'
'I'm dogging his footsteps.'"
Crew:
Directed by: H. C. Potter.
Produced by: Samuel Goldwyn.
Written by: S.N. Behrman, Sonya Levien, Leo McCarey, & Frank R. Adams.
Starring:
Gary Cooper as Stretch Willoughby
Merle Oberon as Mary Smith.
Harry Davenport as Uncle Hannibal Smith. "Hannibal, sometimes I think that you're in your second childhood." (He was my favorite!)
Walter Brennan as Sugar.
Fuzzy Knight as Buzz.
Patsy Kelly as Katie Callahan.
Mabel Todd as Elly.
Henry Kolker as Horace Smith.
Emma Dunn as Ma Hawkins.
Walter Walker as Ames.
Berton Churchill as Oliver Wendell Henderson.
Cinematography: 9, there are some really cool foggy scenes!
"You've got to watch yourself around here, you'll be ambushed by a bunch of gadgets."
Cinematography by: Gregg Toland.
Music: 6, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't memorable.
Music by: Alfred Newman.
Quotes: 7, nothing bad, but not really quotable.
"'That's the first time I've ever heard horses compared to people.'
'Well, good horses are nice people.'"
Notes: There are some scenes set in Montana, where Stretch's soon to be ranch is. Gary Cooper was born in Montana!
Oscars won: 1: Best Sound Recording.
Storyline: 7, there is smoking, drinking, and long kissing scenes.
Overall Score: 8.
This was my favorite scene!
Bonus thoughts: Some people might really love this movie, but it just isn't my sort. To me, the first half is really "cheesy" and "cringy", but the second half has some really funny moments!


Thanks to Crystal and Robin for hosting this! Make sure to go check out the other answers HERE.

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

7 comments:

  1. This movie sounds interesting. My dad's a big fan of Westerns, but not the romance ones. He's more into duels and guns firing and all that jazz. XD

    Great review!

    Lila @ The Red-Hooded Writer

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    1. Yeah, I don't think my dad would like this one either, he's more like your dad! XD Though, it is fun to watch for the comedy bits!

      Thanks, Lila!

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  2. Thanks for participating. This movie wasn't on my radar, as I'm not a big fan of westerns or Cooper. It looks like it has a strong supporting cast, however. And Gregg Toland films are always interesting to view.

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    1. I'm not a big fany of Gary Cooper, either. The best with him is probably Meet John Doe. Yes, Harry Davenport is always fun to watch! There defintely was some interesting cinematography! Thank you so much for hosting this!

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  3. Old movies are cheesy sometimes :). yet Some are cool and some educational.

    astorydetective.blogspot.com

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    1. Oh yeah. :) But, that is definitely true! You can learn a lot about the times back then. I would say the moral of this one is to be honest, which is a great one!

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  4. I just viewed the film and was glad to read your review. I would also add that coming out of the Great Depression this was an interesting story about status. It also asks the question what and when do you reveal who you are to somebody you love and care about. It won the Academy Award for Best Sound.

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