Good Errol Flynn western.The story of a cattle agent who takes on the role of Sheriff of Dodge City, having seen its lawlessness, and decides to clean up the town. Has everything a western needs: gunfights, brawls, romance, humour and grittiness.Not perfect: feels overly folksy at times (which one could say about many films from that era) and some sub-plots go nowhere. No big issues though.Great performance by Errol Flynn in the lead role. Brings all his charm, swagger, energy and action-hero star power to bear.Good support from Olivia De Havilland, Bruce Cabot and Alan Hale.

In the lawless town of Dodge City, Errol Flynn stands up to murderous cattle boss Bruce Cabot and refuses to sell him his livestock. Soon he's the new sheriff and dead set on cleaning up the town, including Cabot and his cronies.One's degree of enjoyment is entirely dependent on how much the viewer buys the casting of Flynn as a rough and tumble western hero. In my opinion, he was certainly handsome and charismatic but not entirely credible. I spent the whole movie trying to figure out what accent he was using! Still, I enjoyed the movie enough to recommend it.Alan Hale and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams were great and stole nearly every scene they were in. The best part of the movie was the much ballyhoo'd saloon scene where Big Boy pretty much incites a riot!

"Dodge City, Kansas - 1872. Longhorn cattle center of the world and wide-open Babylon of the American frontier - packed with settlers, thieves and gunmen"."Dodge City... rolling in wealth from the great Texas trail-herds... the town that knew no ethics but cash and killing".Enter trail boss Wade Hatton, cunningly disguised as a dashing Errol Flynn........Dodge City, an all action Western from start to finish, finds Errol Flynn {in his first Western outing} on tip top form. Based around the story of Wyatt Earp, Michael Curtiz's expensively assembled film charms as much today as it did to audiences back in 1939. All the genre staples are holding the piece together, dastardly villains, pretty gals, wagon train, cattle drive, iron horse, Civil War, shoot outs, fist fights and of course an heroic Sheriff. All neatly folded by the astute and impressive Curtiz. Aided by Sol Polito's fluid Technicolor enhanced photography, and Max Steiner's breezy score, Curtiz's set pieces shine as much as they enthral. A burning runaway train and the finest saloon brawl in cinema are the stand outs, but there are many other high points on which to hang the hat of praise.Very much a male dominated film, it's with the ladies that Dodge City fails to reach greater heights. Olivia de Havilland, who is always a feast for the eyes in Technicolor, disliked her role as Abbie Irving, and it's not hard to see why. There is not much for her to get her teeth into, it's a simple role that demands nothing other than saying the lines and to look pretty. Ann Sheridan as Ruby Gilman gets the more sparky role, but she sadly doesn't get that much screen time. Which is a shame because what little there is of Sheridan is really rather great.Those problems aside, it's with the guys that Dodge City is rightly remembered. Flynn attacks the role of Hatton with gusto and a glint in his eye. When he straps on the Sheriff badge for the first time it's akin to Clark Kent shredding his suit to become Superman. Yes it's that exciting. Bruce Cabot and Victor Jory are growly and great villains, while comedy relief comes in the fine form of side-kickers Alan Hale and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams. Dodge City sets out to entertain, and entertain it does. In a year that saw other notable and lauded Westerns also released {Stagecoach, Jesse James and Destry Rides Again} give credit where credit is due, Dodge City deserves its place amongst those offerings. Most assuredly so as well. 8/10

In "Dodge City" Flynn and de Havilland make us forget they were ever Peter and Arabella or Robin and Marian. As Wade Hatton, Flynn is the softspoken - but strong- gentleman cowboy with manners and demeanor that would charm your great-grandma. I can understand why de Havilland was so unhappy with this assignment-her part is the generic love interest. HOWEVER..she gives it her all, delightful and believable as the intelligent, determined Abbie Irving, and she looks gorgeous. The scene between Flynn and de Havilland in the newspaper office has the spark we expect from these two great stars. Only complaint - not enough scenes of them together. And Flynn should have kissed her in the last scene when she agrees as a new bride to take the next wagon train west so he can clean up another lawless town. Alan Hale is terrific as Flynn's sidekick. Steiner's music is again stirringly beautiful. Sol Polito, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer, presents the viewer with the most beautifully photographed scenery and the wagon trains that took the pioneers west.One should remember that the film is not the cliché others have pronounced it to be. What you see here is the original. Curtiz knew how to fill a screen with action.