Montana
1950 Theatrical Poster
Directed byRay Enright
StarringErrol Flynn
Alexis Smith
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • 1950 (1950)
Running time
76 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.1 million (US rentals)[1]
£131,969 (UK)[2]
1,899,891 admissions (France)[3]

Montana is a 1950 Western film starring Errol Flynn. It was only the second time Flynn played an Australian on screen, the first time being Desperate Journey (1942).[4]

Plot

Morgan Lane, a sheepman, rides to Montana territory in 1871. He pretends to be a traveling salesman as he inquires how opposed local cattle interests are to sheep.

Staunchly opposed are rancher Maria Singleton and her fiance, Rod Ackroyd, and violently opposed is Slim Reeves, who challenges Morgan to a gunfight as soon as he learns what his real motives are.

Invited to dinner by Maria and Rod. Morgan makes a bet he can ride any animal on the ranch. Rod rigs the bet by not only putting Morgan on a wild stallion but slicing his stirrup.

Rod is having a romance behind Maria's back with the sheriff's girlfriend. Morgan finally persuades Forsythe to permit sheep on his land, but Reeves kills him, and the sheriff gives Morgan a warning that Rod and Maria are planning to stampede cattle over his land and grazing sheep. Instead it is Rod who is trampled to death. Maria at first continues to fight against Morgan, but eventually comes over to his side.

Cast

Production

Warner Bros announced they were making a Western Montana in June 1940.[5]In August 1941 Warner Bros announced that Errol Flynn would be appearing in the Technicolor Western Montana in 1941-42.[6] However America's entry into World War Two appeared to delay the production.

After the war it was reported Eagle Lion wanted to make a Western called Montana starring Joel McCrea.[7] Then in July 1947 Warners seemed to reactivate the project - Vincent Sherman was named as director, William Jacobs producer and Thames Williamson to work on the script; Errol Flynn was listed as a possible star.[8] The film became officially part of Warners 1948 schedule.[9]

Flynn's casting was not definite - at various times Gary Cooper and Ronald Reagan were announced to play the lead.[10] Errol Flynn had appeared in a number of popular Westerns for Warner Bros but disliked the genre. In 1949 he told Hedda Hopper:

Acting for me is sheer fun. There's only one thing I really don't want to do any more and that's Westerns. I guess I've trod every back trail and canyon pass in the entire west. I've never literally had to read the line, 'they went that a-way pard', but there is one cliche I've said so many times it comes back to me in all my nightmares. Every time there's a gap in the story, every time the writers don't know what to do next, they have me pull up ahead of my gang, assume a decidedly grim look, and say 'All right men, you know what to do now.' The fact is I've made so many of these things, scripts seem so much the same, that what it adds up to in my mind is that the studio says, 'Here's a horse. Get on.'[11]

However his last few films for Warner Bros had struggled to recoup their costs and he was cast in Montana. Ray Enright assigned to direct and filming began August 1948, after Flynn had just completed a three month boat trip on the Zaca.[12]

The film reportedly started shooting with the script only half ready.[13] James R. Webb and Charles G Booth were credited as working from a story by Ernest Haycox.[12]

Little, if any, of the film was shot in Montana.

Reception

The film had its premiere in Montana. This was attended by Alan Hale, who had a role. He contracted a cold on the trip, which developed into pneumonia. He died on 22 January 1950.[14]

Critical

The Los Angeles Times said the film "won't set the cinema world on fire but it's solid Western entertainment."[15] The Washington Post called it "a fair enough hour and a quarter."[16]

References

  1. ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1950', Variety, January 3, 1951
  2. ^ Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p491
  3. ^ 1950 French box office figures at Box Office Story
  4. ^ Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer & Clifford McCarty, The Films of Errol Flynn, Citadel Press, 1969 p 166
  5. ^ Warners List New Pictures: Studio Will Produce 48 Feature-Length Films During 1940-41 Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 10 June 1940: A3.
  6. ^ Warner Brothers Chalk Up Impressive Slate for 1941-42 The Washington Post (1923-1954) [Washington, D.C] 11 Aug 1941: 9.
  7. ^ DRAMA AND FILM: Joel McCrea Offered Star Role in 'Montana' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 11 Feb 1947: A3.
  8. ^ DRAMA AND FILM: Role Tailored to Ava; Drama Claims Celeste Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 15 July 1947: A3.
  9. ^ 'Most Ambitious' Year Planned at Warner Studio Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 07 Jan 1948: A3.
  10. ^ Of Local Origin New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 31 July 1948: 9.
  11. ^ Flynn and Dandy: LOOKING AT HOLLYWOOD WITH HEDDA HOPPER Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) [Chicago, Ill] 29 May 1949: C4.
  12. ^ a b Letter From Hollywood By Frank Daugherty Special to The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file) [Boston, Mass] 03 Sep 1948: 5.
  13. ^ HEDDA HOPPER: PIDGEON PROBABLE 'FORSYTE SAGA' STAR Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 22 Oct 1948: 22.
  14. ^ ALAN HALE, ACTOR IN POPULAR FILMS: Player 40 Years Last Seen In 'inspector General'-- 'Covered Wagon' Villain Associated Press, 1945. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 23 Jan 1950: 18.
  15. ^ Pair Battle and Romance in 'Montana' Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 21 Jan 1950: 11.
  16. ^ Flynn Shows Cattle Lords In 'Montana' By Orval Hopkins Post Reporter. The Washington Post (1923-1954) [Washington, D.C] 09 Feb 1950: B11.

External links

Films directed by Ray Enright
Categories