Ramrod(film)
Ramrod | |
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![]() Movie poster forRamrod(1947) | |
Directed by | Andre de Toth |
Written by | Luke Short(story) Jack Moffitt C. Graham Baker Cecile Kramer |
Produced by | Harry Sherman |
Starring | Joel McCrea Veronica Lake Preston Foster Don DeFore |
Cinematography | Russell Harlan |
Music by | Adolph Deutsch |
Production companies | Sherman Pictures Enterprise |
Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
Language | English |
Budget | $ 2 million[2]or $1.5 million[3] |
Box office | $2 million[3] |
Ramrodis a 1947 AmericanWesternfilm directed byAndre de Tothand starringJoel McCrea,Veronica Lake,Preston FosterandDon DeFore.This cowboy drama fromHungariandirector de Toth was the first of several films based on the stories of Western authorLuke Short.De Toth's first Western is often compared tofilms noirreleased around the same time.Leading ladyVeronica Lakewas then married to director de Toth. The supporting cast featuresDonald Crisp,Charles Ruggles,Lloyd BridgesandRay Teal.
Plot
[edit]Connie Dickason is the strong-willed daughter of a ranch owner who is under the control of powerful local cattleman Frank Ivey, a man her father once wanted Connie to marry. Instead, Connie takes up with a sheep rancher who is run out of town by Ivey, leaving behind a note that he is handing the title of his ranch over to Connie.
The conniving and manipulative Connie persuades ranch hand Dave Nash to be her "ramrod," or ranch foreman. He recruits an old pal, Bill Schell, who bends the law to his own purposes now and then but is fiercely loyal to Dave, to come help him run the ranch and fend off the ruthless Ivey.
Rose Leland is in love with Dave and he feels great affection toward her. Connie seduces both Dave and Bill to do her bidding, however. She even persuades Bill to stampede her own cattle, without Dave's knowledge, just so Ivey will appear guilty to the law. Sheriff Jim Crew goes to arrest Ivey and is shot down in cold blood. Dave is ambushed by a couple of Ivey's men. He kills one of them, Red Cates, but is badly wounded. Bill hides him, but Connie carelessly exposes their hideout. Bill volunteers to distract Ivey and his men while Dave turns to Rose for shelter. Ivey hunts down Bill in the mountains and shoots him in the back.
Dave has had enough. He confronts Ivey in the street, armed with only a shotgun, but beats him to the draw. Connie is delighted. At last, she has her land and her man. Dave, though, wants nothing more to do with her, returning to Rose's arms.
Cast
[edit]- Joel McCreaas Dave Nash
- Veronica Lakeas Connie Dickason
- Don DeForeas Bill Schell
- Donald Crispas Sheriff Jim Crew
- Preston Fosteras Frank Ivey
- Arleen Whelanas Rose Leland
- Charles Rugglesas Ben Dickason
- Lloyd Bridgesas Red Cates
- Nestor Paivaas Curley (Circle 66 hand)
- Ray Tealas Ed Burma
- Houseley Stevensonas George Smedley
- Robert Woodas Link Thomas
- Ian MacDonaldas Walt Shipley
- Wally Cassellas Virg Lea
- Sarah Paddenas Mrs. Parks
- Trevor Bardetteas Bailey (uncredited)
Production
[edit]It was the first film from the independent production company Enterprise and was Lake's first movie as a star outside Paramount. Per theAFI Catalog of Feature Films,production took place from late May to early August 1946.[4]Shooting took place inZion National ParkandGrafton, Utah.[5][6]: 288
Reception
[edit]Critical
[edit]The film received a positive review fromThe New York Times,which said in summary "the director, scenarists and cast, many of whom are no strangers to this sort of emoting, have pitched in with him to make this horse opera a pleasant variation on a venerable theme."[7]
Diaboliquemagazine says "the movie is a bit out of kilter – you have more sympathy for Lake, who has more at stake than McCrea, who is just a hired hand" and that "Ramrodisn’t perfect but it is interesting, and it’s fun to see Lake in a Western. "[8]
Box Office
[edit]According toVariety,the film earned $2 million, with a negative cost of $1.5 million. This made it one of the more successful films from the short-livedEnterprise Productions.[3]
References
[edit]- ^"Ramrod (1947)".BBFC.RetrievedMarch 25,2024.
- ^Schallert, Edwin (March 5, 1946). "Sherman Will Produce 'Ramrod' With McCrea".Los Angeles Times.p. A3.
- ^abc"Ent's Loan".Variety.July 14, 1948. p. 12.RetrievedJuly 30,2016.
- ^“Ramrod (1947).” AFI Catalog of Feature Films,https://catalog.afi /Film/25310-RAMROD?sid=90d0f829-2c60-4fbf-9a28-d9443338a8ce&sr=10.708853&cp=1&pos=0.Accessed 5 December 2020.
- ^"McCrea and Veronica Lake To Star in Western Film", Hollywood Letter by Frank Daugherty Special toThe Christian Science Monitor,July 12, 1946: 5.
- ^D'Arc, James V. (2010).When Hollywood came to town: A history of moviemaking in Utah(1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith.ISBN9781423605874.
- ^"Movie Review: Ramrod".nytimes.June 30, 1947.
- ^Vagg, Stephen (February 11, 2020)."The Cinema of Veronica Lake".Diabolique Magazine.
External links
[edit]- RamrodatIMDb
- Ramrodat theTCM Movie Database
- RamrodatAllMovie
- Review of filmatVariety