Jeff Chandler portrays the title character, a Union major who comes to a Georgia town nine months after the Civil War has ended. He is there to carry out plans Lincoln made before his assassination to rebuild the south. The Reconstruction period lasted primarily from 1865 to 1877, though some of the rebuilding dragged on longer.
This western motion picture from United Artists was made by Chandler's own production company. As an independent feature that feels like an extended western television episode, we see how efforts at rebuilding the South did not occur easily. Especially since there was distrust and suspicion.
After having their crops burned by Sherman's troops and their storage facilities raided, the people in Kennesaw Pass have lost their ability to feed themselves. A cold winter will soon set in, and if they don't take help offered by Chandler and his assistant, a captain played by John Lupton, they'll die.
Chandler and Lupton face considerable opposition from the son (Ronald Howard) of the town judge (Donald Crisp) who incites locals against reconstruction under the North's terms. At first Crisp sits silently on the sidelines, either not realizing or quietly condoning the extent of his son's actions. But gradually, he is moved to support Chandler and stand up against Howard, whom he recognizes as an enemy of their people, preventing the town from going beyond current hardships.
This was Ronald Howard's first American film, fourteen years after the death of his well-known father Leslie Howard who'd had great success in Hollywood during the 1930s. There is no attempt to explain his British sounding accent which he doesn't conceal, but we can overlook that, particularly since Howard renders the film's best performance. He's not a scene stealing villain, but delivers a thoughtful performance as a misguided man whose politics ultimately do him in.
As for Jeff Chandler, he's a likable fellow in a likable role, but he overdoes the dramatic aspects of the main scenario. He is either intentionally calm and reflective...or full throttle, such as a scene where he shoves a bartender into a wall after the guy is reluctant to serve him some whiskey. Chandler performs in subdued 'off' mode, or else in full blast 'on' mode; there's no middle ground to his performance. He hurts the film and gives us a less credible human being on screen than might otherwise have been attained by a more naturalistic actor.
Two leading ladies appear at key moments. One is played by Joanne Dru, whose character gets off on the wrong foot with Chandler's. She's upset when her father (Morris Ankrum), a Northern ally, is killed by Howard's secret lynch mob after Chandler had promised to protect him. Eventually she overcomes her hostility and allows herself romantic feelings, though I found it implausible she'd stay in the region since she no longer has family here, there's a rationing of food supplies and other basic necessities by a nearby military post, and she might have a better chance somewhere else.
The second leading lady is Julie London in an intriguing role as a southern vixen who owns a large plantation. Though this is supposed to be set in Georgia, the plantation scenes were filmed on location in Louisiana. London vamps it up at the manse, consorting with Howard and his gang. But she also gets bit by the love bug, falling for Lupton, though he's on the other side. Howard forces her to prove her loyalty to the South and lure Lupton into a trap which results in Lupton's death. We don't see London after that, but her final scene is a doozy, when she realizes she is about to cause the murder of the man she loves most.
There are countless other minor roles and extras in the town scenes. Most of these characters are played by folks who worked primarily in television westerns during this time. All of them are white, which I found a bit unbelievable. After all, this is the South. Why not see what the recently freed former slaves in the region were doing; or were they all driven off? It seems incredible that Chandler is here to "fix" the South, when one of the main aspects of the recent war (the abolishment of slavery) isn't even acknowledged on screen.
After Howard's character is killed by his own father (Crisp), there is a short coda where Chandler has now assumed full control of the town. He is leading the beleaguered folks to the military fort to petition for more supplies. It all ends on a hopeful note, if not a somewhat contrived note.
Despite liking the film, I found DRANGO to be a bit of a frustrating experience. It's barely a good film, made on a modest budget. It could've been a great film; and I think if they'd had more money to show us things like the burnings and the killings- which all happen off screen- and there had been more plausible dialogue; a more natural performance by the leading man; and stronger direction, it would have been the great classic it should have been.
This western motion picture from United Artists was made by Chandler's own production company. As an independent feature that feels like an extended western television episode, we see how efforts at rebuilding the South did not occur easily. Especially since there was distrust and suspicion.
After having their crops burned by Sherman's troops and their storage facilities raided, the people in Kennesaw Pass have lost their ability to feed themselves. A cold winter will soon set in, and if they don't take help offered by Chandler and his assistant, a captain played by John Lupton, they'll die.
Chandler and Lupton face considerable opposition from the son (Ronald Howard) of the town judge (Donald Crisp) who incites locals against reconstruction under the North's terms. At first Crisp sits silently on the sidelines, either not realizing or quietly condoning the extent of his son's actions. But gradually, he is moved to support Chandler and stand up against Howard, whom he recognizes as an enemy of their people, preventing the town from going beyond current hardships.
This was Ronald Howard's first American film, fourteen years after the death of his well-known father Leslie Howard who'd had great success in Hollywood during the 1930s. There is no attempt to explain his British sounding accent which he doesn't conceal, but we can overlook that, particularly since Howard renders the film's best performance. He's not a scene stealing villain, but delivers a thoughtful performance as a misguided man whose politics ultimately do him in.
As for Jeff Chandler, he's a likable fellow in a likable role, but he overdoes the dramatic aspects of the main scenario. He is either intentionally calm and reflective...or full throttle, such as a scene where he shoves a bartender into a wall after the guy is reluctant to serve him some whiskey. Chandler performs in subdued 'off' mode, or else in full blast 'on' mode; there's no middle ground to his performance. He hurts the film and gives us a less credible human being on screen than might otherwise have been attained by a more naturalistic actor.
Two leading ladies appear at key moments. One is played by Joanne Dru, whose character gets off on the wrong foot with Chandler's. She's upset when her father (Morris Ankrum), a Northern ally, is killed by Howard's secret lynch mob after Chandler had promised to protect him. Eventually she overcomes her hostility and allows herself romantic feelings, though I found it implausible she'd stay in the region since she no longer has family here, there's a rationing of food supplies and other basic necessities by a nearby military post, and she might have a better chance somewhere else.
The second leading lady is Julie London in an intriguing role as a southern vixen who owns a large plantation. Though this is supposed to be set in Georgia, the plantation scenes were filmed on location in Louisiana. London vamps it up at the manse, consorting with Howard and his gang. But she also gets bit by the love bug, falling for Lupton, though he's on the other side. Howard forces her to prove her loyalty to the South and lure Lupton into a trap which results in Lupton's death. We don't see London after that, but her final scene is a doozy, when she realizes she is about to cause the murder of the man she loves most.
There are countless other minor roles and extras in the town scenes. Most of these characters are played by folks who worked primarily in television westerns during this time. All of them are white, which I found a bit unbelievable. After all, this is the South. Why not see what the recently freed former slaves in the region were doing; or were they all driven off? It seems incredible that Chandler is here to "fix" the South, when one of the main aspects of the recent war (the abolishment of slavery) isn't even acknowledged on screen.
After Howard's character is killed by his own father (Crisp), there is a short coda where Chandler has now assumed full control of the town. He is leading the beleaguered folks to the military fort to petition for more supplies. It all ends on a hopeful note, if not a somewhat contrived note.
Despite liking the film, I found DRANGO to be a bit of a frustrating experience. It's barely a good film, made on a modest budget. It could've been a great film; and I think if they'd had more money to show us things like the burnings and the killings- which all happen off screen- and there had been more plausible dialogue; a more natural performance by the leading man; and stronger direction, it would have been the great classic it should have been.