morrison-dylan-fan Getting set for a friends birthday, I decided to look in a local store for some movies/music he would like. After picking up the debut Grime album by Dizzee Rascal (as you do!) I spotted a fun- looking Western starring Gary Cooper,which led to me and a pal getting set to welcome Jones.The plot:Going on their own lonely path, Melody Jones and his pal ride into a quiet town.Unknown to Jones,an outlaw (who hardly anyone has seen) called Monte Jarrad is wanted in town. As Jones ties his horse up,the locals spot "MJ" on his saddle. Seeing everyone get itchy trigger fingers, Cherry de Longpre rushes over to keep Jones safe and away from the aiming for Jarrad bullets. View on the film:Shining as the lone star produced by him, Gary Cooper gives a very good performance as Melody Jones,whose dry wit Cooper subtly uses to poke fun at his own Western image,whilst remaining a chiselled outlaw who always has Longpre's safety as the first thing on his mind. Filmed whilst she was pregnant, Loretta Young gives a wonderful performance as Longpre,who is given a surprisingly modern feisty attitude by Young,as Young joyfully outguns all of the cowboys in sight. Balancing the slingshots of Comedy and Western,director Stuart Heisler & cinematographer Milton R. Krasner (who was also the cinematographer on How The West Was Won) give the outdoor scenes a breezy lightness,as the baking hot sun covers the land,that causes Jones to have to run to the nearest building for cover. Keeping the real Jones hidden under his hat,Heisler counters the relaxed mood of the outdoor scenes with sweaty Film Noir tension,dripping from Jones and Longpre stylishly hiding in the shadows of houses from the bullets of the outlaws. Saddling up to Alan Le May's book,the screenplay by Nunnally Johnson takes clever,underhanded shots at the genre,from the "Wanted" sign being of a half- remembered name,to Jones thinking women can't shoot,whilst being unable to hold a gun straight himself! Centred round Jones mistaken identity,Johnson sadly never quite gets a perfect shot at all the excitement the scenario offers,as Jones comes along.

utgard14 Laid-back cowboy Melody Jones (Gary Cooper) rides into town with his partner George Fury (William Demarest). The men are surprised by how everybody seems to be especially nice to Melody, almost as if they're afraid of him. After being saved from a shot in the back by a woman named Cherry (Loretta Young), Melody finds out the townspeople think he is a notorious outlaw named Monte Jarrad (Dan Duryea) and that was the reason for their deference. Melody quickly falls in love with the pretty Cherry but he doesn't know that she is actually Monte Jarrad's girlfriend and has him hid out on her farm.Delightfully pleasant western satire with a terrific cast. Cooper doesn't always get the respect he deserves as an actor but movies like this remind you of how talented he was. Loretta Young is great as well. It was interesting to see a movie made in 1945 where the hero had to be saved by a woman and that was treated as OK. Dan Duryea makes for a great villain, as he always did. But the man who steals the show is the great William Demarest. Every line that comes out of his mouth is better just for him having said it. This actor was a highlight of many a Preston Sturges film and here he plays his comedic sidekick role just right. He never overplays it or hams it up. Check this one out if you get the chance. A fun, likable western with lots of comedy and some romance too.

longicadus I liked it a lot. A movie that didn't get the recognition it deserves. Typical Gary Cooper, terse and insightful in the fashion of the times. I will never forget the song he sang that goes on and on. I was a kid when I saw this and memorized about 20 verses of "Old Joe Clark" back then. Loretta played a good part and her role should be emulated by the fairer gender today. Dan Durey played his usual tough guy role, but did a credible job. I would like to see it come out again or perhaps a remake, however, I don't know anyone in Hollywood that can imitate Cooper. Just for grins this was the movie we watched in Denver when we were inducted in the Army. Black and white is a medium that should live forever.

afn41126 This is an entertaining western farce but you'll probably never find yourself laughing out loud, except at the purposely horrible rear projection scenes when they're "riding." Gary Cooper is wonderful at playing a doofus (from what I have read, it wasn't much of a stretch).It is interesting to compare Melody Jones in this movie with the sheriff in "High Noon." The Sheriff is a competent, confident gunman with a preternatural sense of what is right. The Sheriff ultimately saves the town but they didn't ask for it and they certainly didn't deserve it. Melody Jones is a loveable goofball with no gun skills and a confidence which derives from a perfectly nuanced obliviousness to the reality of the violence he faces. Melody figures out the girl is in trouble and for no good reason decides he's going to help her even though she hasn't asked for any help and she's set him up to be hunted down by a revenge (and bounty) hungry posse.In the end, it's the girl who has to save Melody as well as herself. And the girl, Loretta Young is the absolute best reason for watching this movie. She is gorgeous.This movie is also surprisingly violent and the violence is surprisingly graphic. It begins with a deadly robbery and ends with bloody bullet hole in the center of Dan Duryea's forehead."Along Came Jones" is worth watching but not really worth owning.