DAKOTA (DVD) DVD

Dakota
According to Hollywood lore, both John Wayne and director Frank Borzage refused to work with Vera Hruba Ralston, the Czech-born inamorata (and future wife) of Republic Pictures owner Herbert I. Yates. Yates somehow managed to convince Wayne to change his mind, but Borzage was replaced by contract director Joseph Kane. The result was Dakota, the company's major release of 1945, a potentially sprawling empire-building Western. Wayne and Ralston play newlyweds heading for Fargo, North Dakota, where they plan to buy land in anticipation of the coming of the railroad. They are opposed by saloon owner Jim Bender (Ward Bond), who also knows about the expansion and is coercing the homesteaders into selling their land to him and his chief lieutenant, Collins (Mike Mazurki). The latter has been elected president of the Wheat Growers Association, and soon the farmers find themselves indebted to Bender. But Wayne, with his wife's help, beats Bender and his henchman at their own game, making certain that the farmers are well compensated for selling their land to the railroad company owned by Ralston's father (Hugo Haas). Contrary to popular belief, Vera Hruba Ralston was not Dakota's chief liability. For some reason, Republic Pictures, normally a leader in action-oriented melodrama, chose to employ an inordinate amount of rear projection footage this time around, making for rather dull viewing. The Western only leaves the confines of the studio back lot for the climactic prairie fire scenes, filmed by a second unit under the direction of stunt expert Yakima Canutt. Apparently a better figure skater than an actress, Ralston actually shows a bit of spirit in some of her scenes but is rather obviously upstaged by the veteran Ona Munson as a kind-hearted saloon entertainer. Munson was borrowed from Warner Bros. and her singing of "Coax Me" by Andrew B. Sterling and Harry Von Tilzer remains one of Dakota's main pleasures despite editor Fred Allen's endless cross-cutting to Ralston's reactions. The latter was reportedly a very pleasant person devoid of a prima donna ego and would be cast opposite John Wayne again in The Fighting Kentuckian (1949). Republic serial heroines Linda Stirling and Adrian Booth can be spotted among Munson's dancing girls. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Cast John Wayne as John Devlin Vera Ralston as Sandy Poli Walter Brennan as Captain Bounce Ward Bond as Jim Bender Mike Mazurki as Bigtree Collins Ona Munson as Jersey Thomas Olive Blakeney as Mrs. Stowe Hugo Haas as Marko Poli Nick Stewart [Nicodemus] as Nicodemus Paul Fix as Carp Grant Withers as Slagin Robert Livingston as Lieutenant Olin Howland as Devlin's driver Pierre Watkin as Wexton Geary Robert H. Barrat as Anson Stowe (billed as Robert H. Barrat) Jonathan Hale as Col. Wordin Paul Hurst as Captain Spotts Eddy Waller as Stagecoach driver Sarah Padden as Mrs. Plummer Jack LaRue as Slade George Cleveland as Mr. Plummer Selmar Jackson as Dr. Judson Claire Du Brey as Wahtonka Roy Barcroft as Poli's driver

Crew Gano Chittenden - Art Director Russell Kimball - Art Director Joseph Kane - Associate Producer Larry Ceballos - Choreography Adele Palmer - Costume Designer Joseph Kane - Director Fred Allen - Editor Walter Scharf - Composer (Music Score) Walter Scharf - Musical Direction/Supervision Andrew Sterling - Songwriter Harry VonTilzer - Songwriter Bob Mark - Makeup Jack A. Marta - Cinematographer Joseph Kane - Producer James S. Redd - Set Designer John McCarthy - Set Designer Theodore Lydecker - Special Effects Howard Lydecker - Special Effects Carl Foreman - Screen Story Lawrence Hazard - Screenwriter Howard Estabrook - Screenwriter

Dakota
(not reviewed)
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DS: Dolby Surround (4.0) Additional Features: Full-screen version 2.0 Dolby Stereo Surround Digitally mastered Scene index Interactive menus DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 82 min Part of Series: John Wayne Collection   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Main Title/Prologue [2:09] 2. Chase From the Steeple [4:49] 3. Planning on Introduction [3:18] 4. Out of the Frying Pan [2:52] 5. Who Set the Fire? [3:45] 6. Foul Play and Face-Offs [6:22] 7. Gunning for the Nest Egg [5:14] 8. Blow-Ups and Bad News [4:45] 9. Welcoming Committees [5:26] 10. Bender Won't Bend [4:09] 11. One Wound Fixed [3:15] 12. Wheat Growers Meeting [4:17] 13. Jersey Eggs Him On [4:41] 14. Organizing Opposition [2:14] 15. Bender in a Bind [2:05] 16. Getaway Gone Awry [5:02] 17. Devlin's Desperate Plan [3:54] 18. At the Mercy of the Law [5:32] 19. Fires and Fisticuffs [6:26] 20. Smooth Sailing Ahead? [1:20]