This is a bigger-budget Republic western redeemed by director George Archainbaud's handling of the action scenes. It has strikingly similar plot elements to HBO's Deadwood series, chiefly that of the cutthroat, goldmine stealing, whoremongering, saloonkeeper played by former good guy actor, Robert Livingston, who has it in for the kid who witnessed his henchmen commit murder. The latter is not a typical plot element of this era's westerns. Unlike Ian McShane in Deadwood, there's no psychological depth, just the novelty of a former white hat hero playing a very black hat villain. The child, so quiet and watchful in Deadwood, here is a shrill and unnatural Bobby Driscoll.
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mmtoucan23 June 2004
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mark.waltz19 September 2023Perhaps as a nod to "Our Gang", white kid Bobby Driscoll has two friends his age, one black and the other Asian, Cordell Hickman and Hayward Soo Hoo, a subtle reminder that prejudices are taught, not an inborn trait. It's nice to see the three acting like brothers based on common interests although they fight over a major disagreement that really hurts Driscoll. Soo Hoo acts like Our Gang's Froggy, barely breathing as he speaks each line. The fight is over the fact that Driscoll refuses to believe that his much older brother Richard Arlen was court-martialed, unaware that he was framed.
Longtime friends Arlen and Robert Livingston have a major fallout over the fact that Arlen was accused of cowardice, and a rivalry over saloon singer Jane Frazee. She provides the music with three songs ("Up in a Balloon" and "Ra Ra Ra Boom Dee Aye" also performed in "Lady For a Day" two years before) and George "Gabby" Hayes provides subtle comic relief. Director George Archainbud helped make this seem a bit more upscale than other B westerns. Definitely a stronger plot too. -
adverts22 October 2015Fairly fast moving and even with comic relief from Gabby Hayes...this is little darker than your average 1944 western.
A previous reviewer claims there is "more than a 40 year gap" in age between the two brothers. In real life maybe, but in the film it's about 24 years (Arlen is supposed to be 32, Driscoll seems about 8). A stretch, but does it really matter??
***SPOILER ALERT*** It would have great if Arlen ended up with the saloon girl instead of the teacher, but that would have been just too weird.....
Overall, slightly better than I expected. -
jarrodmcdonald-118 November 2015Ever since I discovered Jane Frazee a few years ago, I've been a fan. I knew she had done a series of musicals at Universal during the war years, then had gone to Republic Pictures in the second-half of the 40s. It's easy to see why she liked working for Herbert Yates' company and picked Republic in favor of MGM, another studio that offered her a contract.
At Republic Jane Frazee was treated like a queen. She always had nice roles, good songs and above the title billing. Plus she had some really pleasant leading men to work with at Republic. I'm sure she went home after shooting scenes with a smile on her face.
In THE BIG BONANZA there's plenty to smile about...because there's plenty to enjoy. Our leading lady gets to act opposite Richard Arlen and Gabby Hayes as a dance hall girl. But she also gets to play mother to seven year old Bobby Driscoll in his first major movie role. The moments they share in this picture are truly special, and you can tell that young Driscoll will go on to do greater things.
His presence in an otherwise routine oater elevates the proceedings considerably. They all act like family to him in a way that seems to go beyond the specifications of the script.
The folks at Paramount, who control the Republic library, have done an amazing job restoring this film. The print quality is outstanding. The outdoor scenes capture the sunlight and shadows perfectly, and a spotless print allows us to see those chiaroscuro effects more clearly.
Anyone who says Yates' films were made cheaply without any artistic effects is ignorant. One look at THE BIG BONANZA will tell you how much care went into the way performers are lit and photographed in their scenes. And also how they are allowed to let their unique talents shine.
But Jane Frazee is the main attraction here. She can sing (wonderfully I might add), she can dance, and she looks good on screen without trying. A lot of actresses worry about the camera capturing them at their best angle. But Jane Frazee never had to worry. All her angles are good, so the photography just happens to catch her naturally. -
bkoganbing19 March 2014Richard Arlen joined the ranks of Republic's cowboy heroes in a story set in Civil War times. The Big Bonanza opens with Arlen still in handcuffs having escaped the custody of the Union Army which was going to court martial him for cowardice. He and Gabby Hayes go west to be with his little brother Bobby Driscoll who has gone for a dryer climate. It's what was done back in the day with consumption patients.
With that charge over his head Arlen and Hayes go to Nevada City where Driscoll is in the care of saloon owner Robert Livingston and saloon songstress Jane Frazee. Even though he and Livingston are old pals, Arlen isn't crazy about the moral influence on the kid being raised in a saloon.
He takes Driscoll over to Sunday School teacher Lynne Roberts and her dad Russell Simpson who owns the Big Bonanza mine. It's there that Arlen learns his old pal Livingston is the organizer of a gang threatening mine owners and ranchers.
Arlen's not quite the Republic cowboy hero image and having him and Driscoll as brothers is ridiculous, there's more than 40 years between them. What might have worked for Roy Rogers in the same part looks dumb with Arlen.
As for Livingston we're led to believe that he cares for young Bobby. But when Bobby witnesses a murder by two of Livingston's henchmen all of a sudden Livingston's for killing a child that he's supposed to care about. Made no sense at all.
I'm sure this was something that might have been meant for Roy Rogers, but he was now doing modern westerns and this was passed to a visiting Arlen at Republic Studios. Maybe Roy was right to pass.