The Woman of the Town (1943)

Wonderful character development!

How sad is this?

Blistering performances.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Albert Dekker is not really our idea of Bat Masterson but he fits easily into the role and is supported by a fine line-up including Barry Sullivan (unusually but effectively cast as a likable villain), Percy Kilbride as a meek, fire-and-thunder preacher and most vividly Porter Hall who has a major catalytic role as "Dog" and plays it superbly well. Direction and production values are many notches above the standard we expect of a Harry Sherman-George Archainbaud western. Miss Trevor is excellent in the title role and has the opportunity for some rousing songs. Arthur Hohl makes a true-blue villain and other character actors excel. Well cast and played, well written, well directed and well produced with enough action for the fans and enough style for the connoisseur, "Woman of the Town" is a winner.

I just finished watching this in a DVD collection of westerns. It gave a lot more of the feeling of what it must have been like in Dodge City when they were struggling to move from anarchy to civilization. "Bat Masterson" is more along the lines of Jimmy Stewarts "Six Shooter" who'd rather reason out of a problem than shoot, but will shoot when necessary. Claire Trevor and Albert Decker do a good job on the leads, and the supporting cast contribute some key bits. Barry Sullivan is an interesting Texas cowman.Unfortunately the print used was dark and punched full of holes from having been marked for TV breaks.

The movie is a semi-autobiography adding a love story with a standard eternal love triangle (Dekker-Claire Trevor-Sullivan), musical numbers and numerous shootouts . The movie is inspired on true events . Thus , Bartholomew ¨Bat¨ Masterson (1853-1921) spent the last twenty years of his life as a popular sports writer on New York newspaper . Previously he had taken part in the battle of Adobe Walls in 1874 in which a small party of hunters beat off a fierce attack by hundreds of Indians , events narrated in the meeting between Bat and the old man at the beginning of the film . In 1878 the marshal of Dodge City was shot by two cowboys , Bat (Albert Dekker) rushed to the scene and gunned down the killer . Bat was appointed as deputy U.S. marshal by the Mayor (Porter Hall) and shortly after captured noted outlaw (in the film King Kennedy featured by Barry Sullivan) . Along with Bat were hired to keep the peace as lawman Wyatt Earp and Bill Tilghman . In 1902 he settled in N.Y.City and became a successful sports writer on the Morning Telegraph (at the movie even appears working with Louella Parsons) , he died at his desk from a heart attack . Masterson said he has not killed as many men as was popularly supposed though he had experienced a great many difficulties . The picture is set in Dodge City , Kansas , the most celebrated of the cowboy cattle towns , became a major railhead cowtown for the cattle driven up from Texas over the long trails , during the cattle boom Dodge shipped more than 250.ooo head a year . The free-spending cowboys attracted professional gamblers , badmen , saloon and brothel keepers and became a rough town in the best traditions of the wild west . Dodge City reigned as ¨Queen of the Cowtowns¨ until final XIX century when the free range cattle industry came to an end . We also find the protagonists (Trevor and Dekker) at the town's cemetery , Boot Hill , it gained fame as the last resting place where gunmen , drifters or usually victims of gunfights or brawls were buried with their ¨boots on¨ and a little ceremony .The film is an enjoyable western narrated in flashbacks and well written by Aeneas McKenzie . Agreeable musical score nominated for Academy Award by the classic composer Miklos Rozsa . Production is in charge of Harry Sherman , an usual western producer .The motion picture was rightly directed by George Archainbaud . The flick will appeal to western moviegoers.

This B western was the product of Producer Harry "Pop" Sherman and Director George Archaimbaud, both who worked prodigiously on the Hopalong Cassidy series. Pop Sherman was trying to expand his horizons with this one.Claire Trevor who played innumerable bad gals with hearts of gold reprises another one here. She's caught between two men lawman Bat Masterson and Cattleman King Kennedy played by Albert Dekker and Barry Sullivan respectively. Barry Sullivan is a thing of beauty, all decked out in his drugstore cowboy outfit. He was competent actor, but he must have felt like a fool in that outfit.Albert Dekker played a lot of supporting roles opposite some of the biggest Hollywood names. He rarely was a lead, this and Dr. Cyclops two major exceptions. He's good in the title role. Masterson tells this story in flashback to a young actress playing aspiring reporter Louella Parsons. Didn't hurt in 1943 to give her a plug in any film.Albert Dekker was one of the great tragedies in Hollywood. In 1968 he hung himself after completing his last role in The Wild Bunch. He hung himself and he was all decked out in woman's clothing. I've always felt that he was a transgendered person and back in 1968 those issues were NEVER discussed. I think Mr. Dekker wanted to go out as the real person he was, a woman in a man's body.A great cast of supporting players rounds out this film, a lot of familiar faces you'll spot. Nice entertainment.