Ramrod (1947)

Ramrod (1947)


Plot Summary

A cattle-vs.-sheepman feud loses Connie Dickason (Veronica Lake) her fiance, but gains her his ranch, which she determines to run alone in opposition to Frank Ivey, (Preston Foster) "boss" of the valley, whom her father Ben (Charlie Ruggles) wanted her to marry. She hires recovering alcoholic Dave Nash (Joel McCrea) as foreman and a crew of Ivey's enemies. Ivey fights back with violence and destruction, but Dave is determined to counter him legally... a feeling not shared by his associates. Connie's boast that, as a woman, she doesn't need guns proves justified, but plenty of gunplay results.

This is a near classic Western directed by one of the great directors of the day in Andre De Toth. De Toth was known for gritty and noirish crime films and westerns. Most of these were of the B grade however they never looked cheap as his films often had some very good cinematography. The film starts off seemingly in the middle as the script didn't insult the viewer by spoon feeding information. You are dropped into the middle of the lives of these people and it's up to you to figure out what's going on. So that makes the first 15 minutes of the film a bit confusing but once you catch onto it it becomes a very interesting film with shades of grey.

Joel McCrea is the "ramrod" (basically the foreman and boss of the operation) for Connie and her fiance who want to bring sheep onto the land but Frank Ivey is totally against it and uses strong arm tactics to get him out of town. To make matters worse Connie's father is in with Ivey and has wanted her to marry Ivey for years. Connie is totally against it and fights for herself even if that means making an enemy out of Ivey and her father. Dave joins up with Connie and enlists the help of his friend Bill. (Don DeFore)  Bill wants to get Ivey any way they can but Dave insists on doing it legally both as a courtesy and out of respect for his friend Sheriff Jim Crew. (Donald Crisp) Things escalate to the point that one of Connie's men is beaten to a pulp and near death. Dave wants to do things legally to get back at Ivey but Bill ends up killing the guy that killed Connie's ranch hand. This pretty much leads to Connie liking the way Bill is doing things, citing that Dave's way is too slow and she has Bill stampede her cattle to frame Ivey up. Needless to say this leads to complications and unneeded death on both sides.

The actors in this film are quite good though the casting is a bit awkward but in a good way. McCrea's character is a reformed drunk and you'd think he'd be more of a fire and brimstone type but here he's a quiet man wanting to do the right thing. Don DeFore was known for being a comic actor but here he's given a role where he's the charismatic "bad" good guy. DeFore gets A LOT of screen time considering that he's not the lead in the movie. He wants revenge for personal reasons but he's conflicted due to his friendship with Dave until Connie seduces him into going over the line. Ah yes, Connie is played by Veronica Lake who was more into lighter fare and glamor roles. She's an actress I've never warmed up to and for most of the film I found her dull but her character is the one that grows the most in this as a woman who feels wronged by Ivey and her father to a woman who becomes so hell bent on greed, power and revenge that she becomes a femme fatale that leads to death and destruction through her actions. One symbolic thing about her character is that she's portrayed in a tough, masculine way to the point that excepting for one scene early on her hair is always tied up in a bun and her character is wound up tight as well. It's only at the end of the film where she finally gets her way after corrupting Dave into having to do things he never wanted to do does she realize that all was for naught. She gets her way but her way only leads to a lonely life.

The movie isn't the most action packed films i've seen so it really relies on the mood and the acting. The actors were all very good in this especially DeFore who comes off as a good hearted scoundrel who you can't help but like even if he's doing things completely wrong. This is in stark contrast to Joel McCrea who is really a man who just wants his peace and to do the right thing. His character could've easily been stereotyped into being a vengeful figure who will do anything come what may. There are other elements as well, particularly in the form of Rose (Arleen Whelan) who's a local dress maker and a close personal friend of Dave's. She at first has sympathy for Connie and does what she can to help but she sees and realizes that Connie is only out for revenge and by the end of the film you know there's no love lost between them. This leads to another touch of noir in that Connie is the woman corrupted, the woman who will do anything for herself whereas Rose represents to Dave, the good and kind hearted woman who won't pull herself down to a base level. In that regard Dave is pushed and pulled between the lust for revenge against the path that he was going down early in the film of being a reformed drunk who can make a contribution to society in a good way.

The cinematography by Russell Harlan who worked on such films as Red River, Lust for Life, The Big Sky, and To Kill a Mockingbird does a bang up job here with a lot of dolly shots which weren't used as much in those days and always having the camera moving to the point that you're never quite sure where the action is going to go. The movie is very realistic in that much of the interiors are in very closed quarters especially one bar that Dave frequents where people are almost literally shoulder to shoulder. Natural lighting is exploited quite well and even in a scene where it's dark is put to good use as a bunch of guys close in on one character and sneak up on him leading to his death. 

All in all this is a fantastic film though it's not without its flaws as it moves a bit too slow at times and could've used a little more action. Still it's a study in character and its use of noir elements make it worth watching. Hell, the ending upends the usual cliched Western stereotype as well. 

I give this a strong *** stars.