7/10
Spectacular western musical-comedy set in California Gold Rush with a lot of songs
25 December 2019
Agreeable musical with patches of interest, long runtime and nice settings. Dealing with the California Gold Rush, in which two adventurers, Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, living at a gold mining boom town, join forces as tough prospectors. The plot involves a farcical discovery of gold and the growth of a mining towm : No Name City. Then a Mormon wife, Jean Seberg who was mercifully dubbed, is sold by her husband and bought by a drunken Marvin. Later on, the lady pioneer takes two hubbies, but its quality scarcely matters given that the husbands are performed by the great Marvin and Clint Eastwood, hamming away as the second hubby.

A breathtaking, rotund but overlong rendition compensated for a solid plot, being based on a notorious, hard-shelled musical play by Lerner and Loewe with pretty sounds. This movie put Marvin's gravel voice at the top of the charts, thanks to the million-selling famous song Wandrin' star .Here there is also an enjoyable picture postcard approach to history. Resulting to be a sympathetic movie with plenty of panoramic scenary about two prospectors sharing the same Mormon spouse completing with a vintage Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe musical score .

It contains a colorful and brilliant cinematography in Technicolor by William A. Fraker. Amusing and entertaining screenplay by the prestigious writer Paddy Chayefsky. There stands out Lee Marvin who steals the show, he chews the sagebrush scenary. There are marvelous songs as highlights, such as Wandrin' Star sung by Marvin and the other vocal highlight : The call the wind Maria sung by Harve Presnell. Furthermore : Talk to the trees, I still see Elisa, I am on my way, Best things, among others.

Displaying a supremely tuneful score by various composers Alan Jay Lerner, Fredeick Loewe and Andre Previn .This big budgeted western musical comedy rendered very pretty and wonderful look at by filmmaker Joshua Logan. This craftsman was a good filmmaker who directed successful films, usually dramas and musical , including big name actors such as Picnic, Bus stop, Sayonara, South Pacific, Fanny, Ensign Pulver, Camelot and this Paint your wagon. Rating 7/10. Above average musical. The flick will appeal to Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood fans.
6 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed