The Far Country

The distance between Jeff's hand and his six-shooter on the bar between shots.

The film takes place in 1896.

Ronda Castle contracts Jeff Webster to drive her caravan until Dawson, Canada.

Nevertheless, that Canadian miner town-site was named Dawson only in January 1897.

The Far Country (1954)Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart made a few movies together, and one is a cool black and white affair, but this is one of his searing Technicolor productions. It almost has a comic flair even as the world is cut and splintered in the first twenty minutes until the real story begins--cattle driving in Alaska.

James Stewart, Walter Brennan, John McIntire, Ruth Roman, Jay C. Flippen, Corinne Calvet, Steve Brodie, Harry Morgan, Robert Wilke, Jack Elam, Kathleen Freeman - lots of familiar names and faces in this western.

Jimmy Stewart plays Jeff Webster, a loner and bachelor who, along with his sidekick/business partner Ben Tatum(played by Walter Brennan) takes a herd of cattle by ship from Wyoming to Seattle. He encounters crooked lawman named Gannon(played by John McIntire) but still proceeds through with his route to the Klondike region, where he hopes to sell his beef for a sizable profit, though, when he does arrive, decides to prospect for gold himself.

There is much to be loved in the classic Hollywood western. The heroic cowboy, the wide open plains, the cattle drives, the shootouts, all coalesced to create one of the most loved genres of one time.

Not Quite as Intriguing as Other Mann/Stewart Westerns, it Still Remains one of the Better of the Genre Despite a Lighter Tone and Fanciful Banter and Lover Interests. The Cinematography is Appealing and the Snow Draped Atmosphere is Welcomed.

This is sure not going to be on my list of my top 10 favorite westerns, but it has a lot going for it and it's a lot of fun to watch. It's a wonderful old-fashioned western done the way Hollywood used to do them.

And so begins my quest to watch each and every Jimmy Stewart film I can get my hands on. I'm just in love with the man and I think he was a master, a true master, of his craft.

This being the northern I enjoyed most, it doesn't prompt me to analyze it (which remains a trustworthy criterion for an accomplished work, because its accomplishment and exquisiteness make needless the explanations and generalities, one doesn't analyze works this good). However, it requires thought; the 1st experience has been awesome.

"The Far Country" gets better every time I see it. It is a beautiful movie to look at.