Themes: Mistaken Identities, Unlikely Heroes, Nothing Goes Right
Main Cast: Gary Cooper, Loretta Young, William Demarest, Dan Duryea, Frank Sully
Release Year: 1945
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
Plot
Gary Cooper added "producer" alongside "star" on his resume with this light-hearted Western about a mild-mannered cowboy (Cooper) who drifts into a small town with his sidekick (William Demarest). Naturally, he's mistaken for a notorious highway robber (Dan Duryea), although he can barely handle a gun. His impersonation of the menacing gunman falls apart when his skills are put to the test, and he faces certain doom when challenged by the returning gunman himself. In the end, however, our hero defeats the villain and even ends up with his girl (Loretta Young). A send-up of both Western clichés and Cooper's own heroic persona, Along Came Jones is brisk, amusing entertainment. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
Review
Along Came Jones is a really nice little flick. That may sound like faint praise, but it's not intended that way, for Jones is a really pleasant way to pass an hour and a half or so. Its charms are gentle, but nonetheless very real. Count star Gary Cooper as chief among those charms. Cooper seems to be having a great time kidding his usual "strong, silent" type Western hero, and he clearly enjoys the opportunity to play comedy. His ingratiating personality and quiet charisma are put to great use here, and it's an easy, effortless performance that puts a smile on viewers' faces. William Demarest is perfect as his foil, the crusty sidekick with hidden soft spots, and Loretta Young is a wonderful help as the girl friend who ends up saving Cooper's bacon. And as the villain of the piece, Dan Duryea employs his nasty snarl and menacing sneer to excellent effect. Nunnally Johnson's screenplay has plenty of good gags and finds humor in some unexpected places; if it's a bit sloppy in places and in need of a little pruning, those are minor quibbles. Stuart Heisler directs capably; his work could use a bit more imagination, but he handles things well enough and helps to shape some of the messier aspects of the screenplay. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Walter Plunkett - Costume Designer, Arthur S. Black, Jr. - First Assistant Director, Stuart Heisler - Director, Thomas Neff - Editor, Hugo W. Friedhofer - Composer (Music Score), Art Lange - Composer (Music Score), Charles Maxwell - Composer (Music Score), Gus Norin - Makeup, Wiard Ihnen - Production Designer, Milton Krasner - Cinematographer, Gary Cooper - Producer, Julia Heron - Set Designer, Arthur Johns - Sound/Sound Designer, Fred Lau - Sound/Sound Designer, Nunnally Johnson - Screenwriter, Alan LeMay - Book Author
Easygoing Melody Jones (Gary Cooper) and his friend George Fury (William Demarest) wander into a town. Jones is mistaken for a wanted bandit named Monte Jarrad (Dan Duryea), which causes him no end of trouble. Meanwhile, the real Jarrad is hiding out in the home of his girl, Cherry de Longpre (Loretta Young). At first, she tries to use the newcomer to distract the townsfolk, but as she gets to know Jones, her feelings start to change.
