A wacky western. Of course, the idea of a woman on a white horse leading 40 men on brown horses through the wilderness, wherever she wanted to take them, is absurd. If on a regular basis, that would have cost a fortune for a rancher, unless maybe they were also wranglers on a large ranch. Perhaps an exaggerated feminist statement? The problem for Jessica(Barbara Stanwyck) is that the new man she realized is the man for her isn't among her 40. His name is Griff Bonell: one of 3 brothers who came to town mainly to pick up a deputy accused of stealing US mail. They would have trouble from Jessica's much younger trigger-happy brother(son?) Brockie, whom Jessica pampered, bribing governmental officials and juries to get him out of jail or acquitted for disturbing the peace or shooting someone, mostly. But this babying of her brother conflicted with her growing infatuation with Griff. This was especially true after Brockie shot brother Chico just after his wedding, right next to his bride, still in her wedding dress. Brockie was soon locked up for this murder, as well as the murder of the deputy accused of stealing mail. Crazy Jessica gave away all her immense property trying to bribe the judge, etc. to cancel the charges against Brochie. However, when he was being transferred to another prison, he got loose, got a gun, and, using Jessica as a shield, began shooting on the street, killing one man. Griff came out of a nearby building, and, using a support beam as a cover, shot Jessica, who clutching her abdomen, slumped to the ground, apparently dead, then shot Brochie, behind her, several times. Griff carried Jessica's body down the street, presumably to the doctor's. Looks like the film is going to end a tragedy. But, in the next segment, incredibly, we see Jessica strolling down the street, with no hint that she had been wounded! Soon, Griff is in his buckboard, starting on his way to California, alone. Jessica sees him and runs down the street, hopping into the buckboard: Presumably, a happy ending, after all....... As I see it, the theme of this film is similar to that of the prior "Calamity Jane" and the subsequent "Ballad of Josie", both starring Doris Day. The message in all 3 films is that it is ok for strong women to take on roles traditionally reserved for men, to show they can succeed. But, eventually, they should ease up on the throttle, and form a partnership with a man. Thus, the ideal course is to exercise your feminist rights, then regress a bit, back to being more of a traditional wife.......Like some others, I felt that Barbara was a bit long in the tooth to be Jessica. A woman perhaps 10 or so years younger would have been more believable......I especially liked the tornado segment, following Jessica's being dragged by her horse due to her spur being caught in the stirrup. Afterward, Jessica and Griff lay down, telling more about themselves, and strengthening their romantic feelings.......Of course, the beginning segment, where Jessica is leading her 40 men down the road where the 3 brothers are traveling in a buckboard looks rather spectacular. See it at YouTube.
Review of Forty Guns
