Frenchie (1950)

December 25, 1950 (US) • Western • 81m

Overview

Frenchie Fontaine sells her successful business in New Orleans to come West. Her reason? Find the men who killed her father, Frank Dawson. But she only knows one of the two who did and she's determined to find out the other.

Director

Louis King

Writers

Oscar Brodney, Oscar Brodney

Top Billed

Joel McCrea

Keywords

love triangle murder alcoholic death

Where to watch

Check streaming options on TMDB

Top Billed Cast

Joel McCrea

Sheriff Tom Banning

Shelley Winters

Frenchie Fontaine

Paul Kelly

Pete Lambert

Elsa Lanchester

Countess

Marie Windsor

Diane Gorman

John Russell

Lance Cole

John Emery

Clyde Gorman

George Cleveland

Mayor Jefferson Harding

Regis Toomey

Carter

Paul E. Burns

Rednose

Frank Ferguson

Jim Dobbs

Vincent Renno

Tony

Lawrence Dobkin

Bartender

Lucille Barkley

Dealer

Victor Adamson

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Marie Allison

Dealer (uncredited)

Emile Avery

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Al Bain

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Shirley Ballard

Dealer (uncredited)

John Barton

Townsman (uncredited)

Phil Bloom

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Rudy Bowman

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Chet Brandenburg

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Roy Butler

Man (uncredited)

Fred Carson

Barfly (uncredited)

Steve Clark

Man (uncredited)

John Cliff

Man in Assayer's Office (uncredited)

Tom Coleman

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Oliver Cross

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Jack Curtis

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Russell Custer

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Helen Dickson

Funeral Attendee (uncredited)

Art Dupuis

Man (uncredited)

George Eldredge

Gorman's Friend (uncredited)

Al Ferguson

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Sam Finn

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Sam Flint

Rancher (uncredited)

Mary Gleason

Dealer (uncredited)

Dick Gordon

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Kit Guard

Townsman (uncredited)

Sherry Hall

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Chuck Hamilton

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Tex Holden

Townsman (uncredited)

Eileen Howe

Dealer (uncredited)

Whitey Hughes

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Jack Ingram

Sam (uncredited)

Chubby Johnson

Miner (uncredited)

Dick Johnstone

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Al Kunde

Townsman (uncredited)

Ethan Laidlaw

Townsman (uncredited)

Mike Lally

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Perc Launders

Man (uncredited)

Walter Lawrence

Dealer (uncredited)

Frank Malet

Man (uncredited)

Frank McCarroll

Man (uncredited)

Russell Meeker

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Frank Mills

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Monte Montague

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Forbes Murray

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

William H. O'Brien

Townsman (uncredited)

William J. O'Brien

Townsman (uncredited)

Tudor Owen

Toby (uncredited)

Paul Palmer

Bouncer (uncredited)

Jerry Paris

Perry (uncredited)

Jack Perrin

Voting Official (uncredited)

Jack Perry

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

John Pickard

Man in Assayer's Office (uncredited)

Anthony Redondo

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Bob Reeves

Townsman (uncredited)

Robert Robinson

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

John Roy

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

George Ryland

Man (uncredited)

Cap Somers

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Jack Stoney

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Brick Sullivan

Stage Passenger (uncredited)

Harry Tenbrook

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Blaine Turner

Waiter (uncredited)

Max Wagner

Drunk (uncredited)

Billy Wayne

Dealer (uncredited)

Chalky Williams

Saloon Patron (uncredited)

Chili Williams

Dealer (uncredited)

Hank Worden

Mr. Grady (uncredited)

Crew

Ted J. Kent

Editor

Michael Kraike

Producer

Louis King

Director

Leslie I. Carey

Sound

Oliver Emert

Set Decoration

Bud Westmore

Makeup Artist

Alexander Golitzen

Art Direction

Bernard Herzbrun

Art Direction

Joan St. Oegger

Hairstylist

Glenn E. Anderson

Sound

Yvonne Wood

Costume Design

Russell A. Gausman

Set Decoration

Hans J. Salter

Music

Oscar Brodney

Story

Maury Gertsman

Director of Photography

Oscar Brodney

Screenplay

Reviews

John Chard

⭐ 7/10

November 6, 2019

The Scarlet Angel!

Frenchie is directed by Louis King and written by Oscar Brodney. It stars Joel McCrea, Shelley Winters, Paul Kelly, Elsa Lanchester, Marie Windsor and John Russell. Music is by Hans Salter and cinematography by Maury Gertsman.

Frenchie Fontaine (Winters) has sold her successful business in New Orleans and has come West to prosper further - or does she have an ulterior motive?

In spite of some on line sources proclaiming this to be a remake of "Destry", which is a considerably better film as it happens, it really isn't a copy. The similarities are for sure there, but it is its own entity and deserves to at least be judged as such.

We have a wonderful tried and trusted Western genre narrative thread where someone is out for revenge, only in this instance it's a foxy lady. Male suitors get in a tizzy about garnering her attentions, the bad guys potter about trying to avert suspicion - but do so badly, and there's some moral outrage from townsfolk who object to Frenchie's forthright money making success. While of course there's some truths to be born out - can open and worms everywhere type of thing.

It's not very strong on the page, that's for sure, but there's plenty in the production to enjoy regardless. Cast are good value for the roles as written, not that there's any great chemistry between Winters and McCrea, but as she snake hips her way around town, and he fronts up with cool as a cucumber swagger, it's easy to just buy into the frothery of it all. The dialogue is often deliciously suggestive, the costuming is high quality (Yvonne Wood), and when action decides to make an appearance it's competently staged.

Yet it's the cinematography that is the pic's best aspect. Maury Gertsman (Comanche Territory) is not a name that jumps off the page for cinematography notices, he definitely was a better purveyor in monochrome, but his Technicolor filters are excellent here. Then there's the gorgeous locales, where Buttermilk Country/Inyo National Forest please the eyes so much you wonder why these weren't used more often through the Western genre heydays?

As a serious Western genre fan I wouldn't be comfortable putting this forward as a must see for like minded souls. However, for McCrea and Winters fans - and actually John Russell ones as well - this is no waste of time. 6/10

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Frenchie (1950)

Oscar Brodney, Oscar Brodney

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew

Reviews

John Chard

Recommended Movies

That Malicious Age

Tell Me Softly

Corpse Bride

Les Misérables

Status

Original Language

Budget

Revenue

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