Drango

Drango is a 1957 American Western film produced by Jeff Chandler's production company Earlmar Productions, written and directed by Hall Bartlett, and released by United Artists. Starring Chandler in the title role, the film also features Ronald Howard, Joanne Dru, Julie London and Donald Crisp. Set in the town of Kennesaw, Georgia in the months immediately following the American Civil War, the story depicts the efforts of a resolute Union Army officer who had participated in the town's destruction during Sherman's March determined to make amends.

For the village in Iran, see Drango, Iran.
Drango
Directed byHall Bartlett
Jules Bricken
Produced byHall Bartlett
Jules Bricken
Meyer Mishkin
Jeff Chandler
Written byHall Bartlett
StarringJeff Chandler
Joanne Dru
Julie London
Donald Crisp
Ronald Howard
Milburn Stone
Music byElmer Bernstein
CinematographyJames Wong Howe
Edited byLeon Selditz
Production
company
Earlmar Productions
Hall Bartlett Productions
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date
January 1957
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million[1]

Plot

Union officers Major Drango and Captain Banning ride into a Georgia town ravaged by the Civil War and still bitter about the lives and property lost. Drango is the new military governor, but townspeople including Judge Allen and his son Clay make it clear that these Yankees are not welcome.

A local man seen as disloyal to the Confederacy is lynched. The man's daughter, Kate Calder, blames Drango for letting it happen.

Drango attempts to bring the men responsible to justice, but wealthy Shelby Ransom harbors the fugitives, including Clay, her lover. Union colonel Bracken finds fault with Drango for not being tough enough, so he confiscates the town's food supply and rations it. Clay's men stage a raid.

A doctor and newspaper editor offer Drango their support in restoring order. The newspaper office is set ablaze and the editor's young son is accidentally killed. Kate now sides with Drango, and an angered Shelby tries to order Clay from her home, but he slaps her and makes her lure Capt. Banning to an ambush.

Now even the judge is appalled by Clay's unlawful acts. He warns his son this must stop. Clay refuses to listen and shoots Drango, wounding him. He is about to kill Drango when a bullet from his father ends Clay's life, restoring law and order to the town.

Cast

Production

The film was made by Jeff Chandler's own production company, Earlmar, for United Artists. It was meant to be the first of a six-picture deal Earlmar had with United, with Chandler to star in three of them.[2] The film was a co-production with the production company of Hal Bartlett, who wrote the script.[3]

Chandler had risen to fame playing Cochise in Broken Arrow. "It's no Indian story", said Chandler, "let Cochise rest in peace."[4]

Half the movie was shot on location in the south; filming started in St Francisville in June 1956.[2]

Ronald Howard made his American debut in the film.[5] Linda Darnell signed to play the female lead, with Donald Crisp and Julie London in support.[6] Darnell had to pull out because of a virus and she was replaced with Joanne Dru.[7]

Follow Up

The second film Chandler was meant to make for United Artists was Lincoln McKeever, based on a novel by Eliezar Lipsky about a frontiersman appointed to the Supreme Court.[2][8]

See also

References
  1. "Tuesday Proclaimed as L.A. Free Enterprise Day". Los Angeles Times. Apr 26, 1956. p. 23.
  2. THOMAS M. PRYOR (Apr 23, 1956). "R.K.O. TO MAKE SPACE-TEST FILM: Feature to Depict Efforts of U.S. Scientists to Launch an Earth Satellite". New York Times. p. 23.
  3. Richard Dyer MacCann. The (Jan 15, 1957). "Films Treat Civil Liberties: Hollywood Letter". Christian Science Monitor. p. 5.
  4. The (May 16, 1956). "Louella Parsons: Linda Darnell Signs With Jeff Chandler". Washington Post and Times Herald. p. 37.
  5. THOMAS M. PRYOR (May 1, 1956). "CARNERA CHARGES STUDIO WITH FOUL: Ex-Boxer Sues Columbia for $1,500,000 Damages Over 'The Harder They Fall' Milland Signed for 'Stockade' Of Local Origin". New York Times. p. 37.
  6. THOMAS M. PRYOR (May 15, 1956). "FILMING DELAYED BY CLIFT'S MISHAP: M-G-M Halts Production of 'Raintree County' Pending Leading Actor's Recovery Malden in 'Piersall Story'". New York Times. p. 26.
  7. "Virus Forces Darnell Out of Film 'Drango'". Los Angeles Times. June 1, 1956. p. B6.
  8. Schallert, Edwin (Feb 2, 1957). "'McKeever' Ready Soon for Jeff Chandler; New Drug Feature Planned". Los Angeles Times. p. B3.
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