Todesfaust

There's a lot of eye candy in Tennessee's Partner, with John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, and Ronald Reagan. John is well cast as the tall, powerful, cowboy who rules the roost. No one dares to cross him, until someone does. Up against a barrel, his life is only spared by a visitor in town, Ronnie. There's an understandably instant friendship, but they do disagree on one thing: romance. John has kept Rhonda at bay for years, and Ronnie is anxious to marry his sweetheart as soon as he can. Ronnie suggests to John that he get also married, to which John balks: "You'd have to marry a woman!" It's very funny and has a totally different meaning today; but in 1955, all he meant was that he liked his bachelor lifestyle and didn't want to have to alter it for a woman's habits and tastes.

This is not a very spectacular western, but if you like the cast you can try it. Rhonda's character is pretty funny; instead of being a madam of a group of saloon girls, she's the "mother" to a group of virtuous girls who are looking for husbands. It's the height of the gold rush, and the women hope to stake their claims on men who have staked theirs. Will Rhonda wear John down and get a ring on her finger? Will someone finally topple John from his pedestal? Will anything destroy the friendship and loyalty Ronnie feels for his hero? All mediocre questions, and you can find all the answers in this mediocre movie.