The Ballad of Josie

Josie tackles the west in the time before women had a say. It's a good and fun movie.

What's not to love about this film? If you can reserve judgment until the end, you'll discover the humorous and heartwarming tale of a woman who is not afraid to stand her ground! Doris Day as Josie, opposite Peter Graves' Jason, is a tremendous force to be reckoned with. In true Doris-style she takes on "the men" of Wyoming, bucking convention (in a great pair of Levi's) and daring them to deny her her basic human rights. OK, so it only takes 2 glasses of brandy to knock Josie off her feet, but she comes right back swinging all the harder! And when the dust clears, she's there, triumphant to the end. Not only does she beat back an oppressive cattle baron, she also manages to fend for herself and her son, run a sheep-raising operation, endear herself to the women of Wyoming, and win the love and admiration of a pretty swell guy, in my opinion. So who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? I give Josie 10 stars **********

I like Doris Day and try to get all her films in german. You cannot imagine how happy I was, when I received "The Ballad of Josie" ( Das Teufelsweib aus Texas )( german title). It's a rare film, but I like it because of Doris. Well, people who enjoyed "Pillow Talk" won't like to watch this one, I guess. In this film are some funny moments, for example when Doris wears jeans and surprise the men or when she is falling on the bed. But you can't compare it to her better films. I can only say, Doris is in it, some other good actors and the plot isn't bad at all.

... without Dan Blocker and with Doris Day. It's basically about a Wyoming woman (Doris Day) who finds herself minus a husband who shocks the men of the town by deciding to herd sheep instead of cows and by wearing (OH THE HORROR!) mens' pants!!! You know, I haven't seen this since I was twelve and I actually remembered it fondly until I saw it today. George Kennedy plays the cattle ranch owning buffoonish bully who wants Josie's sheep dead. Peter Graves is the love interest who threatens to do endearing things like spank Josie if she doesn't shut up. Andy Devine is still playing the same character he was thirty years before. William Talman, after so many years of losing to Perry Mason, plays a district attorney who is trying to get Wyoming statehood. In the end, the lesson seems to be "who needs the vote anyways ladies, and wear a dress if you want a man!" Oh, the sexism. I guess I just didn't notice this in 1970. And what's worse, this is what passed for feminism in 1970.

This is the problem with so many 60s films. They have one foot in the 50s, one foot in the 70s, and nothing works. This thing might just reach a 5/10 mainly because of its star power, even if those stars are being badly used.

A light hearted comedy based on both the range wars of the 1800's and the eternal battle between man and woman. If you're nostalgic for movies without a moral or a lesson, no violence and just plain fun, then this oldie but goo die is for you. Doris Day comes across as a spunky but humorous woman, trying to make her way in a man's world, and her antics are at times, almost classic slapstick. Peter Graves and George Kennedy offer wonderful foils against Doris Day, and even William Talman gets into the mood with more than a few bright quips. The characters of Klugg and Bratsch afford their own dry humor as they sit, observe and bet and comment on the activities of the other characters. The tone of the movie itself is upbeat and fun, and if you like light hearted family fare, then you could do a lot worse than spending an evening with this older flick.