Texas (1941 film)

Texas
Texas
Directed by	George Marshall
Screenplay by	Horace McCoy; Michael Blankfort; Lewis Meltzer
Story by	Michael Blankfort; Lewis Meltzer
Produced by	Samuel Bischoff
Starring	William Holden; Glenn Ford; Claire Trevor
Cinematography	George Meehan
Edited by	William A. Lyon
Music by	Sidney Cutner; Ross DiMaggio; Carmen Dragon
Color process	Black and white
Production; company	Columbia Pictures
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	October 9, 1941;
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Texas is a 1941 American western film directed by George Marshall and starring William Holden, Glenn Ford and Claire Trevor. Texas was an early picture for both Holden (his seventh credited performance) and Ford (his ninth).^[1] The film was designed by Columbia Pictures as a follow-up, though not a sequel, to the previous year's Arizona, which also starred Holden.

Plot

Two Confederate veterans, broke and homeless, are making their way to Texas to start fresh. After comedic adventures getting into and out of trouble, just trying to make enough money to get to Texas, they witness a stagecoach robbery and manage to hold up the outlaws and take back the cash. At that point they have a difference of opinion; the "good" one Tod Ramsey (Glenn Ford) wants to give it back, the "bad" one Dan Thomas (William Holden) wants to keep it and keep going. Goodness wins out, and both are off the hook.

Tod takes a job with the biggest local rancher who has a beautiful and friendly daughter, "Mike" King (Claire Trevor). Dan stumbles into a different kind of job—with another rancher who specializes in rustling. They both have heads turned by the lovely lady and the battle of good and evil continues. The key to the action is the need to get the entire town/valley's cattle past all the rustlers up to the railroad at Abilene.

Dan is falsely accused of taking a shot at Tod. As he tries to escape the angry townsfolk, he shoots both the men behind the attempt on Tod's life, but he is shot and killed by the second one, Doc Thorpe, who is also the town's dentist. Tod appears at the door just after Doc Thorpe and Dan have shot each other. Tod closes the door to shield Mike's eyes from the sight of Dan's body. Ultimately, Tod and Mike go back to herding cattle together as they ride side by side while holding hands.