Red Garters (1954)

Director George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN, SCARED STIFF, VARIETY GIRL) came to RED GARTERS with a superb understanding of Westerns, musicals, and slapstick comedy, all of which came to fruition in this overlooked musical parody of the Western film. Rosemary Clooney plays Calaveras Kate, a saloon owner and singer with the hots for the town lawyer, Jason Carberry (Jack Carson). When Reb Randall (Guy Mitchell) comes in search of revenge against the criminals who killed his brother, Calaveras Kate sees Reb as the perfect tool for making Carberry jealous enough to marry her. The beauty of the film lies not in the plot, but in the stunningly flat and garish set pieces, and the tongue-in-cheek violation of every rule of the Western genre. Fans of the genre will be particularly smitten with RED GARTERS. Songs from the film were written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, and include "Red Garters," "This is greater than I thought," and "Meet a Happy Guy," among a half dozen others.