ALL SCI-FI

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Big Jack was an MGM film released on April 12, 1949 starring Wallace Beery, one of the studios biggest stars.

It's 1802, Dr. Alexander Meade (Richard Conte) is about to be hung. Meade is a good and decent man, unfortunately, he's also far ahead of his time. He's a graverobber. In that era that was considered by the masses as both illegal & despicable.

However, Meade doesn't do this in order to rob the dead, he does so in the name of medical science. He examines the cadavers in order to advance the dark ages of medicine. If he can study the deceased, then he can learn about how the body works, what disease does to the body. Maybe then he, or others, can learn from his research and effect new ways to treat people that suffer and die.

To the rescue is Big Jack's ruthless bandit gang. Once they find out what the good doc is being hanged for they drive away the group of men who were planning to string doc up. It seems that their outlaw leader, Big Jack, is back at their hideout with a bullet wound in his leg. They figure the doc can operate on their leader, even though they also find his grave robbing sickening.

Big Jack is grateful to the doc and wants to keep him around as his personal physician, but Meade has other ideas and makes his escape. Big Jack tracks Meade down. From there the pair encounter twists and turns that neither could have foreseen.

I found this to be quite entertaining, and the plotline of having Dr. Meade risking his life in order to save people by studying the deceased in an era where that was considered evil and unacceptable added an interesting and complex dimension to what might have been an otherwise simple story.

Wallace Beery is always a hoot to watch in any of his movies. He plays rough, tough, & gruff as he mugs and chews up scenery. But man, he does it with his customary panache. By all accounts, Beery was one miserable s.o.b. in real life. Almost no one liked working with him; a true misanthrope through and through. He was a huge star and money maker for MGM. I find him fun and funny to watch as he growls and bellows away at everyone. I also realize he was someone you'd dislike if you ever met him in real life.

The rest of the cast is terrific. Richard Conte as Dr. Meade brings a calm & understated performance to his role. He acts like you think most doctors seem to be in life. His acting works smoothly for the over-acting Beery in their scenes together. Conte holds his own in those scenes with Beery. Someone wisely realized not to have him attempt to match Beery by hamming it up. Conte would only lose in that case.

The hilarious Marjorie Main plays Flapjack Kate, Big Jack's wife. Main can also hold her own---and then some---with Beery. She's as enjoyable to watch as Beery is. They are a marvelous team and made 6 films together. Main, like most others who worked with Beery, did not care at all for the man. She once said that she should get two salaries whenever performing with him. One for her acting and one for having to put up with a horrible man.

Beery passed away only 4 days after the release of film. It was said they had trouble finding any pallbearers.

[Bud Brewster]

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I'm totally sold, Mike!

Thank goodness this movie is on YouTube.

___________________ Big Jack Original Trailer


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Big Jack (1949) Wallace Beery, Richard Conte & Marjorie Main


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

The terrific character actor Neville Brand's acting style always reminded me of Wallace Beery. I've always wondered if Brand copied Beery to some degree?