Ruggles of Red GapAdorable
Best word to describe Ruggles. No, not Ruggles of Red Gap, Charlie Ruggles the actor. I’m not surprised he got a part in this film. Maybe his name got him in the door, but I’m sure his charm, dimples and the twinkle in his eyes kept him there. Alright, that’s enough. I’ve already fawned over him when I wrote about
It Happened on Fifth Avenue. Okay, one more thing. Even though he’s a broad caricature in this film, he’s still all kinds of cute.
As for the Red Gap Ruggles, that would be Marmaduke Ruggles, played by Charles Laughton. I haven’t decided what I think about his portrayal yet. At the beginning his character has a look about him that says he’s either mentally flown the coop, or looking around for an exit to do so. Laughton’s decision to show a man resigned to his task is an interesting exercise, but it’s a quirky tick that has me a little stymied. Later in the story, as he changes, I enjoy the character without any reservations.
As for being a Western, except for accents, cowboy hats and a desert landscape outside a train window, there isn’t much to go by physically. Theme wise, the frontier idea of making your own mark is central to Marmaduke’s transformation. Constraints of servitude chafe in those wide open spaces, until the idea of stepping out of that traditional garment looks pretty good.
Super slight trappings of the film almost gloss over the more weighty issues of class structure and the worth of a man. Almost. It ends up being a happy lark with residual effects.