Watch California For Free

Powerful

best movie i've ever seen.

Blistering performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I don't particularly like westerns. I am usually bored with their macho heroes and their stereotypes. In "California", however, stars my all-time favorite actor, Ray Milland, so I wanted to see whether he is as good in this genre as he is in romantic comedies, adventures and dramas. Not to my surprise, he proved to be much above the typical western hero. He is realistic and effective, without excessiveness, mannerisms or gimmicks. What I consider one of the best westerns, "A Man Alone", is played and directed by Ray himself...Returning to California, it is an epic movie, a large scale production, in glorious color, rich in costumes, settings and extras. It covers important historical ground, including the 1848 mass migration, the gold rush and the political struggles that led to the incorporation of California to the United States. All this is the background of the tumultuous love-hate relationship between Trumbo and Lily, Ray Milland and Barbara Stanwyck.One cannot find fault with this movie: It is aptly directed by John Farrow, the music score by Victor Young is memorable, the script, in the 98 minutes duration of the movie, gives a balanced account of the personal story and the ampler historical events of the time, while a plethora of talented character actors contribute to its authentic touch. My only objection is the folklore singing at the movie's opening sequence, which could well be omitted, and the same goes for other singing interludes as well as the songs, supposedly sung by Barbara Stanwyck, all of which interrupt the action. Maybe the Studio heads imposed them, as a sort of lyric accentuation, but they actually steal valuable time that could be used for better character development. As for the two stars: Although very beautiful in her own way, I think Barbara Stanwyck is not cut for period roles, her type is not that of the traditionally classic beauty. Also her acting in the first half of the movie is more aggressive than required. Ray Milland, on the other hand, has the correct approach of the man who does not trust women, after a previous involvement that made him desert his post in the army. Their mutual distrust causes a fierce antagonism, and they go to extremes to conceal their true feeling for each other. Of course, love finds its way in the end and the final scene is very tender. Trumbo must pay his due to the army, and Lily is ready to wait for his return, for as long as it takes. They are both charismatic actors, and if the movie concentrated more on them and less on the "epic" side, it would have been immensely richer. Nevertheless, the movie is very much worth seeing and great entertainment.

A massive gold rush takes diverse types of California, where they meet their destinies. Some find gold, most melt into the background, some run saloons, others gamble and win saloons from the others, some are pervicaciously greedy and deprive others of water, some wear sandals and lift weights on Muscle Beach, some organize a personal militia to fight against the statehood that would deprive them of their unethical power and their mountain of riches, some found loony religious cults.Everyone except Anthony Quinn is miscast. Ray Milland is a suave Englishman, not a wandering cowboy who needs a shave. George Coulouris isn't bad as the powerful heavy and gang leader, but Barry Fitzgerald does not belong in the small part of the grizzled side kick. That's Gabby Hayes' or Walter Brennan's role. Barbara Stanwyck is miscast too. She belongs in the city, not singing in Coulouris's gambling den and bar. She gets to sing (dubbed) two or three fully orchestrated 1947-era songs.There are a few unexpected objets trouvee in the script. Stanwyck's songs are dumb, but there is a pretty Mexican folk song, "Carmel, Carmela," sung by a tenor with a simple guitar accompaniment. And Coulouris gets a bit of sympathy from his personal background -- poverty and sadness -- during his apparently genuine proposal to Stanwyck that the ordinary bad guy is usually denied in these perfunctory scripts. I mean, after all, Coulouris was the captain of a slave ships. The horror, the horror.And, unexpectedly, the hero, Ray Milland, gets clobbered in two fist fights. True, he's outnumbered or outweighed, but that usually doesn't stop the hero from winning, even if, in the process, he winds up with a tiny and colorful trickle of blood from the corner of his lips. The viewer also acquires a bit of incidental learning regarding the history of the state of California in the lead-up to the Civil War.

The beginning of this film a glorification of California through music and some beautiful views in color. From then on it is a routine big budget western where only Barbara Stanwyck stands out as a woman with a strong character that uses her power of seduction. Ray Milland as Trumbo, a man who deserted (for noble reasons) is the hero and Barry Fitzgerald is Fabian, a good hearted man that becomes a politician to help Trumbo. Anthony Quinn has a very small role as Don Luis Rivera y Hernandez. The action scenes are very good, but they are not enough to prevent this western from being average. You can find the same director John Farrow and Ray Milland in a much better western, Copper Canyon (1950).

"California" was an ambitious film from Director John Farrow and Paramount Pictures. In spite of its lavish Technicolr photography and a music score from Victor Young, it falls flat as a big budget movie.The film is basically divided into three parts, the wagon train sequence, the arrival in California sequence and the fight for statehood sequence.Wagon master Jonathon Trumbo (Ray Milland) is leading a wagon train of settlers to the promised land of California in the late 1840s. In one of the towns he meets "saloon gird;" Lily Bishop (Barbara Stanwyck) who is being run out of town by the ladies of the town. She asks to accompany the wagon train and wine maker Michael Fabian (Barry Fitzgerald agrees to take her along. When news of a gold strike in California reaches the wagons, the farmers catch gold fever and desert Trumbo and the train.Later in California Trumbo arrives to find Lily in 'the employ" of ex slaver Captain Pharoh Coffin (George Coulouris) who has ambitions to take over the whole of California by blocking its bid for statehood. Trumbo recognizes Coffin and confronts him only to be beaten up by his brutish henchman Pike (albert Dekker). Although Lily loves Trumbo she still plans to marry Coffin (for his money of course).The fight for statehood follows with Fabian representing the pro statehood side and Coffin leading the anti-statehood faction. Naturally, the pro statehood faction carries the day. Coffin attempts to force his will with arms, a blazing gun battle ensues and...................................This movie, although it has its moments, plays more like a "B" movie, especially in the middle, than any thing else. One expects Zorro or The Cisco Kid to ride in at any moment. I mean a villain named Pharoh Coffin, come on. The shots of the wagon train are impressive (probably due to stock footage) and the shots of the landscape are equally appealing in glorious color. But the movie falls flat.Ray Milland is not really that convincing as a hard nosed wagon master. Stanwyck, always better than her material, gives a good performance as the gold digging Lily. Coulouris' villain is melodramatic and fits more into a "B" movie than an "A" big budget feature. Dekker's brutish henchman is good, but he would have made a better Coffin than colorless Coulouris. Others in the cast include Anthony Quinn, Frank Faylen, Eduardo Ciannelli and Agentina Brunetti. To add to the "B" look of the film several "B" movie veterans appear in small supporting roles.A better script, some casting changes and we could have had a much more memorable movie.