Wonderful character development!

Really Surprised!

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Arizona is directed by Wesley Ruggles and adapted to screenplay by Claude Binyon from a story by Clarence Budington Kelland. It stars Jean Arthur, William Holden, Warren William, Porter Hall and Edgar Buchanan. Music is by Victor Young and cinematography by Joseph Walker, Harry Hallenberger and Fayte Brown.It's 1860 and feisty Tuscon frontierswoman Phobe Titus (Arthur) has grand plans to ignite a freight business. But when romance with drifter Peter Muncie (Holden) leaves her off guard, she could loose all to nefarious town competitors.It was a much troubled shoot blighted by weather, cast decisions and suit executive expectations, add in budget issues and some bloke called Hitler being a looming menace, and the end product is not as envisaged by all. Yet in spite of it all, and with a weak plot not strong enough to carry a two hour film, it's not a half bad Oater saga.Pic isn't bogged down by the central romantic thread, this is because it's nicely played and is merely one slice of Phobe's whole pie (she is a pie maker in the beginning of story). In the mix is the constant of Apache threat, who are duly on hand for action duties. There's the on-going fall out from the Civil War ticking away, the North/South rivalries given thought, the villainy - though not hard to spot - is sturdily played, while there's a host of colourful characters filling out the play. Finally, as a historical piece it earns its corn, the formation of Arizona's formative year most interesting.It's old fashioned, but in a good way, and if not expecting an ebullient actioner then this has worth to the Oater loving crowd. 7/10

"Arizona" probably marks the most unusual performance by Jean Arthur. Usually, this actress is known for comedies or romance but here she's in a western. This isn't that unusual, considering she's known for her performance in "Shane". However, here in "Arizona", she plays a completely different sort of role. She's a tough-as-nails broad--one who is the equal to any man....and don't you forget it!!The film begins in Tucson, Arizona about 1861. It's a wild town--and not even much of a town at that. The only non-Indian or Hispanic woman there is Phoebe (Arthur) and you are introduced to her when she enters the cantina and holds all of men working for Lazarus Ward (Porter Hall) at gunpoint! It seems some of them stole from her and she's going to blow their heads off unless they return the money! Watching all this is a newcomer, Peter (William Holden) and, bizarrely, he's smitten!! She soon falls for him, too. However, there's a glitch in their romance-- he's a wandering soul and is only stopping by on his way to California. When he eventually leaves town, it leaves Phoebe to deal not only with the skunk Ward but his secret partner, Jefferson Carteret (Warren William). The two weasels plan on ruining Phoebe's budding freight business and when that attempt fails, Carteret plans on something even more devious. When Peter returns from California, he sees right through Carteret and you know by the end of the film one of them will be pushing up daisies!This is a rather sprawling film with a little bit of everything in it. While the film isn't easy to believe, the acting is quite nice. I particularly liked William--who was magnificent in playing slimy rogues. And, here he's at his slimiest! Well worth seeing if a bit silly in places--it's the sort of western that's fun to watch but difficult to believe. Plus, too often the film relied on intertitle cards scattered throughout the film instead of actually SHOWING things they should have shown instead. Good but not great overall.

The story line in this film is basically fictional, but real names of people who lived in Tucson, Arizona Territory, in the late nineteenth century are given to members of the cast, and the set that was created specifically for its production still exists just over the hill from the real Tucson of today. As someone who remembers visiting that set during filming in 1940, I am still impressed by the place and by this film. Jean Arthur's character was indeed a prototype of the independent frontierswoman . But even more important from the perspective of today as I stand among the remnants of the old set (still used, together with a sound stage on the property, to produce "Westerns") and look back sixty years just as the producers looked back sixty years for their story, I think of it as a story within a story. Anyone visiting Arizona today would do well to think of the film "Arizona" as a true picture of 1880 and, in another context, of 1940, and let their imaginations wander. The social attitudes and mores of both periods stand in great contrast to those of the 21st century.

This movie has every thing a western lover wants-shoot-out,cattle drive,Native American conflict,Calvarymen,strong leading lady character who is independent,but falls for the hero. and a hero who takes a supporting role,but grabs my attention every time he is on the screen. Different from most characters that William Holden plays, not cynical. The suspense at the end was so real; I could feel the same emotions as the character played by Jean Arthur.