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The Fighting Kentuckian

Play trailer Poster for The Fighting Kentuckian Released Sep 15, 1949 1h 40m Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Marching with his company across Kentucky, soldier John Breen (John Wayne) meets Fleurette (Vera Ralston), daughter of exiled French general Paul De Marchand (Hugo Haas), who's the leader of a community settled by Napoleon's former soldiers. Fleurette is engaged to Blake Randolph (John Howard), a businessman colluding with George Hayden (Grant Withers) to take back the land granted to the French. In love with Fleurette and furious with Blake's scheming, John helps the French fight back.
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The Fighting Kentuckian

Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher Times (UK) The film is notable, however, for the knockabout tone, the effortless easygoing chemistry between Wayne and Hardy and for Wayne’s goofy interior monologue. Rated: 4/5 Jan 13, 2023 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Its overall mediocrity doesn't get in the way of its pleasant presentation. Rated: B- Aug 24, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Nothing compares to the warm feelings from an old great movie done in the wonderful tradition of old Hollywood. Man, I miss these movies! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Not considered an "important" film at the time but it should have been. 42 year old duke and 57 year old Ollie , both giants (sorry babe) in their genres , get together to craft a very credible historical drama with some entertaining comedy bits. It is wonderful to watch hardy in a good movie after spending most of the 40s in mediocre at best attempts to recapture past glories. Actually , he became friends w Wayne at doing "what Price Glory" for a local charity in Los Angeles . So we can say Ollie teamed up with the best in his career! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member One of my favorite black and white film, only problem is it should have shown him going back to Kentucky with his girl cause ain't no way he would stay out of Kentucky to live somewhere else with her, he would leave her and go back if he she wouldn't go Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member well ummm just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch.......its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie......i think that john wayne (.R.I.P.), vera ralston (.R.I.P.), philip dorn (.R.I.P.), oliver hardy (.R.I.P.), marie windsor (.R.I.P.), play good roles/parts throughout this movie.....i think that the director of this western/action/adventure/classics movie had done a good job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throguhout this movie.....its got a good soundtrack throughout this movie.......i think that this is such a classics movie 2 watch...... This is one of only three times that Hardy worked without partner Stan Laurel after they'd teamed up as Laurel and Hardy. Hardy also appeared with Harry Langdon in Zenobia (1939) and with Bing Crosby in Riding High (1950). It was the only time that Hardy appeared in a film with John Wayne, though the two had worked together onstage a year earlier in a touring charity production of What Price Glory? starring Wayne, Ward Bond, and Maureen O'Hara, and directed by John Ford. hroughout the film, Breen's soldiers sing: Only six hundred miles more to go Only six hundred miles more to go And if we can just get lucky We will end up in Kentucky Only six hundred miles more to go When the song is first heard, there are eight hundred miles to go. its got good fight scenes throughout this movie.......i think that this is such a cult classics western movie 2 watch its got good fight scenes throughout this movie......i think that this is such a classics movie 2 watch its got a good cast throughout this movie.....its such an enjoyable classics western movie 2 watch with a good cast throughout this movie..... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie has some of the worst reviews and comments on any John Wayne movie, but it is one of my favorites. i love Oliver Hardy as the side kick. And John Wayne is always good... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member good western bio-pic of sorts Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Fighting Kentuckian

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Movie Info

Synopsis Marching with his company across Kentucky, soldier John Breen (John Wayne) meets Fleurette (Vera Ralston), daughter of exiled French general Paul De Marchand (Hugo Haas), who's the leader of a community settled by Napoleon's former soldiers. Fleurette is engaged to Blake Randolph (John Howard), a businessman colluding with George Hayden (Grant Withers) to take back the land granted to the French. In love with Fleurette and furious with Blake's scheming, John helps the French fight back.
Director
George Waggner
Producer
John Wayne
Screenwriter
George Waggner
Distributor
Republic Pictures
Production Co
Republic Pictures Corporation
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 15, 1949, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 11, 2014
Runtime
1h 40m
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