Getting Know How John Wayne Maintains the Balance of the Game

admin February 4, 2022February 4, 2022

Tall in the Saddle, a fast-paced and entertaining western starring John Wayne maintains the Balance of the Game, was released in 1944. The picture has the majority of the themes seen in previous “horse operas,” with a convoluted storyline interspersed by stage coaches, saloons, shootouts and poker.

Tall in the Saddle, like other early films we’ve recently reviewed here, such as the silent comedy Dr. Jack from the 1920s and the crime drama Dead End from the 1930s, uses poker to highlight larger themes of the story, in this case providing an opportunity for John Wayne’s character, the independent Rocklin, to assert his authority as a keeper of order amid the lawless Old West.

John Wayne maintains the Balance of the Game : The Wild West’s Law and Order

We first meet Rocklin, who arrives in Garden City by rail before taking a bus to Santa Inez. George “Gabby” Hayes, a regular sidekick, plays the driver, Dave. He brings Rocklin or “Rock,” as Dave refers to him as well as two women, the attractive blonde Clara Cardell (Audrey Long) and her mean-spirited aunt Miss Martin, to Santa Inez (Elisabeth Risdon).

Along the way, Dave and Rocklin had a talk about Dave’s employer, Harolday, whom he despises. “He’s too damned reasonable to believe in the law and order of John Wayne maintains the Balance of the Game,” Dave says of Harolday as he sips whisky. “What’s wrong with law and order?” Rocklin wonders. “It all depends on who’s doing the dishes. I’ve never been one to follow instructions, and as for the law… heh… you’ll find out what that means around these parts.”

Even before the party arrives in Santa Inez, Dave’s words are validated in a shady incident that reveals law enforcement to be corrupt on John Wayne maintains the Balance of the Game.

When Dave pulls over for a bite to eat, he offends the sheriff by calling him a “four-flusher,” among other things, and is pistol-whipped into unconsciousness.

John Wayne Maintains the Balance of the Game : The Game’s Guidelines

In John Wayne maintains the Balance of the Game, Clint Harolday (Russell Wade), the stepson of Dave’s employer who manages the Topaz ranch, and another named Judge Garvey play in the game (Ward Bond). They tell Rocklin that Clint has been winning, and soon he and the young gun are entangled in a disputed hand of five-card draw.

Rocklin opens for 3 USD after the transaction, and Garvey folds. Clint then raises the bet to $20, causing the others to leave. “Call you for six,” Rocklin adds, indicating the final banknotes on the table.

“Dig,” Clint continues, meaning that Rocklin should dig into his pockets to generate enough to justify the rise.

Garvey reminds Clint that they are playing table stakes, which prevents them from bringing more money into the situs judi slot online game than was on the table when the hand began. Clint, though, objects. “Not if he wants to dig,” he sneers, as Rocklin digs, declaring, “I got you beat” as he lays out the money to call.

Draw Poker Games

Following that, each player draws one card, with the card dealt to Clint being accidentally disclosed. He promptly takes it up and places it in his hand, a broad grin on his face.

“That queen is dead,” Rocklin adds calmly. “I’ll take it if I want it,” Clint says. “Sure, if you wish,” Rocklin responds calmly. “But you’ve got to defeat my four-card hand,” he says.

“I’m playing these, man,” Clint declares boldly, rejecting Rocklin’s insistence on the exposed card rule.

There is a little hesitation as they glance about at the others, and Judge Garvey advises sharing the pot. “I’m not splitting,” Clint adds with a smile. “I’m taking a chance.” He then places the remaining of his bill stack in the center. “Are you calling?”

“Nope,” Rocklin responds, as Clint reaches for the pot. Then Rocklin cuts him off. “I’m raising,” he adds as he contributes the remainder of his funds. Clint’s brow furrows.

John Wayne maintains the Balance of the Game : Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The image backs up Dave’s earlier judgment regarding Santa Inez’s lack of “law and order.” Sure, there are laws, but not everyone wants to obey them, and what ultimately counts is whether or not someone is willing and powerful enough just to stick to the rules.

The sequence also frames Rocklin as the one prepared to accept responsibility, which, as you might expect, becomes quite important when he becomes more intimately embroiled in the ranch battles in Santa Inez. In other words, the poker scene is a condensed version of the main narrative, which will also pit Rock against the Haroldays.

More poker references appear in the film, including an intriguing backstory between Judge Garvey and ranch owner Red Cardell, who was murdered three weeks before Rocklin arrives. The duo were pals poker buddies, in fact yet Dave tells Rocklin a story about Garvey perhaps tricking Cardell with a marked deck of cards and Cardell discovering it (hence making Garvey a probable suspect in Cardell’s death).

John Wayne Maintains the Balance of the Game : Triangle Love

Cardell, who died, is likened to Rocklin several times. He is described by Harolday as “too fond of putting the law into his own hands” (not unlike Rocklin). Dave also mentions Cardell favorably, referring to him as the “salt of the earth” and telling Rocklin that “he was a huge feller… tall in the saddle, like yourself.”

Dave believes Rocklin “might pass for a blood relative.” That’s a piece of foreshadowing, because we’ll discover later that Rocklin’s visit to Santa Inez so soon after Red Cardell’s murder wasn’t a coincidence; he’s Cardell’s nephew, and he’s there to find out about his uncle’s death.

It’s a convoluted tale, with a love triangle developing between Rock, Clara, and the fierce cowgirl brunette Arly Harolday, performed magnificently by Ella Raines. But, in a way, the poker scene beautifully sums everything up, showing Rock, a newcomer to the game, coming in and setting things straight when others try to play it less than squarely. / Dy