BS: Movie lovers- Westerns

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns TONITE NOW on TCM
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 08:27 PM

As I write Turner Classic Movies is showing Santa Fe w/ Randolph Scott.
Then they are showing The Long Riders; then (a favorite of mine) Colorado Territory, which is a western remake of High Sierra starring Joel McCrea. Jack, you couldn't have started this threads more fortuitously.
Please forgive my adding to your thread title, but I wanted to emphasize that this is now.
JotSC

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: pdq
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:57 PM

"The Hanging Tree" had some early work by George C. Scott, whom I also think of at the same time as Lee J. Cobb.

The theme song is sung by Marty Robbins.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: GUEST,Terp
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:39 PM

Hombre and One Eyed Jacks are probably my two favorites with Lonesome Dove (the first series with Duvall and TL Jones) and Silverado a not too distant second.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Don Firth
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:36 PM

Absolutely "Quigley Down Under."

I fell madly in love with Crazy Cora. When Quigley is beaten to within an inch of his life and left to die out in the desert, Crazy Cora finds him and says, "Don't worry, on a new job it's quite common for things not to go well at first."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:35 PM

Comes a Horseman
Man From Snowy River (ok, maybe not a 'real' Western)

And I SWEAR I've seen The Cossack and the Cowboy....or maybe it's the other way round?

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:27 PM

I have a fairly long list of favorites that come to mind:

For A Fistful of Dollars
For a Few Dollars More
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Dances With Wolves
Little Big Man
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward, Robert Ford
Cat Ballou
The Magnificent Seven
Red River
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Hud
Hombre
The Big Country
Unforgiven
High Noon
The Alamo (the recent one)
Son of the Morning Star
Windwalker
The Long Riders
Wyatt Earp
McClintock
Hang 'em High




I usually don't care much for John Wayne movies...but I make an exception where "Red River" and "McClintock" are concerned.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:19 PM

Correction: Cobb not in Hanging Tree.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 07:18 PM

Ranger Steve---
The Hanging Tree - Maria Schell, Gary Cooper, Lee J. Cobb
posted @ 3:14 Shane - A knight errant in the frontier west.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: RangerSteve
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 06:59 PM

Mostly I'm going to second other movies mentioned above. The Shootist has a cast that you'll never see again. Steward, Wayne, Lauren Bacall, bit parts by Hugh O'Brien and Richard Boone.

High Noon - A previous poster said he was bored watchin it at the age of 9 - it wasn't made for kids.

Liberty Valance - another film with a western fan's dream cast.

Cat Balou - can't mention this one enough.

In another thread about movies, someone mentioned "Quigley Down Under" - not really a western, about a cowboy sharpshooter in Australia - worth watching. thanks to whoever mentioned it in that other thread.   Oh, yeah, it has Alan Rickman as the villain - that's all the recommendation a movie needs.

The Hanging Tree - Ingrid Bergman and I forget the male lead.

Stagecoach - sadly, I've never seen the original, only the remake, which was still good.

Westward the Women - about mail order brides in a wagon train - a forgotten classic, in my opinion.

Also mentioned above - The Big Country - the poster forgot to mention that it has one of the best musical scores in movie history.

Shane - I didn't see this one mentioned above. What's wrong with you people?

Recently saw "3:10 to Yuma" - should become a classic.

"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward, Robert Ford" - takes the prize for the longest title around - really really good movie.

Maverick - the movie version of the TV show with Mel Gibson - back before he became annoying.

The Outlaw Josie Wales - best group of supporting characters in any movie.

More later.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 06:37 PM

First, alanabit.....If you're ever over here, we'll do a Western Marathon.....same movies my friend.

And that's pretty well true for most named on this thread. Western or not, Blazing Saddles is one of my favorite movies period. A few I haven't seen so far (I don't think)............

Once Upon a Time in the West---Henry Fonda playing against type
Firecreek---ALSO has Henry Fonda playing against type
The Unforgiven
Night Passage (Audie Murphy and Jimmy Stewart as brothers)
Junior Bonner---Sam Peckinpah goes to the rodeo; McQueen is great
The Wild Bunch---Sam does the violence thing
The Big Land---Alan Ladd sleeper
Sons of Katie Elder---Real schlock but I still love it
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid---Did I miss this one above?

Geez............I could go on and on with this. I loved the old westerns as a kid too. Buck Jones, Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Tim McCoy, Bob Steele, etc.......And I waited for each new one from Jimmy Stewart, Audie Murphy, and especially Alan Ladd............***sigh***.........very happy days. I could list a hundred and still have more.

Let me give you a freebie bonus selection. This one is just plain entertaining for the cast alone but the plot is at least half-assed and keeps your attention as well. Hannie Caulder is worth the price of admission on several levels. Robert Culp as the philosophical gunfighter that wears glasses, Raquel Welch showing just a bit of skin, and then the villainous brothers who have killed Hannie's husband----This group is worth the price of 20 admissions all by themselves-Ernest Borgnine, Jack Elam, and Strother Martin......You have to see this one just for them!

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: number 6
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 05:33 PM

Another movie worth mentioning in this thread is the "Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" starring Paul Newman.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Wesley S
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 05:30 PM

Hardly a movie but I picked up a box set - season one of Steve McQueen in "Wanted: Dead or Alive"

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: GUEST,Jack The Sailor
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 05:20 PM

I picked up "Trinity is still my name" a while ago in a Dollar bin. It was a funny as I remembered.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: ranger1
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 05:05 PM

It's kind of cheesy, but I was always partial to "River of No Return" with Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. And does "Dances With Wolves" count?

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 05:02 PM

There are a lot of other people who've posted about the Cowboy and the Cossack, wishing it would be made into a movie. I would love to see that, too. According to one posting here Warner was going to but wound up not doing so.

What was the recent one of the cowboy who raced his horse against some of a sheik? Ah, Hidalgo. That was a fun one!

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 04:52 PM

Surprised no-one has mentioned the Sam Peckinpah film..'The Wild Bunch' which I bellieve was the first film to use the body blood spurts caused by amorces.....very bloody film.
Fistful of Dollars, For a few dollars more and another Spaghetti western starring Lee Van Cleef....but I can't remember what it was called and what it was about....that's age eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 04:48 PM

Wow this thread has grown....
Jack the Sailor....having watched this a few years back for the I don't know how many'th time...yes it would be a good rental now, in spite of being dated...my opinion anyway....Best wishes, Mike.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 04:31 PM

I think somebody did make a movie of Cossack and the Cowboy. Pretty sure I've seen it. Others I like:

Pale Rider/Clint Eastwood
Frisco Kid/Gene Wilder
Two Mules for Sister Sarah/Eastwood
The Long Riders/Carradines,Quaids, others

Might think of more....

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 04:23 PM

And of course
Billy the Kid and Pat Garret
and They Died with their boots on

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 04:21 PM

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Wyatt Earp
Eldorado
Oklahoma
The Man from Laramie
For a Few Dollars More

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Don Firth
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 04:20 PM

I would definitely put "Cat Ballou" on the "must see" list. I don't know if a purist would consider it to be a genuine Western, but it was one of the more memorable movies I've seen. I've heard that Lee Marvin, after seeing the movie before it was released, went and hid under his bed, saying "My God, what have I done? Nobody will ever take me as a serious actor again!" But his shame and humiliation was pretty well alleviated when he won an Oscar for his role as the drunken gunfighter. I'd seen Lee Marvin in a lot of movies where he played detectives, crooks, etc., but it was in "Cat Ballou" that I first really noticed him.

My nomination for The Greatest Western Ever Made is "The Big Country." Plot set-up from Internet Movie Data Base:

Retired, wealthy sea Captain James McKay (Gregory Peck) arrives in the vast expanse of the West to marry fiancée Pat Terrill (Carroll Baker). McKay is a man whose values & approach to life are a mystery to the ranchers & ranch foreman Steve Leech (Charlton Heston) takes an immediate dislike to him. Pat is spoiled, selfish & controlled by her wealthy father, Major Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford). The Major is involved in a ruthless civil war, over watering rights for cattle, with a rough hewn clan led by Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives). The land in question is owned by Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons) & both Terrill & Hannassey want it.

It has everything that a good Western needs to have—all the clichés you've ever seen in Westerns—but it handles them with a slightly new twist, such as the shoot-out between Gregory Peck and Rufus Hannassey's cowardly bully of a son (Chuck Connors). McKay (Peck) insists that it be fought "like gentlemen;" with a brace of single-shot dueling pistols. Jean Simmons plays the purty school marm (single, of course) who owns the land—and the water rights—that everyone else wants.

Most people assume that Burl Ives got his Oscar for playing "Big Daddy" in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958), but not so. He was great as "Big Daddy." But he was awarded the Oscar for Rufus Hannassey in "The Big Country" (also 1958). He was bloody brilliant in that role!

One of the really great things about this movie is that there are no clear-cut lines as to who the "good guys" and the "bad guys" are. The two people who display real integrity are McKay (Peck) and Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives).

Great sequence:   Steve Leech (Heston), ranch foreman in love with the rancher's spoiled daughter, challenges McKay (Peck) to a fist fight. Later, they meet in the corral in the dead of night and beat the crap out of each other for about an hour. No clear winner. As they both lay there in the dirt, bruised and bleeding and no longer able to move, Peck lifts his face out of the dirt and says, "Tell me Leech, what did we prove?" No answer. Then, they both crawl painfully to their feet and stagger off in opposite directions.

I think there's a metaphor there.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Beer
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 04:05 PM

Thanks biLL, that's the one.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Wesley S
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:58 PM

Agreed on Johnny Guitar. Maybe that's why it made the list.

Now - Somebody needs to make a film of Claire Huffakers "Cowboy and the Cossack". Properly filmed it would end up on this list.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:49 PM

In no particular order:

McClintock
Cat Ballou
Rooster Cogburn
True Grit
High Noon
Cheyenne Social Club (a wonderful film!)

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:48 PM

WesleyS - I just looked at the IMDb list. Pretty decent. Unlike many recent lists, it's not heavily skewed to newer product, although one could argue that there isn't a lot of newer product.
But 'Johnny Guitar' at #50? It is one of the most overwrought films of any genre; it makes 'Duel in the Sun' or 'Lust in the Dust' seem like high art!

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:29 PM

The Audie Murphy version is "Destry".

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:29 PM

Oxbow Incident with Henry Fonda.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:28 PM

JtS - When I was a lad we had two theaters (Hollywood and Beverly Hills) called the Hitching Post. They showed only B-westerns for the kiddie set. Kids would go there wearing hats and chaps, and the Roy or Gene six-shooter. My favorite B-Westerns were the Gilbert Roland, 'Cisco Kids' series. I have seen 5 of the 6 of them as an adult; some of them had Tom Joad-like dialogue.

I think we folk, herein, have given you a terrific cross section of A westerns.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: alanabit
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:22 PM

I forgot to mention "Destry Rides Again". The one that Stewart made with Audie Murphy was also quite watchable. The title escapes me.
I found John Wayne quite entertaining. So I enjoyed "True Grit" and practically anything he was in. That said, I think "The Shootist" was a cut above anything else he did. Of modern Westerns, I reckon we will have a long wait until anything nearly as good as "Unforgiven" emerges.
Of Western spoofs, my vote also goes to "Support Your Local Sheriff".

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: jacqui.c
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:15 PM

I'd watch High Noon again just about anytime. It's a great movie.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:14 PM

My list would include--pretty much in order of my esteem:
The Searchers - My nominee for best western ever.
My Darling Clementine - A take on the OK Corral mythos; you can almost
                        feel the dust of Tombstone
The Man Who Shot Libery Valance - ditto other posts.
The Professionals - Terrific caper film. Worth it just for the final
                   exchange between Lee Marvin and Ralph Bellamy.
Red River - Mutiny on the Bounty in the west.
Warlock - Very underrated to my mind. What happens to a town that
          hires a professional town marshall.                        
Ride the High Country - Terrific performances by Randolph Scott (his
                        last) and Joel McCrea (his last real role).
The Gunfighter - Gregory Peck as a retired gunfighter.
Shane - A knight errant in the frontier west.
Support Your Local Sheriff - Great spoof of western film conventions.
Fort Apache - A take on the Custer myth...not about Custer tho.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: kendall
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:12 PM

True Grit
Rooster Cogburn

best of all time, Lonesome Dove and High Noon.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Riginslinger
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:02 PM

McCabe and Mrs. Miller was good. Somehow I didn't remember it as a western.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: bobad
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:02 PM

I just watched "My Darling Clementine" a couple of weeks ago and I highly recommend it. Filmed in 1946 it was directed by John Ford and stars Henry Fonda, Victor Mature and Walter Brennan and portrays the Wyatt Earp in Tombstone saga which culminates in the shootout at the OK Corral. A true classic of the genre.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: number 6
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:02 PM

Beer ... Cat Balou ... Lee Marvin and Jane Fonda ... it was hilarious and worth mentioning here in this thread.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: number 6
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 03:01 PM

Rather than me typing what the movies is all about ... and probably making a mess of it in doing so .... here's the wikepedia link

BTW ... it mentions it has been selected as one of top 25 movies of all time and in some circles considered the best movie of all time.

the searchers

Jack ... I agree, it was "the life".

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Wesley S
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:56 PM

IMDB List - top 50 movies by vote

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Beer
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:54 PM

On the lighter side.
Blazing Saddles and the one with the horse leaning against the building . Damn but the title escapes me.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: GUEST,Jack The Sailor
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:53 PM

Where I grew up they used to have Western Movies at lunch time on Saturday. Get up at eight, play for a few hours then watch John Wayne or Roy Rogers while eating tomato soup and egg salad sandwiches. That was the life!

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Wesley S
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:50 PM

We haven't mentioned "Stagecoach" yet.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: number 6
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:49 PM

If you haven't seen the Searchers and your a fan of westerns I suggest you check it out ... to me it's definately one of the all time classic western movies. It's very well done.

If your also one of those who is turned off by John Wayne (as I know msome people are) don't let that prevent you from seeing it.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: GUEST,Jack The Sailor
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:41 PM

Liberty Valence is a good one.
I liked Rio Bravo as well.

Some of the others I don't remember so well. Why are they good?

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:35 PM

My favourite is also "The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance" but when I think about it, I'm always reminded of Lee Marvin who was one of my favourite actors.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Riginslinger
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:28 PM

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance," would have been a classic in any genre, it seems to me. The story line was a little deeper than most westerns.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: alanabit
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:18 PM

I particularly like "The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance", because it is a really good moral film too. James Stewart was someone who could almost make the filming of a Virginia Woolf movie bearable... No... I exaggerate. I could watch him in almost anything though and among his Westerns, "Broken Arrow" and "The Shootist", also with John Wayne, were well worth watching too.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: pdq
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:12 PM

Was it "Rio Bravo"?

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Midchuck
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:10 PM

(In addition to many already mentioned):

Shane
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Tombstone
McClintock

and what was the one that John Wayne did with Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson?

P.

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: pdq
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:10 PM

Do "Paint Your Wagon" and "Cat Ballou" count as 'westerns'?

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: number 6
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:09 PM

The Searchers

High Plains Drifter

The Misfits ... if this can be classified as a western

and mark another fav for Little Big Man

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Movie lovers- Westerns
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 02:08 PM

Georgian,

Do you think that High Noon would be a good rental now? Or would it be dated. I remember being bored with it when I was probably 9 years old, so I don't remember it very well.