What Westerns Have You Seen? Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr 2017 Edition
-
Spikeopath — 9 years ago(January 12, 2017 09:27 AM)
Denver and Rio Grande (1952)
Train Tribulations.
Denver and Rio Grande is directed by Byron Haskin and written by Frank Gruber. It stars Edmond O'Brien, Sterling Hayden, Dean Jagger, Kasey Rogers, Lyle Bettger and J. Carol Naish. Music is by Paul Sawtell and Technicolor cinematography by Ray Rennahan.
Two railroad companies battle for the right of way through Royal Gorge - with murderous results
In truth it's without doubt that the scenery on offer here, and if you happen to have any kink for olde steam trains, are what puts this in the above average department. Plot is based around real instances during the advancements of the Denver and Rio Grande railway. It plays out for entertainment purposes as baddies against goodies and as a notable observation of what some will do to get their way. There's strands involving wrongful accusations, simmering passions and a whole host of train sequences snaking through gorgeous locations. There's even some amazing train carnage, which is thrilling and more potent as it's not model work on show. Cast are fine and turning in perfs that we accept as viable for our enjoyment - with a pat on the back for Zasu Pitts and Paul Fix who are playing out a cute and funny mature courtship in the making - and all other tech contributions are safe and appealing enough.
Opening with a voice over narration set to scenes of the then modern D&RG railway, before whisking us back to its formative years, this is a nice nostalgia piece that overcomes its plotting failings courtesy of big heart and ocular delights. 7/10
The
SpikeopathHospital Number
217 -
joscco — 9 years ago(January 14, 2017 02:56 PM)
Just finished watching
The Unforgiven
with Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. Wow. What a powerful exploration of racism, hatred, and family. Pretty good movie although, for me, it jumped the shark about the time the Kiowa war party decided to break out the sacred flutes. No offense to anyone who loves it, but this western is crying for a remake.
"We all have it comin', Kid." Unforgiven (1992) -
Spikeopath — 9 years ago(January 15, 2017 06:47 AM)
I was only talking about this one last week with a guy on CFB.
John Huston
disliked the movie, was never happy with it. I like it well enough, it does beg your patience for the first third but once the Injuns turn up it kicks up a few gears. Always loved
Hepburn
in this, to see her go earthy with no glam and glitter was most pleasing.
The
SpikeopathHospital Number
217 -
jxh13 — 9 years ago(January 17, 2017 05:36 AM)
Neat cast, but an awkward story. I gather Huston never got to make the points he wanted about race relations, and the narrative is kind of odd. Novelist Alan Le May also wrote
The Searchers
, which I caught most of last Saturday.
Still, Lancaster, Bickford, Audie Murphy, John Saxon, the creepy Joe Wiseman, screen legend Lillian Gish, the affable, square-headed Doug McClure, and the offbeat casting of Miss Hepburn make it a worthwhile watch. -
gordonl56 — 9 years ago(January 15, 2017 07:17 AM)
CONTAINS SPOILERS
JOHNNY RINGO "The Assassins" 1960
JOHNNY RINGO was a western series that ran for 38 episodes during 1959-60. The series starred Don Durant as the title character with Karen Sharpe, Mark Goddard and Terence De Marney as series regulars. The series follows Durant, (Ringo) a former gunfighter who decides to go straight. He becomes the Sheriff in the small town of Velardi in the Arizona Territory. The series was one of several (Rifleman, Wanted Dead or Alive, Shotgun Slade etc) with a "gimmick gun". Durant carries a special LeMat revolver equipped with a shotgun barrel under the six gun barrel.
This episode is the 20th episode of the series.
This one starts with the stage from out of town dropping off a dapper looking Akim Tamiroff. Tamiroff steps right into the middle of a dispute between the town bully, Ed Nelson, and local, Dennis McMullen. The two men are both after the same girl, dancer, Connie Hines. Hines wants McMullen and Nelson is not amused. Nelson is handy with a gun and calls McMullen out.
Tamiroff steps between the two and stops Nelson from killing McMullen. Nelson gives Tamiroff a solid punch to the noggin, knocking him to the ground. Now Sheriff Durant arrives on the scene. Nelson may be handy with his shooting iron, but he is no match for Durant. Nelson fades away.
Tamiroff it appears is a Russian on the run from his country's Secret Police. Said Tsar's Secret Police are now in town looking to finish off the enemy of the State, Tamiroff. Tamiroff had been involved in the death of a Policeman back in Russia. It had been an accident, but the Tsar's boys had no sense of ha, ha.
Tamiroff, tired of running just wants to end it all. He is suffering from a heart condition and does not have long to live anyway. He picks a fight in the bar the next day with thug Nelson. Nelson is happy to "help" out and plugs the old guy. This forces Sheriff Durant to step up and drill a few extra holes in Nelson.
Not really much of an episode, with a plot one has seen before on various TV productions. Tamiroff though does his best with the limited lines he has. -
joscco — 9 years ago(January 16, 2017 10:15 AM)
After watching the NFL Playoffs, I stayed up to watch
The Hired Hand
(1971), starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, and Verna Bloom. Not your ordinary Western, but an artistic, moody exploration of drifting, friendship, marital fidelity, and evil. Way ahead of its time and beautifully done.
"We all have it comin', Kid." Unforgiven (1992) -
jxh13 — 9 years ago(January 17, 2017 04:11 AM)
I kinda liked
The Hired Hand
, too. Warren Oates was a terrific performer.
Another artsy, moody, ahead-of-its-time Western is the 1966 oddball,
The Shooting
, with Warren Oates, Jack Nicholson, and Millie Perkins. It's frankly a little too odd for me to try and write a review, but I'd be curious to know any reactions. It's unusual, but well, it is unusual. -
joscco — 9 years ago(January 17, 2017 12:50 PM)
Glad to hear someone else liked
The Hired Hand
.
I've watched nearly all of
The Shooting
a couple of times. My reaction could best be described as "nonplussed," but I've read that if you don't watch carefully from the very beginning, you'll never understand it. I really need to give it another chance with a complete viewing.
"We all have it comin', Kid." Unforgiven (1992) -
Spikeopath — 9 years ago(January 18, 2017 02:17 PM)
Still got to get to that one, I own it in a
JN
box set. Also
Ride in the Whirlwind (1966)
, which I have watched and reviewed. Very tidy
Both films were shot back to back.
The
SpikeopathHospital Number
217 -
jxh13 — 9 years ago(January 19, 2017 03:08 AM)
Both films were shot back to back.
And both were reportedly very popular in France. Monte Hellman became sort of an Arthouse Darling for a spell. I came to him through the moody, enigmatic
Two Lane Blacktop
, not a Western but another fine Warren Oates flick. -
Spikeopath — 9 years ago(January 18, 2017 02:13 PM)
I watched it last year for the first time. It's one of those that I feels needs a second viewing before I can write a proper review. I bought it for my own library, found it very elegiac.
The
SpikeopathHospital Number
217 -
gordonl56 — 9 years ago(January 18, 2017 05:28 AM)
CONTAINS SPOILERS
JOHNNY RINGO "The Reno Brothers" 1960
JOHNNY RINGO was a western series that ran for 38 episodes during 1959-60. The series starred Don Durant as the title character with Karen Sharpe, Mark Goddard and Terence De Marney as series regulars. The series follows Durant, (Ringo) a former gunfighter who decides to go straight. He becomes the Sheriff in the small town of Velardi in the Arizona Territory. The series was one of several (Rifleman, Wanted Dead or Alive, Shotgun Slade etc) with a "gimmick gun". Durant carries a special LeMat revolver equipped with a shotgun barrel under the six gun barrel.
This episode is the 21st episode of the series.
This one has a pair of brothers looking for the men responsible for the death of their older brothers. They track down three of the men and collar them for the law. They then discover that the last man they want is hiding in the town of Velardi.
The two brothers, Ben Cooper and James Beck hit town and start to ask around about the man they want. This fellow, Jacques Aubuchon, has been in town for a while. He hires a pair of gun hands, Robert Hoy and Emile Avery to help him get rid of the two brothers.
The villains ambush the local stage outside of town and kill the driver. They then leave evidence that the brothers had done the deed. The brothers are soon gobbled up by Sheriff Durant and tossed in jail. They explain why they are in town and that they have been set up.
The matter is soon settled after a blazing gun battle, where the bad types end up either dead, or in the jailhouse. The Territory Government then offers the two brothers jobs as Marshals.
Not exactly the best episode, but it is always a pleasure to see stuntman turned actor Bobby Hoy in anything. The man was on screen from 1950 till 2007. His films roles include bits in SPARTACUS, THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO, AWAY ALL BOATS, OPERATION PETTICOAT, NEVADA SMITH, THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES and THE ENFORCER.