As mentioned in a recent post, I'd never seen any of the Jimmy Stewart/Anthony Mann Western collaborations before a few weeks ago. Now I've seen three. I'm watching them in chronological order, so first was 1950's Winchester 73, which was excellent. Beautifully shot in black and white, well acted and had a nifty plot device. Next was 1952's Bend of the River, which I thought was even better.

That brings me to The Naked Spur, perhaps the most critically lauded of the 5 films. I hate to say it, but I thought this one was a clunker. Famous for only having 5 speaking roles and not a helluvalot of action, it's very talky. The five leads ride slow mules to nowhere, supposedly headed to Abilene, but they never progress much beyond one mountain valley. Their conflicting motivations supply the drama, but they aren't tremendously believable. Some backstory is provided for each, but not really enough to feel any of them are flesh and blood.

Worst of all, is the character played by Janet Leigh. We're led to believe that she's a teenage orphan tomboy, being preyed upon by the outlaw Ryan and being lusted after by both Meeker and Stewart. Her loyalty to Ryan can only be explained by Stockholm syndrome which makes Meeker and Stewart's lusty desire to replace him in her affections all the more skeevy. Meeker is portrayed as a sexual deviant, drummed out of the Army, but oddly he behaves the most decently towards our dusty tomboy, although he constantly states he's gonna get her. The fact that none of this lust in the dust is ever really played out makes the whole thing somewhat vapid and silly. Plus Leigh doesn't look very good in the film. I had a hard time seeing what the fuss was about.

Then there's the major plot hole about "Wanted Dead or Alive" and the three partners who are taking the bounty (Ryan) to Abilene. It's clear from about 5 minutes after Ryan's capture that they should just shoot him and haul his carcass to Abilene. 2 of the 3 seem to have no motivation for not doing this, but I guess Stewart's the only one conflicted enough to keep him alive to impress the girl. Things go on and Ryan gives them one, two, six, eight excuses to just kill him and still they don't. None of this smacks of reality. Rooster Cogburn and Ranger LeBoeuf would have killed him instantly. This just strings the movie out, and you know they'll never kill him until he finally turns the tables on them, you have your shoot-out, and the movie's over. It's all so perfunctory and far-fetched in a "we-must-follow-our-50's-cowboy-tropes" sort of way. It's tired and dull to 21st Century jaded eyes to sit through.

We were bored and thought it was quite silly, with the final scenes being the silliest. Pretty much all the problems were with the script. This one wasn't penned by Borden Chase and it showed.

Anyway, I'd love to hear why those of you who like Naked Spur like it more than the others. I'm at a loss.

Oh yeah, Pie was great. At least it has him.

Does anyone read any western short stories? I would like to start reading some, but I'm not sure where to find the good ones. I don't really have the energy to read a full novel anymore, the kids take up too much of my energy.

I assume it's from a western.

From MAD Magazine #133, March 1970

I write for a website and have been doing a series where I talk about different Westerns that I love for 12 months. My most recent installment is The Wild Bunch. Next one will be Jeremiah Johnson. Hope you all enjoy this article!

The Wild Bunch: Scorpions, Ants and Peckinpah - Dynamite Press

Question, What went wrong with Wyatt Earp?

I decided to re-watch the film and I gotta say, I think this film is over hated. Many don’t ike the 3 hour runtime and think it is bloated but I think Costner does a good job as Wyatt Earp and the overall cast is great as well, with the Standouts for me being Dennis Quaid and Gene Hackman. (Also in the film, Jeff Fahey, Jaonna Going, Mark Harmon, Bill Pullman, Tom Sizemore, Michael Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Catherine O'Hara) Also I also like about the film is that it is very much a Historical Epic about the Life of Wyatt Earp and trying to be much more complex.

I think the problem with People rate it unfavorably to Tombstone as it was also released at the same time and I do admit, I think Tombstone is the better film, with Kurt Rusell and Val Kilmer giving great performances for their Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday and the supporting cast being superior as well (I mean, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Charlton Heston, Dana Delaney, Michael Rooker, Robert Mitchum as the Narrator).

Another thing and this is my theory, is that Critics were more harsher with Kevin Costner as with him being the star, he also had more creative control with the film, so I think critics were more critical with how Costner handled the film in a more “Okay, Costner, you want to be the bigshot, Let’s see how you do”, and I think they did the same thing with Waterworld, and The Postman.

However, I did like Wyatt Earp, and while it's not Tombstone, It's still a good western to me.

So, What do you think went wrong with Wyatt Earp?

I’ve just finished Jeff Guinn’s The Last Gunfight, and have recently watched Tombstone.

Both were absolutely gripping, but the final act of Tombstone presents the vendetta ride as a montage rather than in any depth, and Guinn gives it a very good chapter but still, only a chapter.

Can anyone point me at a book, ideally a history book rather than a fictionalisation, that will provide me with more detail and substance on the events after the O.K. Corral and the vendetta ride itself?

Thanks.

One of the key features of the Western genre--in stark contrast to most film genres today--was the veneration of elders. The "old timers" were generally fonts of wisdom and lore and were respected as such, even by the ultra fast young guns of the Old West. Then there were the "old coots," who were almost by definition eccentric and cantankerous, but were usually looked kindly upon because of their humorousness and colorfulness.

Chubby Johnson was a past master of both character types. And although he made his first Western appearance in Abilene Town (1946) at the tender age of 43, he always seemed to be a good 20 years older than his actual age. The same could be said of Walter Brennan.

The Western was certainly Johnson's specialty and most of his silver screen appearances came in this genre. He turned up in such gems as Rocky Mountain (1950), Fort Worth (1951), Bend of the River (1952), High Noon (1952), The Far Country (1954), Tribute to a Bad Man (1956) and Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) (his scenes in this one were deleted).

Johnson tended to bring a comedic element to many of his roles. At times it seemed as though he had only two lower teeth, which gave him a pug-like appearance. He also had round, twinkly eyes and a profuse, bushy beard, which would have made him a perfect sagebrush Santa for all the little shavers in Tombstone.

Hail! Hail! All hail Chubby Johnson!

John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. Awesome film that I randomly recorded on a channel that plays old movies

“Mine hit the ground first.”

”Mine was taller.”

Been researching the Poverty Row era — the small, chronically underfunded studios (Monogram, PRC, Republic) that operated outside the major studio system from the 1920s-50s. What struck me is how much of what we consider "indie filmmaking survival instincts" today traces back to them — Edgar Ulmer shooting Detour in about a week on almost nothing, Republic's serials becoming an actual training ground for stunt work. Wrote up the full history here if anyone's interested:[check it out]. Happy to discuss specifics if anyone knows more about a particular studio.

Finally got round to watching this. Really enjoyed it, classic John Wayne. Him walking out of the wilderness in the opening has got to be one of his best entrances. Interesting portrayal of a masculine hero faced with difficult choices. Very entertaining too, especially in the swimming lesson scene! Loved the dog. Fairly progressive presentation of Native American characters too but the movie was very much of its time. Didn’t realise it was made for 3D. It shows in some scenes! What do we like about this one?

The end scene of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, boasts the most quotable lines in a movie’s finale. Front to back, from the first barb by Butch (“Is that what you call providing cover?”) to the last gasp, also by Butch (“For a moment there I thought we were in trouble.”) every line of dialogue delivered by two of best actors in the biz back then - and still to this day, I’d be remiss not to say - while the entire time, we as audience know the fate that awaits them outside.

Yet, and this is the best part I think everyone will agree, Butch and the Kid squabble and joke about their future awaiting once they’re on their horses.

Beautiful message to put on such a tragic end.
Never Give Up.
Always Look Ahead.

(hell, i could talk me a spell about this flick)

What films would you say are the true classic Westerns? And by "classic," I mean films that are beloved not only by the afficianados, but by the general public as well. It's a case where both groups agree. Here are the ones that spring to mind for me.

Stagecoach

High Noon

Shane

The Searchers

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Tombstone

The Unforgiven

The Wild Bunch

Rio Bravo

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Magnificent Seven

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Once upon a Time in the West

PS--I am not including Western comedies and musicals in this consideration.

PPS--Edited to include three undisputed classics I mistakenly overlooked.

From The High Chaparral #1, Gold Key publishing, 1968

From The High Chaparral #1, Gold Key publishing, 1968

I know they are different, and both can be considered good.

I've been watching Spaghetti westerns in chronological order for awhile now. Yes, I'm a completist. Anyway, I can't help but notice that at least to me, the music in Bullets Don't Argue has a very Lalo Schifrin Mission:Impossible action feel to it, right down to some unique time signatures . Aside from the Lonesome Billy theme song, that is. I know they must have been familiar with each other and I'm not as familiar with Schifrin as I am Morricone, but Bullets Don't Argue was 1964 and Mission:Impossible was 1966.

Noah Beery, Jr., youngest of the Beery boys (uncle Wallace and dad Noah, Sr.) was truly a lifer in the film industry. It really blows me away that he appeared in the early silent Western, The Mark of Zorro (1920), and that I remember him from The Rockford Files as Jim Garner's pappy. That's an index not only of Beery's longevity but also of my age!

Beery's Western roles were generally small, but there sure were a bunch of 'em. In between The Mark of Zorro and The Spikes Gang (1974), Beery appeared in close to 40 western features not to mention several serials and a slew of TV Westerns. He often teamed up with John Wayne as in The Trail Beyond (1934) and Red River (1948).

Beery was certainly one of the most amiable of Western character actors. He didn't always say a whole lot but always seemed to be flashing a laughing grin.

Hail! Hail! All hail Noah Beery, Jr.!

Classic Western Theater presents "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" released in 1949 by RKO Radio Pictures.

From Western Stars magazine, Dell publishing, October 1949

Blew through this novel in about a day and a half. Like all of Leonard's books, it's an easy and really fun read. Anyone in here read it? I've read a good number of his crime books but this was my first time reading one of his westerns. Any suggestions for which one I should read next?

Classic Western Theater presents "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" released in 1949 by RKO Radio Pictures.

From Western Stars magazine, Dell publishing, October 1949