Westerns

[Vienna]

I love THE HANGING TREE and like your observation, Movieman 1957, about Cooper 's character walking a fine line between caring and domineering.

[movieman1957]

Thank you VIenna.

Wendy, who are you going to trust, us or the internet?

[MissGoddess]

Wendy were you thinking of MAN OF THE WEST (1958)? That one was Anthony Mann, and made near the same time as THE HANGING TREE (1959). MAN OF THE WEST is definitely the darker ot the two, though Cooper's character goes to some troubled places of the soul in both movies. That's why they are such favorites, and really why Cooper is my favorite actor, because of his ability with roles like this.

[RedRiver]

This one of those westerns I've simply never gotten around to. I think about it. Read about it. Have yet to see it!

[JackFavell]

I'm going to trust you guys, of course!

MissG, I think you are right, I just got the two movies confused...even though I've seen Man of the West, I guess I assumed it was Mann and somehow got them mixed up. It's not the first time I've done something like that... I once thought that Edmund Lowe was two different actors, so.....this isn't an unusual occurrence.

I have The Hanging Tree recorded, so I can watch it as soon as I find it. It's been on the top of a stack of must watches forever now... where I put the stack I'm not sure.

[RedRiver]

There are certain words I mispronounced as a child. Now I know better, but the habit is ingrained. These words are going to be mispronounced no matter how many times I recognize the error!

[JackFavell]

All the way through adulthood my sister thought pinochle (as you read it) and the word pronounced pee - knuckle were two different things.

[movieman1957]

"Silver Lode" stars John Payne and Dan Duryea. Duryea comes to town as marshal looking for Payne who shot and killed his brother and stole his money a couple of years before. Payne has settled in nicely in town and people can't believe he would be in any trouble. When some things happen that look much different then what did happen the town turns on him. Hide and seek play out until someone can figure out what is real.

It's an odd film directed by veteran Allan Dwan. Some of the scenes and settings are awkward but others move along pretty well. As long as Payne and Duryea are on the film works because they're terrific. Delores Moran also is pretty good as a saloon girl. From Lizabeth Scott on down everyone else is pretty weak. Harry Carey, Jr. and Stuart Whitman are around for what amounts to cameos but everyone else is either overacting or just handling things weird. Scott surprised me as this is rather late in her listings. There really isn't much to work with for her.

Never heard of it and it's no big deal but going through my John Payne listing I thought I'd check it out. You're not going to find a great western and some may think it's not even very good. I like Payne. I like Duryea.

[JackFavell]

Thanks, I've been seeing this one pop up on my Netflix "recommended' page, and was thinking about watching, but there are so many others I need to get to, I kept putting it off. Duryea could be in the worst movie in the world and you'd still want to watch him.

[RedRiver]

I need to stop watching so much "real TV" so I have time for movies. It's just so easy to turn it on and fall asleep! It's scary when you become your parents. "What are you watching?" I don't know. Does it matter?

[JackFavell]

Ha! I hear you, brother. Boy do I hear you.

[MissGoddess]

i guess i've been watching too much "fake" TV (old shows).

i was fairly disappointed by SILVER LODE, though I remember a discussion at TCM where FrankGrimes quite liked it. I always enjoy John Payne in anything.

i've got GUN THE MAN DOWN in my ClassicFlix "queue". Has anyone seen it? It's a Batjac prod (John Wayne) starring James Arness and Angie Dickenson and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.

[movieman1957]

Never heard of it.

"Silver Lode"(seems like a misleading title even though it is the name of the town) doesn't seem up Sir Francis's alley. It did have one good tracking shot. Near the end of the picture where everyone is after Payne he runs across town in one shot and if nothing else showed off how big the set was.

[ChiO]

SILVER LODE is near the top of my favorite Westerns. Some wonderful cinematography (especially that tracking shot RR mentions) by John Alton. Dan Duryea at his sniveling best. And a very tricky ending: Right, Justice and Goodness prevail...because of resorting to a lie and tomfoolery.

[movieman1957]

Found one on On Demand called "Gun For A Coward." A bit of a misleading title but an okay film starring Fred MacMurray, Jeffrey Hunter and Dean Stockwell as brothers who run a cattle ranch. The real gist of the story deals with middle brother and Mom's favorite Jeffrey Hunter.

With a love oppressing mother and shame over his father's death when he was a youngster has Hunter carrying a genteel nature and guilt with him into manhood. Fred is the oldest brother and father figure to the others. Dean is the hothead youngest brother who often takes joy in needling Hunter.

Hunter walks a fine line between being too scared to do anything and tact as to when to pick his fights. His guilt about his dad has taken its toll. Good performances by our three stars and a nice job from Janice Rue as the love interest make it a nice enough 88 minutes.

Unfortunately, it is shown in a full frame presentation but that was the only way to get it. Courtesy of Metroplex.