The Ultimate Western Cliche

Western Guy
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by Western Guy »

My God, you guys are great! You`re pullin`èm all in!

And giving me a good chuckle besides.
RedRiver
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by RedRiver »

In the 1960's, Marvel Comics had three western titles, covering the basic story formats. KID COLT, OUTLAW was on the run. Innocent, of course, but too brash to face charges. The Richard Kimble of The West! THE RAWHIDE KID was your basic wandering do-gooder. I don't remember his home situation, if he even had one. My favorite at that young age was TWO GUN KID. A masked man with a stylish outfit, he was essentially a super hero. Secret identity (town lawyer), steady gal, sidekick (Boom-Boom, if I'm not mistaken). These were pretty good stories, employing some irony and a sense of justice.

The artwork for all these was typically striking and visceral. Characters were solid and uncomplicated. In an era dominated by fantastic tales and near magical heroes (powers acquired by radiation exposure as a rule), these pure, grounded, quintesentially American stories were refreshing and fun.

"Slap leather"
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ChiO
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by ChiO »

More than six bullets in a six shooter. (N/A for books, Stone. )
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...Bang!

And, then, when out of bullets, don't just throw the gun away! (Applicable to Action movies of all types.)

Also, why, in a chase, does the chasee always climb to the highest spot where he is unshielded and escape will be next-to-impossible (oh, but somebody is bound to fall).
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
tinker
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by tinker »

On the subject of throwing away, when someone is lost in the desert, why do they always throw away the empty canteen. Just in case you do find water you want to keep the thing that you can carry more as you continue to walk.

And as a soon as a horse stops bucking, it fully trained to walk, trot and canter (lope) on command, ground hitches and trots along behind wagons. Also the cliche that all horses buck when you first get on them. They usually only buck if you put a flank strap on them (which they do in westerns)

dee
[b]But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams[/b]. (William Butler Yeats )
[b]How did I get to Hollywood? By train.[/b] (John Ford)
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mrsl
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by mrsl »

.
1. Coffee - drinking hot coffee warms your body temperature to close to the outside temp., thus making it easier to take the heat, and still works today, but also coffee cuts the dust better than just water.

2. Betting hit in the head with either a gun but or the barrel part - concussion?

3. Hats were expensive commodities, you didn't leave it laying around for someone to take.
Hats were used to shovel up winning money from the poker tables.

4. Not tethering a horse with a rock on the open prairie when following a criminal into the foothills.

5. Like the mirror above the bar, someone getting punched into the water trough.
,
Anne


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movieman1957
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by movieman1957 »

Thanks for the answer about the coffee. I remember my relatives in TN when I was a kid drinking it while they all smoked cigarettes in hot southern summers. To this day I still can't stand the smell of either.
Chris

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
RedRiver
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by RedRiver »

Thanks, Mrs L, for the tip about hats. Somebody else told me that. Hold onto your hat, lest it be stolen or damaged. But not even take it off? I would think they'd enjoy the relief.
Western Guy
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by Western Guy »

ChiO wrote:
More than six bullets in a six shooter. (N/A for books, Stone. )
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...Bang!

You know what's funny? Apparently back in the day of the penny dreadfuls writers were paid by the word, so often much of their prose was peppered with just the inordinate number of gunshots you mention.

I've really become aware of this ChiO. Watched a Western just recently and during the climactic shootout the hero fired nine (I counted 'em) bullets from his Colt six-shooter.

Almost as jarring as those obvious stuntmen during the barroom brawls. Gosh,how come Randolph Scott is suddenly bald and thirty pounds overweight??!!
Western Guy
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by Western Guy »

2. Being hit in the head with either a gun but or the barrel part - concussion?

This has always been a fave, Anne. Someone gets struck over the head full force, falls unconscious. Wakes up, shakes and rubs his/her head then hops upon the horse to gallop after the villain. Saturday serials were soooo bad for this.
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movieman1957
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by movieman1957 »

I thought I heard Charles Dickens was paid by the word.

I recently saw "The Spoilers" again and you are right about the stuntmen. Wayne's double was pretty obvious. But I give them all the credit, that was a huge fight even if Wayne and Scott didn't do it all. (There are some funny lines in there too.)

Another thing about fights is going through the big front windows. Don't you think getting crowned with a chair, if perfectly placed, would put an end to most fights?

Don't forget to put on your vest.
Chris

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
Western Guy
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by Western Guy »

Don't know about Dickens or writers of his stature, movieman. But I do know that the people who wrote for the penny dreadfuls were compensated per word, so, truly, an extra "bang" would occasionally be inserted.

Good point about being tossed through the big saloon window - or such. You kinda figure you'd be gashed pretty badby the glass, yet often not even is the clothing torn. Being clobbered over the head with a hardwood chair . . . well, you'd guess instant skull fracture.

What the heck, it's entertainment.
RedRiver
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by RedRiver »

So many of the blows thrown in an action film would kill a person in real life!
Western Guy
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by Western Guy »

Yes R.R. but they ain't "real men".
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ChiO
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by ChiO »

Pish, posh.

Go to page 2 of the "This and That and Your Opinions" thread (page 2 of the "Movies and Features on TCM" category) to read of ChiO's escapades.

Takes more than a bottle and fists to bring a Tuff Guy down.

Now, back to sipping tea with Real Men.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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CoffeeDan
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Re: The Ultimate Western Cliche

Post by CoffeeDan »

I was watching a long string of westerns with Randolph Scott (cue chorus) recently, and I couldn't get over how many times a room was darkened by shooting out or knocking over a kerosene lamp. How did they do that so many times without the room catching fire?
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