Unique episode in an old TV western

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mrsl
Posts: 4200
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 5:20 pm
Location: Chicago SW suburbs

Unique episode in an old TV western

Post by mrsl »

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So often I see a special guest who does a fantastic job, or just the storyline will be so 'in tune' with todays' headlines, or simply something sets an episode apart and makes it memorable, I thought a separate thread would be appropriate.

Last week Mildred Natwick appeared in the episode titled Mrs. Wharton and the Lesser Breeds wherein she and Candy were robbed during a stage coach ride, and eventually went after the robbers. The thing is that if this had been a full 2 hour movie, Mildred, certainly not known for her beauty or youth, would have carried the whole show with no problems at all. She was feisty, argumentative, hard headed, and completely infuriating to Candy but she was also cunning, and inventive in getting them out of the situation they were in. She was a hoity-toity English woman who was traveling around the world - alone - when she ran into Candy and had their little experience. The amazing thing is, it was not a comedy. There were some funny parts and lines, but they show was actually done as a thriller and early enough in Candy's tenure on the Ponderosa, that it might have been his last episode since he wasn't a weekly member yet. The best I can describe Ms. Natwick is her character in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon - tough enough to help the doctor with an operation on the trail, and soft enough to bring tears to your eyes when she won't let John Wayne leave without a kiss goodbye. It's really difficult to describe something without going into much detail, but I'm sure the episode will be shown again, and I don't want to ruin it for others to watch.

Are there any old episode of other shows that stand out in your memory?
Anne


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tinker
Posts: 134
Joined: November 25th, 2012, 10:56 pm

Re: Unique episode in an old TV western

Post by tinker »

MIldred Natwick made anything better. I always liked the story that John Ford yelled at John Wayne for messing up the first take of her death scene in Three Godfathers because he was so busy watching and admiring Mildred act that he forgot his own role.

As I love the old fifities and sixties westerns, there are quite a few "special" episodes for me but I will say one special group for me is in The Virginian. It seems like every season they have one humourous episode where Trampas is off somewhere and put in the situation of dealing with an off beat women, kids, even a dog that refused to walk anywhere and insited on riding everywhere on Trampus horse. If nothing else they showed how absolutely charming l Doug McClure was. They all have quite natural adlibbed conversation to dogs and kids and horses. One of my favourites is Ride a Cock Horse to Laramie Cross where Trampas is stuck looking after a baby and a little boy who are being hunted by outlaws. He is helped by a wise cracking female faro dealer. It has some great moments. Trampas trying to mount his horse while holding a baby, with the little boy, played by one of the Howard kids (Not Ron) already sitting in the saddle. Not easy for even an athletic man like Doug McCLure to do. A scene where the little boy is kicking and fighting at Trampas and Trampas does the politically incorrect thing, no reasoning or rationalisation he just roars at the kid to behave and one of my favourite Trampas lines "I'm not stupid, I'm ignorant. There's a difference."

I guess for me those "Torturing Trampas " episodes usually without big name guest stars were a reminder why we stayed with the main characters for the years we watched them. Why we ( at least) me liked them


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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