Westerns

[JackFavell]

I think I have Badman's Territory!

[movieman1957]

I'm an idiot. I feel like I have to write everything down and I should have after your comment of "Return of The Bad Men." You have gently made me aware I recorded the wrong movie.

"Badman's Territory" is a Scott movie from 1946. The similar title threw me and the fact that is was on Encore's Westerns channel made me think we were talking about the same film. I shouldn't think. I have a book that gives it three stars though. So this one maybe worth a look too.

Oh well, back to looking for YOUR movie.

[MissGoddess]

Ha! Don't feel bad, Chris...I kept referring to Return of the Bad Men by the name of another Robert Ryan western, The Best of the Bad Men!

[mrsl]

.
I must have missed something in the translation because here is the 'list ' being discussed as 'overlooked' movies:

Published on March 25, 2012 by Bill Mesce in Best & Worst, Editor's Picks
Tagged:

3:10 To Yuma, ( * ) 3:10 to Yuma, (I saw the old Glenn Ford, and the new one which is the ( * ).
A Man Called Horse,
Bite the Bullet,
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,
Dances with Wolves,
El Dorado,
Escape from Fort Bravo,
High Noon,
Hombre,
Invitation to a Gunfighter,
* Jeremiah Johnson,
Maverick,
McCabe & Mrs. Miller,
Rio Bravo,
Rio Conchos,
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,
The Fastest Gun Alive,
* The Great Train Robbery,
The Professionals,
* The Scalphunters,
The Searchers,
* The Wild Bunch,
Unforgiven, (I've seen both the old Burt Lancaster and the newer Clint Eastwood version)
* Waterhole #3

The ones with asterisks are movies that I've either seen and forgotten, or never seen. I don't understand the statement that these are ' overlooked ' movies. Even when I say I've forgotten them, I mean I probably went to sleep until my husband woke me to tell me it was over. Sleeping is often an escape from a movie that I find boring, or too bloody, or simply not to my taste. I see, perhaps two or three movies that may be ' overlooked ' by the majority, but this list contains several that in their own way, are ground breakers.

The Searchers, of course is one of my personal favorites of all time, and I much prefer the original Unforgiven and 3:10 to Yuma over the newer versions. (I don't call them remakes because except for the basic concept of waiting for the train in . . . Yuma, the movies are not very much alike. One movie I would add as extremely good but often overlooked is the Audy Murphy No Name on the Bullet. Because of the dialog between the gunslinger and the doctor, this movie rises above the ordinary and the heady tension and curiosity of who he is after has many attributes of a Hitchcock thriller.
.

[MissGoddess]

FYI,
Two Gary Cooper westerns, both of them fine examples of why he is a true westerner and indicative of the early and late parts of his career, are on Encore this month (all times EST):

The Plainsman (1936, dir. Cecil B. DeMille)
Tonight, April 1 at 8:00 p.m.
Monday, April 2 at 3:20 a.m.
Saturday, April 7 at 6:00 a.m.

They Came to Codura (1959, dir. Robert Rossen)
Sunday, April 8 at 9:45 p.m.


The Plainsman shows Coop at his peak, in his salad days, completely at ease, cocksure and larger than life as "Wild Bill Hickcock". Possessing that quality that his leading ladies longed to throw a rope around but somehow never could really possess all of him. Like a cat, part of him was always his own, not belonging completely to anyone. De Mille's direction is fast and loose. And, of course, Cooper is the hero in the end, no conflict on that point...just on the point of settling down with Jean Arthur's Calamity Jane.


In contrast, Coop's Major Tom Thorn in Rossen's They Came to Codura, is not only the opposite of confident and breezy, he's branded a coward by his fellow man. That's nothing to how he obviously feels about himself. Coop goes through a harrowing journey to gain acceptance and penance for what he perceived as a great wrong. He turns to man after man to find out the meaning of bravery and heroics, as if to find out what he lacked. It's a self-flagellating performance that becomes very uncomfortable to watch, he seems unwilling to spare himself no pain or grueling test of endurance. Considering Cooper's health was not at its best and he'd be dead within a couple of years, it's even rougher to contemplate. Rita Hayworth is no less worth watching, proving as she always did that when given a complex woman of painful experience to play, she more than delivers. This is no action-packed shoot 'em up, it's a slow paced character study and examination of the nature of bravery and its Janus face, cowardice.

[Rita Hayworth]

Miss Goddess,

Thanks for letting me know that "They Came to Cordura" will be coming on next week on Encore ... I know how you feel about it and that's most people I know felt the same way you feel ... but, I haven't seen it for a while and it would be a treat for me to see it again!

[MissGoddess]

Rita is simply heartbreaking and so gallant at the same time. I love her in this movie and in most of the parts I've seen her do at this period of her career. She brought so much more than most actresses would while remaining beautiful and vulnerable. I wish she and Gary had made another film together. You can tell he treats her with respect.

[Rita Hayworth]

Rita is simply heartbreaking and so gallant at the same time. I love her in this movie and in most of the parts I've seen her do at this period of her career. She brought so much more than most actresses would while remaining beautiful and vulnerable. I wish she and Gary had made another film together. You can tell he treats her with respect.

They talk about it all the time ... and they regretted that. Both him and Cary Grant both said ... I always wanted to do another movie with Rita Hayworth. Cary Cooper and Rita Hayworth often seen together and they remained good friends for life. Gary Cooper visited Rita Hayworth on many of her movies; and Rita often visited Cary on many of his movies all through out their Hollywood Careers.

[feaito]

Last night I watched a most "unique" Western: "Cowboys and Aliens" (2011), in which a western town dominated by a cattle baron (Harrison Ford) gets attacked by monstruous-giant-insect-type aliens. Daniel Craig plays perfectly a tough-as-nails outcast, reminiscent of such tough guys as Chuck Connors and Clint Eastwood. Keith Carradine is the town's sheriff. Many people is abudcted by these aliens, who certainly do not have good intentions. Very interesting premise and well done.

[Western Guy]

Unfortunately, "Cowboys & Aliens" did not pack the powerhouse box office intended. But I agree, an interesting premise.

Now this is getting me to wonder how the upcoming Johnny Depp-as-Tonto version of "The Lone Ranger" will fare. Judging by some of the stills I've seen . . . I dunno. Jay Silverheels Johnny ain't.

[knitwit45]

versus

[Western Guy]

Thanks knitwit45 -- 'Nuff said.

[movieman1957]

On a lark I watched Duke in "The Train Robbers." It is not a particularly good picture. It looks great. The scenery (not necessarily Ann-Margaret) is terrific. There is a lot of time getting "there." More campfire scenes than I can recall in any other movie. There is a lot of getting to know the characters in them but it's only a break from the travel.

About an hour in things start to pick up. They get closer and the faceless, nameless horde that has been chasing them the whole picture closes in. The climax lifts the picture.

Wendy noted in an old post that she wished it had a better ending but the little twist adds a smile.

Maybe if you catch it when it comes on it might be worth a look but I wouldn't go hunting for it. Sorry to the "Ben" fans.

[CineMaven]

vs.

...Yeah, uhmmmm...errrr...print the 'legend.'

...Now this is getting me to wonder how the upcoming Johnny Depp-as-Tonto version of "The Lone Ranger" will fare. Judging by some of the stills I've seen . . . I dunno. Jay Silverheels Johnny ain't.

And "DARK SHADOWS" doesn't look any more promising to me, either.

[JackFavell]

I think I was just disappointed in the fact that nothing really happens in The Train Robbers. Just when it starts to get interesting, it's over. I liked the twist ending, but felt that the rest of the movie had been left out.