OT: Old Westerns

[dbmill]

Fwiw, I was in Tombstone, AZ last Sunday and all the touristy t-shirts spelled it "huckleberry".

After his playing career was over, Phil Rizzuto spent many years doing radio and TV broadcasts of New York Yankee games. During these broadcasts, he often would jokingly refer to someone as being a "huckleberry".

 

[Ricker]

I personally love this topic. Need to mention Errol Flynn in Dodge City & San Antonio, and Glen Ford in Arizona. Clark Gable/Jane Russell in Tall Men, as well as Gary Cooper in Plainsman & The Westerner. Outlaw Josey Wales is my preferred Eastwood movie. Mountain Men w/Brian Keith & Heston, North to Alaska w/John Wayne, Big Country w/ Gregory Peck, Liberty Valance and Rio Grande as classics, the Maverick series, Gunsmoke, … FYI you can watch some episodes of old time shows on YouTube. I recently watched a RinTinTin, Shotgun Slade, and although not exactly a western, Swamp Fox episodes with Leslie Nielson. I'm also liking the Wyatt Earp series now that I understand an awful lot of it is based on actual events chronologically. Enjoyed How The West Was Won, and the James Arness series by the same name, all the Lonesome Doves, Centennial, The Sacketts, Deadwood...(had never realized until later that the real Seth Bullock was best friends with Teddy Roosevelt). Joel Macrea, Randolph Scott, Sam Elliott, Ward Bond, Audie Murphy, Guy Madison....

What a Hollywood disaster over a short time to lose Errol Flynn Oct 14, 1959 (age 50), Ward Bond Nov 5th, 1960 (age 57), Clark Gable 11 days later Nov 16, 1960 (age 59), Gary Cooper May 13, 1961 (Age 60). Amazing how many movies I have enjoyed with these greats and how young they died in quick succession.

 

[eastmill]

Conagher
Monte Walsh
Neither are rootin-tootin short-em ups

 

[Scud49]

And, when it comes to music for these Westerns - Ennio Morricone really nailed it with his compositions for the Dollars Trilogy:

 

[Aluminny69]

And, when it comes to music for these Westerns - Ennio Morricone really nailed it with his compositions for the Dollars Trilogy:

You reminded me of one of my all time favorite Youtube Videos. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

 

[Aluminny69]

 

[Aluminny69]

AND, if this doesn't get your juices flowing on a Saturday morning, nothing will....

 

[Scud49]

You reminded me of one of my all time favorite Youtube Videos. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Yes - Danish National Orchestra - they are truly amazing - I could play the guy with the rifle:

 

[Bliss]

Sorry, not the same person.

Howard Cassady - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 55100

I know, I know......just being facetious. I liked both of them.

 

[FedupFred]

Quigley Down Under
Big Jake
Old Yeller

 

[Steelerone]

Oh yes sir, I remember ol' Hoppy, and his saddle pals Lucky & California. His shows are aired every week on the Starz Encore Westerns channel.

Yep. Russell Hayden played Lucky. Was it Gabby Hayes who played California?

 

[Carnac]

Yep. Russell Hayden played Lucky. Was it Gabby Hayes who played California?

No, Andy Clyde. Gabby Hayes played the character named "Windy Halliday".

 

[Aluminny69]

No, Andy Clyde.

From 1935 to 1939, Gabby Hayes played the part of Windy Halliday, the humorous "codger" sidekick of Hopalong Cassidy (played by William Boyd). In 1939, Hayes left that role at Paramount Pictures, in a dispute over his salary. and moved to Republic Pictures. Since Paramount held the rights to the name Windy Halliday, they renamed him Gabby Whitaker, in virtually the same role. As Gabby, he appeared in more than 40 films between 1939 and 1946, usually with Roy Rogers (44 times), but also with Gene Autry (7) and Wild Bill Elliott.

Hayes was also repeatedly cast as a sidekick of the Western stars Randolph Scott (six times) and John Wayne (fifteen times, some as straight or villainous characters).

He moved to television and hosted The Gabby Hayes Show, a Western series, from 1950 to 1954 on NBC and, in a new version in 1956, on ABC. The show was sponsored by Quaker Oats, whose products were prominently advertised during the show. Gabby would promote the puffed wheat product by saying to stand back from the screen and firing a cannon loaded with cereal at the screen as a tie in to their ad slogan ‘shot from a guns’. He introduced the show, often while whittling on a piece of wood, and would sometimes throw in a tall tale. Halfway through the show, he would say something else, and at the end of the show, also, but he did not appear as an active character in the stories.

 

[Carnac]

From 1935 to 1939, Gabby Hayes played the part of Windy Halliday, the humorous "codger" sidekick of Hopalong Cassidy (played by William Boyd). In 1939, Hayes left that role at Paramount Pictures, in a dispute over his salary. and moved to Republic Pictures. Since Paramount held the rights to the name Windy Halliday, they renamed him Gabby Whitaker, in virtually the same role. As Gabby, he appeared in more than 40 films between 1939 and 1946, usually with Roy Rogers (44 times), but also with Gene Autry (7) and Wild Bill Elliott.

Hayes was also repeatedly cast as a sidekick of the Western stars Randolph Scott (six times) and John Wayne (fifteen times, some as straight or villainous characters).

He moved to television and hosted The Gabby Hayes Show, a Western series, from 1950 to 1954 on NBC and, in a new version in 1956, on ABC. The show was sponsored by Quaker Oats, whose products were prominently advertised during the show. Gabby would promote the puffed wheat product by saying to stand back from the screen and firing a cannon loaded with cereal at the screen as a tie in to their ad slogan ‘shot from a guns’. He introduced the show, often while whittling on a piece of wood, and would sometimes throw in a tall tale. Halfway through the show, he would say something else, and at the end of the show, also, but he did not appear as an active character in the stories.

View attachment 55143

To quote Lynn Belvedere....."That is correct". But Steelerone's question was: who played California?
During his run, Hoppy had several side-kicks including Edgar Buchanan as Red Connors.

As portrayed on the screen, white-haired Bill "Hopalong" Cassidy was usually clad strikingly in black (including his hat, an exception to the Western film stereotype that only villains wore black hats). He was reserved and well spoken, with a sense of fair play. He was often called upon to intercede when dishonest characters took advantage of honest citizens. "Hoppy" and his white horse, Topper, usually traveled through the West with two companions—one young and trouble-prone with a weakness for damsels in distress, the other older, comically awkward and outspoken.[1]

The juvenile lead was successively played by James Ellison, Russell Hayden, George Reeves, Rand Brooks, and Jimmy Rogers.[2] George Hayes (later to become known as "Gabby" Hayes) originally played Cassidy's grizzled sidekick, Windy Halliday. After Hayes left the series because of a salary dispute with producer Harry Sherman, he was replaced by the comedian Britt Wood as Speedy McGinnis and finally by the veteran movie comedian Andy Clyde as California Carlson. Clyde, the most durable of the sidekicks, remained with the series until it ended. A few actors of future prominence appeared in Cassidy films, notably Robert Mitchum, who appeared in seven films at the beginning of his career.

Thanks to the earlier series which showed edited versions of his films, Boyd began work on a separate series of half-hour westerns made especially for television; Edgar Buchanan was his new sidekick, Red Connors (a character from the original stories and a few of the early films). The theme music for the television show was written by Nacio Herb Brown (music) and L. Wolfe Gilbert (lyrics). The show ranked number 7 in the 1949 Nielsen ratings, number 9 in the 1950-1951 season and number 28 in 1951-1952.[11] The success of the show and tie-ins inspired juvenile television westerns such as The Range Rider, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Annie Oakley, The Gene Autry Show, and The Roy Rogers Show.

 

[Aluminny69]

To quote Lynn Belvedere....."That is correct". But Steelerone's question was: who played California?
Edgar Buchannon was also one of Hoppy's saddle pals.

Sorry, as a young kid, I watched The Gabby Hayes show, always remembered Quaker Oats, shot from guns.

 

[Carnac]

I personally love this topic. Need to mention Errol Flynn in Dodge City & San Antonio, and Glen Ford in Arizona. Clark Gable/Jane Russell in Tall Men, as well as Gary Cooper in Plainsman & The Westerner. Outlaw Josey Wales is my preferred Eastwood movie. Mountain Men w/Brian Keith & Heston, North to Alaska w/John Wayne, Big Country w/ Gregory Peck, Liberty Valance and Rio Grande as classics, the Maverick series, Gunsmoke, … FYI you can watch some episodes of old time shows on YouTube. I recently watched a RinTinTin, Shotgun Slade, and although not exactly a western, Swamp Fox episodes with Leslie Nielson. I'm also liking the Wyatt Earp series now that I understand an awful lot of it is based on actual events chronologically. Enjoyed How The West Was Won, and the James Arness series by the same name, all the Lonesome Doves, Centennial, The Sacketts, Deadwood...(had never realized until later that the real Seth Bullock was best friends with Teddy Roosevelt). Joel Macrea, Randolph Scott, Sam Elliott, Ward Bond, Audie Murphy, Guy Madison....

What a Hollywood disaster over a short time to lose Errol Flynn Oct 14, 1959 (age 50), Ward Bond Nov 5th, 1960 (age 57), Clark Gable 11 days later Nov 16, 1960 (age 59), Gary Cooper May 13, 1961 (Age 60). Amazing how many movies I have enjoyed with these greats and how young they died in quick succession.

Thanks. I forgot about the highlighted movies above. All 3 are among my favorites.

 

[garddog]

Anything with Walter Brennan in it. He was the best side man in Hollywood for 40 years.

Walter Brennan - Google Search

g.co

 

[Steelerone]

I was quite young when I first heard this song. I did not know for sure what a "craven coward" was, but it was really bad for sure.

Bama - In the early fifties my Aunt worked at a place in New Kensington called Hotel Kenmar. One Saturday she called the house and told me that Tex Ritter was at the bar. He was on a tour for one of his movies. I ran almost five blocks to get there and she told me he was in the bar. I went in and approached him for his autograph. I think I said, "Tex, could you give me your autograph?" He turned to the guy next to him and said "Get this little bastard out of here." I was never a Tex Ritter fan again.

 

[Steelerone]

Thanks. I forgot about the highlighted movies above. All 3 are among my favorites.

Carnac, go onto Youtube and download "The Scarecrow Of Romney Marsh." A Disney three part serial and thoroughly entertaining.

 

[Steelerone]

Anything with Walter Brennan in it. He was the best side man in Hollywood for 40 years.

Walter Brennan - Google Search

g.co

And he made a great villain in Gunfight At OK Corral.

 

[Steelerone]

Tidbits, re: my2 favs...already mentioned on the list.

The Teton Mt backdrop along with Alan Ladd's cool and Jean Arthur's brilliant performance were aspects that attracted me to Shane.

I first visited the range in 1950 with my parents, and it was always one of my most beloved spots. Still is...My photo (at left) is from our 2018-19 ski trip.

Stated climbing there as a (slightly) too old 28 or 9...had a devastating leader fall in '73, which put an end to my daredevil career.

Sid Caesar did a hilarious skit on Shane..."Shame," which I've never been able to find.
So funny...
_______

I was always attracted to the Big Country...Jean Simmons' style and beauty, Burl Ives' gruff mastery, Gregory Peck's overall brilliant performance...but it was Jerome Moross' wonderful score that really caught my imagination..

Years later, during my stay with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, we received an offer to record the score, which I approved with enthusiasm...for Koch, if I recall with JoAnn Falletta, who I mentored a bit, many years ago.

I always thought Jack Palance was the personification of the western villain until Lee Marvin came along in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The Big Country musical score is so far above any others that there is not even a close second. The "bad son" was played by Chuck Connors, later the Rifleman and one of the first athletes to play both professional baseball and basketball.

 

[dbmill]

And he made a great villain in Gunfight At OK Corral.

I'm thinking you mean "My Darling Clementine", where he is mean to Henry Fonda and company. Another excellent villainous role for Walter Brennen is in "The Westerner".

 

[winlots]

You folks have come up with a passel of great choices. Will toss a couple of series into the mix: Gun Smoke and Rifleman.

 

[powerplay]

Does that make you a Huckleberry?

I'm your huckleberry!

 

[Bama fan]

I just finished rewatching Lonesome Dove. I had not seen it in quite some time. But it was even better than I remembered. Great saga, well written story line, and wonderful acting by an extraordinary cast top to bottom. This is what is possible when talented people commit to doing quality work. I will always cherish "A grape changes color when it sees another grape".