OT: Old Westerns

[TwoCents]

You're welcome. I haven't seen Wagon Master in a while, so I recorded it as well. As for TCM, in addition to what you wrote, they also offer some pretty good commentary on the films they show by their hosts during the hours they are on the air, generally in the evenings and weekends.

Your so right about the commentary. Off topic a bit but by far my favorite is Eddie Muller and his Noir Alley series. He is so informative and gives such detail to his back stories about each film. I try never to miss him. Actually, many times I watch his intro and wrap up at the end and don't even watch the movie itself. Not that the movies he select are not good but many times I've already seen them. The Big Sleep, Out of Past, Double Indemnity, Murder My Sweet, etc.

 

[dbmill]

Your so right about the commentary. Off topic a bit but by far my favorite is Eddie Muller and his Noir Alley series. He is so informative and gives such detail to his back stories about each film. I try never to miss him. Actually, many times I watch his intro and wrap up at the end and don't even watch the movie itself. Not that the movies he select are not good but many times I've already seen them. The Big Sleep, Out of Past, Double Indemnity, Murder My Sweet, etc.

No question, Eddie Muller is a hoot. My wife and I often go to bed Saturday night after watching Eddie's introduction to the Noir Alley movie that is on that week.

 

[ConwayGmck]

Some of my favorites:

Red River (1948) - a young Montgomery Clift, and one of the more meaner John Wayne characters (who of course turns out good in the end), plus a ton of all-time great western character actors.

The Westerner (1940) - with Gary Cooper and a mean Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean. A classic.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969): great chemistry between Newman and Redford.

Duel In The Sun (1946) - a western epic with a younger Gregory Peck cast as the bad guy - also Lionel Barrymore, Jennifer Jones, Lillian Gish, Walter Huston, Charles Bickford, Harry Carey, and Joseph Cotton.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - In my opinion, a better "Spaghetti Western" than "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly". It has perhaps the most famous opening gun-fight sequence of all westerns.

Big Country (1958) - an epic western starring Peck along with Bickford, Charlton Heston, Chuck Connors, and Burl Ives:

 

[toadfoot]

One of my all time favorite movies. I have a great grandparent who was Native American and it's always been a source of frustration that Native Americans have consistently been depicted as blood thirsty savages when the truth is that much of the savagery that occurred between Native Americans and settlers was committed by white settlers and the US Army.

 

[FridaFriend]

Once upon a time in Mexico (2003)

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Danny Trejo, Enrique Iglesias, Marco Leonardi, Cheech Marin, Ruben Blades, and Willem Dafoe.

My favorite line comes from Johnny Depp to Danny Trejo: "Are you a Mexi-can or a Mexi-can't?"

Other films in the trilogy were: El Mariachi (1992) and Desperado (1995)

 

[TwoCents]

Indulge me one more reference to The Wagon Master movie. For as many times as I have watched this movie I never picked up on the fact that Jim Thorpe was in it. Now, with that said, if you blink you'll miss him. He portrays a Navajo brave in the sequence where the Navajo girl has been attacked by Reese Clegg. A real cameo appearance. Its too bad John Ford didn't give him a slightly big part. At least a couple lines of dialogue. But to Ford's credit, if you look at this movie and his body of work in Westerns that he made, he gave better treatment and respect in how he portrayed and cast Indians in his movies than most others.

 

[dbmill]

But to Ford's credit, if you look at this movie and his body of work in Westerns that he made, he gave better treatment and respect in how he portrayed and cast Indians in his movies than most others.

Many years ago my wife and I went to a lecture about classic movies at the local high school. The subject of the treatment of Indians in John Ford and John Wayne movies came up. The people running the program basically blasted Ford and Wayne on the subject, focusing on the various negative references as savages and such. My wife and I pointed out to them that the in many of their movies, while these movies were basically told from the white man's point of view at the time, the Indians were given motivations for their actions, such as they were taking action due to the white man violating various treaties, the bad treatment they got from people profiting from their expense, and such. An example from "The Searchers" is when the Indian Chief says he takes many scalps in revenge for the killing of his sons. Also, there is more than one John Wayne western movie where his character basically states that the Indian way is an honorable way of life.

 

[cohenzone]

First 3D movie I ever saw.

 

[mbr33ct]

I know it's cliche but The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is my favorite. I saw it on the big screen and it was really something. And Once Upon a Time in the West is awesome. Especially after I saw a video telling me what to look for. My favorite "old" western is High Noon. I first watched for a goof back at UConn for .99 since I knew the story from Mad magazine. It wasn't a goof at all, it's a true classic. It's a must see if you haven't already. And Grace Kelly.

Speaking of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The Italian composer, Ennio Morricone who made all of them "spaghetti westerns" songs has passed. In news this morning.

Ennio Morricone, Prolific Italian Composer for the Movies, Dies at 91

Ennio Morricone, whose haunting, inventive scores expertly accentuated the simmering, dialogue-free tension of the spaghetti Westerns directed by Sergio Leone, has died. He was 91.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Bama fan]

Speaking of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The Italian composer, Ennio Morricone who made all of them "spaghetti westerns" songs has passed. In news this morning.

Ennio Morricone, Prolific Italian Composer for the Movies, Dies at 91

Ennio Morricone, whose haunting, inventive scores expertly accentuated the simmering, dialogue-free tension of the spaghetti Westerns directed by Sergio Leone, has died. He was 91.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

I was desperate for a western yesterday, and I stumbled upon the very first pasta production from Leone. So I watched "A Fist Full of Dollars". I forgot how truly bad these films were. But I watched it anyway because there is something fascinating about them. All the bad guys have a unique and very odd laugh, and they employ it at the most inappropriate times. They had a better time being bad guys in those films than the typical heavy in American made movies.

 

[Waquoit]

Speaking of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The Italian composer, Ennio Morricone who made all of them "spaghetti westerns" songs has passed. In news this morning.

And I just stumbled on to this. It's pretty awesome:

 

[CL82]

Speaking of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The Italian composer, Ennio Morricone who made all of them "spaghetti westerns" songs has passed. In news this morning.

Ennio Morricone, Prolific Italian Composer for the Movies, Dies at 91

Ennio Morricone, whose haunting, inventive scores expertly accentuated the simmering, dialogue-free tension of the spaghetti Westerns directed by Sergio Leone, has died. He was 91.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Very sad. I think he may be related to Enrico Patoni. They are a very talented family.

 

[mbr33ct]

And I just stumbled on to this. It's pretty awesome:

It was this particular song by this Orchestra that made me "Subscribe" to them on their YouTube channel. They have some other great movie themes.

 

[Scud49]

Ennio Morricone - the guy was amazing. Together he and Sergio Leone elevated the western into heights previously unknown - just fabulous movies:

 

[EdSaid]

Watched Midway on HBO this weekend (Not the old one with Henry Fonda). Not a western, but a very important piece of history. I'm not usually into special effects/computerized graphics but it really put you in their shoes and gave you an idea of what they really faced.
Dick Best, Ed Layton and Jimmy Doolittle were all American heroes. The under dogs won the battle.

 

[Waquoit]

So I watched "A Fist Full of Dollars". I forgot how truly bad these films were.

Wait, what?

 

[veryolddog]

Many years ago my wife and I went to a lecture about classic movies at the local high school. The subject of the treatment of Indians in John Ford and John Wayne movies came up. The people running the program basically blasted Ford and Wayne on the subject, focusing on the various negative references as savages and such. My wife and I pointed out to them that the in many of their movies, while these movies were basically told from the white man's point of view at the time, the Indians were given motivations for their actions, such as they were taking action due to the white man violating various treaties, the bad treatment they got from people profiting from their expense, and such. An example from "The Searchers" is when the Indian Chief says he takes many scalps in revenge for the killing of his sons. Also, there is more than one John Wayne western movie where his character basically states that the Indian way is an honorable way of life.

I think that one of the most under rated JW movies is "Hondo". I believe that the statement in reference came from that movie. Broken Arrow with James Stewart and Jeff Chandler also was another fine Western depicting the life of the Apache in Arizona. Just watched a movie a few days ago that I thought was well done in representing the emotions of both the White Calvary Officer and the Cheyenne Indian Chief. It was called "Hostiles". It was played well by Christian Bale and Wes Studi. I would recommend this film.

Just a note, I won a guided Elk hunting experience in 2002. The guide was a Mescalero Apache who also owned and raise fine quarter horses in the Chama area of Northern New Mexico. Great experience working with him and I got my Elk where the meat went to a homeless shelter in Santa Fe.

 

[dbmill]

I think that one of the most under rated JW movies is "Hondo". I believe that the statement in reference came from that movie. Broken Arrow with James Stewart and Jeff Chandler also was another fine Western depicting the life of the Apache in Arizona. Just watched a movie a few days ago that I thought was well done in representing the emotions of both the White Calvary Officer and the Cheyenne Indian Chief. It was called "Hostiles". It was played well by Christian Bale and Wes Studi. I would recommend this film.

Just a note, I won a guided Elk hunting experience in 2002. The guide was a Mescalero Apache who also owned and raise fine quarter horses in the Chama area of Northern New Mexico. Great experience working with him and I got my Elk where the meat went to a homeless shelter in Santa Fe.

That exact line does come from Hondo, which is a is very watchable film. From what I have seen, Hondo is one of the better westerns that John Wayne did that was not under the direction of John Ford or Howard Hawks.

 

[mbr33ct]

I was desperate for a western yesterday, and I stumbled upon the very first pasta production from Leone. So I watched "A Fist Full of Dollars". I forgot how truly bad these films were. But I watched it anyway because there is something fascinating about them. All the bad guys have a unique and very odd laugh, and they employ it at the most inappropriate times. They had a better time being bad guys in those films than the typical heavy in American made movies.

I only watch these spaghetti westerns to listen to the music.

 

[Huskee11]

And I just stumbled on to this. It's pretty awesome:

.

Thanks for posting this, 1000 likes!

Please boneyarders, do yourself a favor. Take six minutes of your life and watch/listen to this. You will love it! Especially if you are a fan, like me, of The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

 

[Bama fan]

Watched Midway on HBO this weekend (Not the old one with Henry Fonda). Not a western, but a very important piece of history. I'm not usually into special effects/computerized graphics but it really put you in their shoes and gave you an idea of what they really faced.
Dick Best, Ed Layton and Jimmy Doolittle were all American heroes. The under dogs won the battle.

I have yet to watch this version of "Midway" , but you are not quite correct about it not being a "western" . Midway Island is about as far west as one can travel.

 

[Scud49]

Thanks for posting this, 1000 likes!
Please boneyarders, do yourself a favor. Take six minutes of your life and watch/listen to this. You will love it! Especially if you are a fan, like me, of The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

Here ya go - a compilation of Ennio Morricone's Spaghetti western music - easily the greatest western's of all time:

 

[mbr33ct]

.

Thanks for posting this, 1000 likes!

Please boneyarders, do yourself a favor. Take six minutes of your life and watch/listen to this. You will love it! Especially if you are a fan, like me, of The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

You can have it playing in the background as you navigate Boneyard threads. You may find you need additional background music...in that case look at the 25+ minutes of Morricone's compilation provided by @Scud49, just below, post #172

 

[EdSaid]

I have yet to watch this version of "Midway" , but you are not quite correct about it not being a "western" . Midway Island is about as far west as one can travel.

Sweet Home, you got me on that one.

I forgot to mention that John Ford was featured in Midway. In real life he was actually on Midway Island in 1942. He was in his upper 40's. The film he shot was turned into the 18 minute short feature "The Battle of Midway. Now we can call it a double western.