FAVORITE WESTERN MOVIES--PART 1 by Cheryl Pierson

I know we have a lot of western movie lovers here—heck, we love just about ALL THINGS western, don’t we? Today I thought I’d talk a little bit about some western movies that are wonderful (for all kinds of different reasons) and one that, though it was highly acclaimed, is not among my favorites. (Please, hold the rotten tomatoes, and be kind!)

No one is ever going to agree with everyone about what makes a movie “great” or more meaningful, because viewers look for different concepts when they sit down and watch a movie. Some values, and “points to ponder”, are more meaningful to some than to others. There is no right or wrong here, just a fun discussion, so y’all chime in and don’t be shy!

I really don’t have a particular order for these except my favorite, and I’ll start with that one. I would definitely have to say my favorite is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, starring John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Woody Strode (as Pompey) and Lee Marvin—who was absolutely perfect for the Liberty Valance character. I realize that not everyone has seen all these movies, so will try not to give any spoilers. It’s very rare that I enjoy a movie more than the book it was taken from, but The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is one of those for me. It was taken from a short story by Dorothy M. Johnson. Although the actors who were slotted in the key roles were much more “mature” than they were in Johnson’s story, I can’t help but think of those portrayals as more realistic—probably because John Wayne’s Tom Doniphon and James Stewart’s Ransom Stoddard were embedded in my mind long before I ever read the short story.

An idealistic lawyer, Ranse Stoddard (Stewart) comes west to bring some law to a place that has none. Tom Doniphon (Wayne) generally pokes fun at him and the naïve way he handles himself. Stoddard changes Doniphon’s opinion as he shows the courage and backbone he’s brought with him to accompany his law books. At first, Doniphon faces down the ruthless Liberty Valance (Marvin) to protect Stoddard, but Stoddard learns how to use a gun and in the end, goes out on the street to face Liberty Valance in a fight he’s sure to lose. As the Gene Pitney song goes: “When the final showdown came at last/A law book was no good.” But…who really shot Liberty Valance? This is a movie you will not want to miss.


Another favorite is Purgatory—the story of outlaws who have died going to a place where they must be good for the length of their “sentence” if they ever hope to make it to heaven. So…what happens when some ruthless outlaws who are NOT dead find the town of Refuge? Is there any way the inhabitants can defend themselves without voiding the time they’ve spent there trying to do good?

The final showdown between both groups will have you on the edge of your seat. Now, bear with me. This sounds hokey, in a way, but it’s really a very interesting movie with a premise that I would not have thought of in a million years. Stars include Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, Randy Quaid, Donnie Wahlberg (a few years before Blue Bloods) and musician/songwriter J.D. Souther, one of my favorite singer/songwriters, and one of my favorite characters in this movie. I hope if you haven’t seen this one, you’ll give it a chance—it is very entertaining and different.

Another classic, The Magnificent Seven—starring heavy hitters such as Yul Brynner, Robert Vaughan, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn—also makes my list of best westerns. A group of mercenaries band together to protect a small Mexican village from a marauding outfit of outlaws who will stop at nothing to take over. But…there are only seven of them and they must stand against what looks to be unbeatable odds.

Although it’s somewhat predictable, it’s one you won’t want to miss. Realistic, but avoids a lot of gore, and it’s well worth watching if for no other reason than the beautiful score by Elmer Bernstein. (Well, and who DOESN’T want to watch Yul Brynner in anything he’s in!)

John Wayne has made a LOT of western movies, but one of my favorites is El Dorado—probably because I really enjoy seeing Robert Mitchum in just about anything. This flick also includes James Caan in one of his very early appearances on the silver screen. In a nutshell, Cole Thornton (Wayne) is a hired gun who comes to the aid of an old friend, J.P. Harrah (Mitchum), a sheriff who has become a laughingstock because of his drinking. A wealthy cattle baron is determined to steal water from another ranching family, the MacDonalds, and hires his own gunfighter, Nelse McLeod, (Christopher George), an old nemesis of Thornton’s.

Is there any way that Thornton and Harrah can protect the McDonalds? It’s been common knowledge for years that Thornton and McLeod are evenly matched in their shooting abilities, and Thornton has a bullet lodged near his spine that sometimes affects his ability to draw and shoot—a secret he must hide if he has any hope of surviving and saving the MacDonalds.

As for western movies that didn’t make it to my “favorites” list, probably my number one pick for this week would be, surprisingly, a John Wayne movie that he often said was his own personal favorite—The Searchers. Many readers will disagree with me on this, I know.

Ethan Edwards (Wayne) returns to his brother’s home after an eight-year absence. In a nutshell, his brother’s daughters, Debbie (Natalie Wood) and Lucy, are abducted by Comanches. The Comanches have killed almost everyone else in the family and burned down the house.

Edwards goes in search of the girls, finding Lucy murdered. When, five years later, he and Martin Pawley (Debbie’s adopted brother) find Debbie, she refuses to leave with them. Edwards tells Debbie he’d rather see her dead than living as a Comanche and tries to kill her! Martin saves the day, and in the chaos, Edwards is wounded by a Comanche.

There’s a lot more to this before the end of the movie, but I don’t want to give away the last part of it. The main reason I don’t enjoy this one is because of Edwards’ obsession with finding Debbie, even to the point of wanting to kill her because she’s chosen to stay with the Comanche. Also, it just seems like this entire movie goes on and on and on…That being said, there’s no denying that I’m definitely in the minority. The Searchers won many awards and is filmed beautifully, and it’s hard to say anything bad about any movie John Ford directed. It’s a masterpiece, but it’s not my cup of tea, mainly because I was so disappointed in Edwards.

We’ll do more on this next month! I have really enjoyed revisiting these movies and I always see something I never saw before when I watch them. Hmmm…maybe I better give The Searchers another chance…

What’s your least favorite western movie and why?

BEHIND THE SCENES by Tom Rizzo

I've always been a fan of behind-the-scenes at the movies . . . wondering what went on when the cameras didn't roll -- or did, for that matter. 

Movie trivia has always fascinated me. When family members or friends gather, references to movies are sure to come up whether contemporary films or the ones produced back when. 

It's always fun to be in a position of enlightening listeners with a little extra information they may not be aware occurred during the making of a particular film. For our purposes, it makes sense to focus on Westerns--a few of the most popular ones. Granted, many Western movie aficionados may already know about these factoids but, for those who don't, enjoy:

High Noon (1952)

At the time of filming, Gary Cooper, the lead, wasn't in the best of health. He was suffering from a bleeding ulcer, lower back problems, and a recurring hip problem. He was also dealing with issues caused by the breakup of his marriage and an affair turned sour. But it all worked in his favor.

The physical and emotional scars visible on his face gave Cooper the look of someone beyond his 51 years. Because of the deep and defining worry lines, Cooper needed little or no makeup during the filming.  

Cooper's professional reputation was on the decline after spending twenty-five years in show business. The Motion Picture Herald even dropped him from its list of top 10 Box Office Performers. 

But his performance in High Noon, as Sheriff Will Kane, made him the comeback kid and led to his second Academy Award for Best Actor. (He earned the first one for his role in Sergeant York). 

He wasn't producer Stanley Kramer's first choice for the lead. He first offered it to Gregory Peck as well as to Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Kirk Douglas, and Charlton Heston. 

High Noon, considered a low budget black and white Western, was made for $750,000, and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning four of them: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Song, Best Music, Scoring of a dramatic or Comedy Picture.

The film It's the first non-musical to have a theme song - "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin'," marketed separately from the motion picture

One of the storefronts in the town of Hadleyville, where the story takes place, carries the name "Boyd's Hardware." Many believe the name referenced actor William Boyd, who played Hopalong Cassidy on television. 

Deputy Harvey Pell, played by Lloyd Bridges, originally was slated for Lee Van Cleef. Studio big shots, however, didn't like Cleef's facial appearance, especially his "hooked" nose which they thought made him look like one of the baddies. Cleef did make his film debut in High Noon, but as Jack Colby, one of the Miller gang, and without one word of dialogue. 

Shane (1953)

This movie was made before High Noon, but spent a number of months in editing. Producer George Stevens originally tapped Montgomery Clift for the role of Shane, and William Holden as Joe Starrett. Both actors, however, decided on other projects. At that point, Stevens was given a list of actors under contract to the studio and - within three minutes - selected Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, and Jean Arthur.

Since Alan Ladd stood only five-feet-six-inches, certain accommodations had to be made when he appeared with other actors. 

For example, in scenes with Van Heflin, he appears the same height, but Heflin was considerably taller. Sometimes, you can see Ladd walk up a ramp when he approaches the bar so he can appear the same height as the character standing next to him.

The slick gun twirling seen in the film's showdown moment was performed by Rodd Redwing, who coached many other actors--including, Henry Fonda, Clayton Moore, Glenn Ford, and Ronald Reagan. 

In an earlier scene, when Shane is demonstrating his skill for Joey, it is actually Alan Ladd on camera. Ladd had been given a different, easier-to-maneuver revolver. Even with the lighter model, it took 119 takes before Stevens was satisfied.

Director Stevens was passionate about detail, especially in physical props including clothing and building structures. He even checked out the cattle, determined they looked too well-fed, and brought in a number of scrawny cows to take their place. 

A moment of levity occurred during the funeral scene. Stevens wanted the dog to look into the grave, but constantly looked away. When the director had the dog's trainer stretch out in the bottom of the grave, the strategy worked. At that point, the coffin - containing rocks - was lowered and the harmonica player began to play "Taps." 

The crew, apparently moved by the moment, began to shovel dirt into the grave before realizing the dog's trainer was still at the bottom. 

Brandon DeWIlde, who played Little Joey Starrett, died in an auto accident in 1972. Only 30, DeWilde was killed when rushing to the hospital in Denver to visit his wife who had undergone surgery. 

At the end of the film, Shane urges Joey to stay away from a life of guns and violence, and then he rides away. The end, if anything, is ambiguous, and the question always arises whether or not Shane survives the wounds he sustained in the gunfight. 

Unforgiven (1992)

The script had kicked around Hollywood for a couple of decades before Clint Eastwood decided to produce and direct it. During those years, Gene Hackman gave it a read and turned down the part of Will Munny. Ironically, Eastwood talked him into playing the role of Little Bill Daggett, and suggested he model the role after Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates.

In an interview a few years after the film, Eastwood revealed that Hackman at first balked at agreeing to participate because of his concern about how violence was going to be portrayed, noting the rise in gun violence across the country. 

Eastwood, however, a long time supporter of gun control himself, gave Hackman assurances the film wouldn't glorify gun violence.

One unknown tidbit, at least to me, was that Clint Eastwood is apparently allergic to horses.

Unforgiven was only the third Western to win Best Picture. The other two were Dances With Wolves and Cimarron. 

Although the scored was arranged by Lennie Niehaus, it was Eastwood who wrote the main theme.

Final screen credits read: "Dedicated to Sergio and Don" --references to Sergio Leone and Don Siegal, both mentors of Eastwood. 

When Eastwood phoned Richard Harris to offer him the part of English Bob, Harris happened to be watching High Plains Drifter, in which Eastwood starred.

Will Munny's children are named "Will" and "Penny," believed to be a subtle reference to the movie Will Penny, whose plot is similar to Unforgiven.

To assure authenticity on the set, Eastwood banned all modern vehicles.

Magnificent Seven (1960)

Lots of trivia and behind-the-scenes anecdotes are in circulation about this movie. Some of the more interesting ones revolve around the actors.

The film was so successful, Hollywood produced three sequels: Return of the Magnificent Seven (1966); Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969); and The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972). 

Steve McQueen, who at the time was starring in the TV show, Wanted: Dead or Alive, had a strict contract with Dick Powell's Four Star Productions which allowed no time off to participate in feature films. 

But McQueen, driving a rented Cadillac, got into an accident, and into a neck brace. Since he received considerable time to recover, he used it to take part in the original movie. 

Popular thinking was that McQueen staged the wreck purposely, figuring that his role in the movie would benefit him far more than his TV program.

Lead actor Yul Brynner wanted McQueen for the role of Vin Tanner, but he ultimately regretted the decision. The two didn't see eye-to-eye much. Brynner, in fact, believed McQueen was always trying to upstage him. 

The two stood about the same height: Brynner at 5-10, and McQueen at 5-9 1/2. Brynner tried to create mounds of dirt he could stand on to make himself appear taller. McQueen, however, always managed to casually kick the dirt away before Brynner could assume his position. 

Actor Eli Wallach also pointed to instances of McQueen shaking the shotgun shells to call attention to himself, and slipping his hat off to check the sun during the scene in which he and Brynner drove a hearse through town.  When the Seven cross into Mexico, McQueen would lean off his horse and dip his hat in the river. 

Wallach, who played Calvara in the film, wrote in his autobiography that McQueen often tried different ways to upstage Brynner, so much so that Brynner hired an assistant to keep detailed records of how often McQueen mimicked Brynner's onscreen gestures. 

Wallach, incidentally, admitted in a DVD Documentary about the film that he wasn't used to handling a gun and would always look down when he shoved it back into his holster. He said he didn't want to take a chance of missing the holster and looking foolish. 

Although the motion picture made scads of money and achieved a high level of popularity among filmgoers, it earned no acting nominations, but was singled out for Best Score. But the Oscar went to Ernest Gold for Exodus. 

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