FAVORITE WESTERN MOVIES PART 2 by Cheryl Pierson

Hi everyone! I'm back to talk about MORE western movies--faves, and not-so-faves. This is Part 2 of this blog series, so if you missed Part 1 last month, I hope you'll look it up and see what we were talking about in June!

Last month, we talked about The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Purgatory, The Magnificent Seven, and El Dorado--all favorites! And...the not-so-favorite, which was The Searchers.But gosh, there’s a lot more ground to cover! I know a lot of you mentioned Tombstone, with Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Michael Biehn, and Sam Elliot. What’s not to love, in this re-telling of one of the most famous gunfights that ever happened—the OK Corral. Kurt Russell is just simply wonderful as Wyatt Earp, and he and Val Kilmer have spectacular chemistry together in this movie. I don’t think there’s ever been a better Doc Holliday than Val Kilmer’s portrayal. The casting was wonderful in this movie, and though it’s a story we are already familiar with, the actors involved bring it to life in a fresh, exciting way that has stood the test of time. One of my favorites, and when I’m scrolling on TV, I cannot ever pass it up. Another favorite, though much different than most westerns, is Cowboys and Aliens. Now, some may disagree with this one, and at first, I wasn’t so sure about it, but by the end of the movie, I was loving it. Even my husband, a die-hard western fan, enjoyed this one and recorded it to watch it again. (Color me SHOCKED!) Cowboys and Aliens boasts and all-star cast including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Adam Beach, and Olivia Wilde.

Because they do it so much better than I do, here’s the Google synopsis of the film:

Bearing a mysterious metal shackle on his wrist, an amnesiac gunslinger (Daniel Craig) wanders into a frontier town called Absolution. He quickly finds that strangers are unwelcome, and no one does anything without the approval of tyrannical Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). But when Absolution faces a threat from beyond Earth, the stranger finds that he is its only hope of salvation. He unites townspeople, outlaws and Apache warriors against the alien forces in an epic battle for survival.

There is so much more to this movie, though—the development of the interpersonal relationships is one theme that, of course, can’t be allowed enough space in the synopsis to go into, but this is really worthy of watching, and in our house, watching more than once.

One of my favorites for many years is the original True Grit with John Wayne, Kim Darby, Dennis Hopper, and Glen Campbell. The original movie stays very true to the book by Charles Portis—and in my opinion, that book was a real masterpiece. I will say the same for the movie, even though Glen Campbell was not the best actor that ever graced the screen. But the other characters, and the scenery, as well as the close detail to the actual book, overcame Campbell’s (at times) wooden acting abilities.

True Grit is the story of Mattie Ross, a young teenage girl, who shoulders the responsibility of going after her father’s killer and seeing him brought in to face what he’s done. She is definitely no-nonsense and determined to see justice done.

After hired hand Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) murders the father of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), she seeks vengeance and hires U.S. Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn (John Wayne), a man of "true grit," to track Chaney into Indian Territory. As the two begin their pursuit, a Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), joins the manhunt in hopes of capturing Chaney for the murder of a Texas senator and collecting a substantial reward. The three clash on their quest of bringing to justice the same man.

My not-so-favorite candidate this week is Once Upon a Time in the West. I know, I know. It was very artsy and very well-received and highly acclaimed. But…it just went on and on and on forever. I honestly tried to watch this about three times and never could make it completely through in one sitting. It bored me to tears, and just seemed to go on forever. Stars include Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale.

What’s your favorite “outside the box” western? I mentioned Cowboys & Aliens this week, and last week I talked about Purgatory. I love these kinds of stories. Anyone else got one to talk about? If not—just talk about one of your favorite westerns. And remember it doesn’t have to be famous, just one YOU liked.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... -- Meg Mims

Last weekend, the Oscars were awarded to films, directors, actors, writers, musicians, etc., nominated earlier this year. Fashion is huge, but so are the winners and losers. And let's face it -- it's an annual ritual that many love.

Usually, when that envelope is opened, the film or actor has not starred in a "genre" style flick. Dramas, epic blockbusters, war films or biopics have earned the most statuettes for Best Picture. Romance and musicals have fared so-so, depending on the era and Hollywood's mood. Despite the popularity of the other types of films - mystery/crime, fantasy, science fiction, horror, adventure, and especially westerns with American audiences (proof in the pocketbook), the Academy often withholds their votes.

Sorry, but it's true. You'd think, given the number of westerns that Hollywood has churned out since its earliest days, that there'd be a TON of golden statuettes lined up along the trail. Not hardly, pardner. Oh, don't get me wrong. There's been PLENTY of nominations - 129 westerns, in fact. Check out the list.

BUT only three, count 'em, THREE, won a Best Picture Oscar. Can you name them? Yes, the answer is below, but try to guess. I'll give ya the first one -- 1930's Cimarron, a "pre-code western", whatever that means, based on the Edna Ferber novel.

Start guessing! My first try, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and one of my favorite films (okay, it might have played fast and loose with history, but it sure was fun!), didn't fare so well.

It earned plenty of nominations (and as I can attest, it's an HONOR to be nominated!), but only won the Best Original Screenplay (William Goldman, who also wrote The Princess Bride), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Song. What film won Best Picture that year? Midnight Cowboy. Hmph. Controversy claimed the big prize.

My second guess, the 1956 film The Searchers, based on the book by Alan LeMay, received ZIP. Nada. Nothing! No nod to John Wayne, director John Ford, not a even a Cinematography nomination! That's criminal!

But it has withstood the test of time and is considered a masterpiece, plus one of the most influential films - inspiring David Lean in making Lawrence of Arabia and probably many other sweeping epics. So there.

How about Little Big Man, with Dustin Hoffman? Based on the book by Thomas Berger, by the way, but only Chief Dan George received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Hm. Okay, maybe it was "revisionist" history, but still.

Let's try another guess - one of my favorites, True Grit, based on the Charles Portis novel. Yes, John Wayne won a Best Actor Oscar in 1970 for portraying Rooster Cogburn (he deserved it, even though some people believed it to be a 'sympathy vote'). In fact, after accepting the golden statue, he said, "If I'd known that, I'd have put that patch on 35 years earlier." Ha!

Okay, skip a few decades. How about 1990's Dances With Wolves, based on the Michael Blake book? Kevin Costner, a Hollywood favorite. Come on! It had to win something out of TWELVE nominations. And it did pretty well - seven out of twelve. Best Picture. Best Director for KC. Best Adapted Screenplay for author Blake. Best Cinematography. Best Sound. Best Film Editing. Best Original Score. This was the HIGHLIGHT of the western Oscars! Surely it meant Hollywood was falling back in love with the genre? Er...

Two years later, Clint Eastwood claimed this 1992 film as his last western. Oh boy, talk about predicting the death of the genre. So how did Unforgiven fare? I mean, he's Clint Eastwood! CLINT EASTWOOD, best known for riding a horse, for heaven's sake. The film received NINE Oscar nominations, pretty decent, but claimed not even HALF that number. Hm. It did win four - Best Picture and Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Film Editing. Sigh.

Dare I mention this 2005 western film, which earned eight nominations and won three Oscars, for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay (from the short story by Annie Proulx), and Best Original Score? Sure spurred controversy, so maybe that's why... Let's see how did the Coen Brothers remake of Charles Portis's True Grit fare six years later in the 2011 Academy Awards.

The film received TEN, count 'em, TEN nominations. Lost every time. Hmph. Does this mean Hollywood has given up on western films? Well, Christoph Waltz received a Best Supporting Actor for Django Unchained in 2012. But when it comes to Best Picture? Three. Cimarron (1956). Dances With Wolves (1990). Unforgiven (1992). Sigh. Only three Best Picture Oscars. We'll see if Quentin Tarantino can pull off any nominations next January for The Hateful Eight.

Let's hope Best Picture #4 for a western is coming soon.

Mystery author Meg Mims lives in Southeastern Michigan with her husband and a 'Make My Day' Malti-poo dog. Meg loves writing novels, short novellas and short stories, both contemporary and historical. Her Spur and Laramie Award winning books - Double Crossing and Double or Nothing - are now among the Prairie Rose Publications book list. Meg is also one-half of the D.E. Ireland team writing the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins Mystery series for St. Martin's Minotaur. Wouldn't It Be Deadly, Book 1, has been nominated for a 2014 AGATHA AWARD for Best Historical Mystery! Book 2, Move Your Blooming Corpse, will be released on September 22, 2015. You can find Meg (and D.E. Ireland) on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. 

A HISTORY OF WESTERN UNION by Meg Mims

First off, a confession -- which I'm sure you've heard before from me. I'm an Eastern greenhorn, and this month I was stuck for a blog topic. So I opened up Google and typed "western" and voila! What did I see that seemed interesting? Western Union. Yep -- what is it? Oh, sure, it's the telegraph. But beyond that, I didn't know much. The poles were raised before the transcontinental railroad, but when? And what is Morse code all about?

So I started digging. First -- the telegraph machine. In 1836, an artist Samuel Morse worked with physicist Joseph Henry along with machinist and inventor Alfred Vail to develop the instrument that used electric current -- whoa! Electric current? Why didn't people use electricity to light their houses and shops back then? Their streets? Guess I forgot that batteries were invented around 1800 -- which built upon good old Ben Franklin's kite experiments, and his coinage of terms like charge, plus and minus, positive and negative, conductor and condenser. But electrical charges go back to ancient Greece, when philosophers noted static electricity but couldn't explain it.

Okay, back to the telegraph machine, which sent electric current in pulses -- short and long -- along wires. The receiver has an electromagnet, by the way, but of course cannot transmit language itself. The electromagnet was invented by William Sturgeon in 1825, and that paved the way to the invention of both the first electric motor and the telegraph.

Morse and Vail had to invent a code, therefore, that translated letters and symbols plus the silence between them. Morse and Vail first operated the line between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Vail improved the sending key, relay magnets and recording registers, while Morse took the credit for the code. But few people have ever heard of Alfred Vail -- and no, he didn't lend his name to Vail, Colorado. Poor Alf.

Back to Western Union, which began as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in 1851. How's that for a mouthful? Within four years of operation, the company changed its name to Western Union. Why, you might ask? Consolidation -- the western-most areas of the U.S. telegraph system joined with the original telegraph line under the company. And by 1861, a mere decade later, Western Union had finished building the transcontinental line of wires across America. It could very well have lit a fire under those who wanted a railroad to link up the two coasts.

In fact, 1869 brought the first stock ticker -- giving Wall Street a boost -- and two years later, money transfers over the telegraph line boosted business transactions. Wow, that must have helped ratchet the industrial leaps through the rest of the 19th century. Is this a big deal? Consider how communication happened before the telegraph, come on! It's a very big deal.

Telegraph means "to write" and "at a distance" (like telephone means to speak at a distance). Think of how much easier communicating during the Civil War must have been (although they still used couriers, of course) compared to the War of 1812 -- remember the scene in The Last of the Mohicans, when runners took messages through the Indian-infested woods? Uh huh. Didn't make it, did they? Try a passenger pigeon -- in medieval times, trained hawks could bring them down, cutting messages off in the same fashion. How about smoke signals? Passable, depending on the weather -- try sending a message that way in a thunderstorm. Ha.

Flag waving? Same problem. Beacons of fire? Lighthouses used beacons, via whale-oil lanterns at first -- in 1716, a lighthouse in Boston was built, but the British blew it up during the Revolutionary War. (It was rebuilt, however, in 1783.) Sandy Hook Lighthouse -- the oldest working lighthouse in the U.S. -- celebrated its 250th anniversary on June 11th when the beacon was first lit in 1764. And Fresnel lenses improved the beacons, fueled by kerosene, until electricity was introduced in the early 1900s.

But this post isn't about lighthouses, or signal flags (also used in maritime history) or beacons of fire lit on the Mountains of Gondor like in The Return of the King to ask for Rohan's help in fighting the hordes of Isengard... oh, all right. Can I help it if I loved Tolkien's Middle Earth saga before I ever saw John Wayne in True Grit? I'll drag myself back to the real world -- and American western history. Remember, even the Pony Express didn't last long. The horses are thankful of that. Trains quickly followed the telegraph wires across America. Here's a 1911 chart of the code Morse invented -- and operators learned to listen and interpret.

Telegraph operators out west usually did double duty -- to add to their wages, of course, which helped offset the danger of working alone in a station with the danger of Indian raids or plain loneliness. They would work for the railroad and even the Railway Express, and then Western Union. 

The first singing telegram didn't happen until the 1930s, after Western Union introduced the first customer charge card. Wow, another innovation that spurred on credit cards and fraud craziness of today. Western Union operated throughout the 20th century, however, despite the huge leaps of computers. In fact, the last telegram was sent in January of 2006! I had no idea.

But without the telegraph and Western Union, American inventors would never have pushed communication forward to cell phones and modern emails of today -- and "social media" like Twitter, Facebook, even blogs like this one! How cool is that? I know, some of you are probably groaning. Social, ha. Horse patootie.

Well, I think it's a good thing. I wouldn't want to climb that huge wood pile and get burned up, trying to light the silly thing, like Pippin. 

Oh, all right!! Back to Western Union, with thanks to William, Ben, Sam and Alf as well. I wonder what's next after blogging and email? Hmm.

Award-winning mystery author Meg Mims lives in Southeastern Michigan with her husband, a 'Make My Day' Malti-poo dog and a sweet Lhasa Apso-mix rescue dog -- the "hero" of her Christmas novella Santa Paws. She loves writing novels, short novellas and short stories, both contemporary and historical. 

Meg earned a Spur Award and a Laramie Award for her Double series and is also one-half of the D.E. Ireland team writing the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins Mystery series for St. Martin's Minotaur. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. 

Sources: Railswest Western Union history

21st CENTURY WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW -- Meg Mims

I'm wondering if the good old western film genre, the type we loved, with a die-hard American wild west hero like the Duke, or Shane, Jimmy Stewart, or even Clint Eastwood goes up against the villains and toughing it out, who triumphs and survives... you know that type. IS IT DEAD? Have western movies made a comeback?

Let's review the 21st century of western movies, starting with... um. Okay, I had to dig for the ones I'd missed. It seemed dead for a while there. Like, dust. I have to admit there were a lot of TV movies made and miniseries including the remake of Around the World in 80 Days with Pierce Brosnan and Jackie Chan, but I'm talking the big screen. Film - those big reels (now replaced by digital copies) spinning a stream overhead, and a dark theater with those cushy seats, sticky floors, with a bucket of buttered popcorn at your elbow.

1999's WILD, WILD WEST was actually "steampunk" western, when steampunk was first getting hot. Should we classify it as a traditional western? Eh. I thought it was rather fun and Kenneth Branagh sure made a great villain. I suppose it's up for debate. 2000's THE CLAIM had mixed reviews, and SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL was considered hellish. But let's not forget Jackie Chan, who did a hilarious romp through the old west in 2000's SHANGHAI NOON with Owen Wilson -- who reprised their roles for 2005's SHANGHAI KNIGHTS. It's not the Duke, it's not Paul Newman and Robert Redford, or even Clint Eastwood, but when you peel away the martial arts and acrobatics, the Chinese backstory of Chan's character, the goofiness of Wilson and his fake twang, it's still good guy vs. bad guys and a genuine fun time in the old west -- or in London.

And then the tumbleweed started rolling... although western movie fans had to wait a few years before a slew of western movies started hitting the big screen again. AMERICAN OUTLAWS debuted in 2001, with Colin Farrell and Scott Caan, a remake of the Jesse and Frank James story. TEXAS RANGERS stomped all over Texas history, from what the reviews state. The animated film SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON came out quietly in 2002. Next wwas 2003's OPEN RANGE -- a Kevin Costner film where he wisely included Robert Duvall and Annette Bening. Who wouldn't love a film about the old days of grazing cattle across the open prairie versus the fencers, plus a villain who owns the sheriff and town... it's also on my TBW (to be watched) list. THE MISSING also came out, with Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett, but I missed it. Glad I missed GANG OF ROSES, though, pretty trashed. And any sequels of that.

In 2004, RENEGADE came out, along with THE ALAMO, another miss (dang!) with Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton and Jason Patric -- a remake of the John Wayne-Richard Widmark classic made back in 1960 -- along with  HOME ON THE RANGE, a cute and fun animated film from what I heard. All three are also on my list. But not the western horror DEAD BIRDS, though.

Who doesn't remember the success of HIDALGO? It also won a Spur Award for Best Drama Script in 2005. I loved it. The movie may have played off hero Viggo Mortenson's Lord of the Rings' popularity, but he sure can ride a horse and seemed convincing (for a Dane) as Frank Hopkins. The movie is based on a "legend" of a horse race in 1891, in Arabia, pitting an American mustang against pure-blood Arabian horses. Whatever the legend, or half-truths about Frank and the Ghost Dance, it sure made for great storytelling. And Omar Sharif also helped. Such a great actor. Also out that year, the sequel with Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones for THE LEGEND OF ZORRO -- which was nearly as good as The Mask of Zorro back in 1998 with these two. I liked them both. PURGATORY (which won a 2000 Spur Award for Drama Script) had an interesting premise, with a town in the old west where dead legends got a chance at redemption (or failure) before going to their reward (or punishment). I am putting it on the TBW list. Not so BROTHERS IN ARMS, panned worse than 2003's Gang of Roses.

BROKEN TRAIL came next, in 2006, which was marvelous with Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church. Another Spur Award winner -- for Best Western Drama Script (Fiction), in 2007 -- and while it aired as a miniseries on television, I couldn't help including it here. It wove two historical events together, the slave trade of Chinese women taken upon arrival in San Francisco to serve as prostitutes in the American west, plus the herding of horses to sell to the British Army at the end of the 19th century. I enjoyed the complex story, the characters, the villains and the bittersweet ending. So great. So much better than the inaccurate, dark and getting progressively darker Hell on Wheels' TV series.

I'm not even going there with The Quick and the Undead. Nope.

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD -- a mouthful, indeed, for a film title, won the 2007 Spur Award for Best Western Drama Script (Fiction) and starred Brad Pitt. That should have made it a mega-hit, except I'd never heard of it. Reviewers certainly loved it. Probably worth a look, since the classic 1939 film with Henry Ford as Frank James and Tyrone Power as Jesse is stuck in my head. I'll have to add it to the list.

Another 2007 film, SERAPHIM FALLS, pitted Pierce Brosnan against Liam Neeson in a revenge-fueled post-Civil War story. I suppose you could say it was sort of a remake of Clint's The Outlaw Josey Wales, but not as good. I still enjoyed the movie. Two solid actors, even if it seemed an endless pursuit with a 'how can they survive so much with all that violence' type of reaction. And hey, Wes Studi was in the film too! Can't go wrong there.

BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE also came out the same year, with Aidan Quinn and Anna Paquin, which according to some reviews, is rather an inaccurate account of historical events. Missed this one, along with SEPTEMBER DAWN which dealt with a Mormon massacre.

3:10 TO YUMA brought Russell Crowe and Christian Bale together (or should I say pitted them against each other), in a suspenseful western that may or may not have lived up to the classic with Glenn Ford. I personally prefer Crowe in this movie, who seems more believable as an outlaw. Glenn Ford was too nice! The story is solid, the details authentic, and the gunplay perhaps a bit much but hey, western film lovers have been literally dying to see more films such as this.

And then in 2008, THERE WILL BE BLOOD was set in turn-of-the-century California, with Daniel Day Lewis who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in his role of Daniel Plainview, silver miner turned oil tycoon. It's a pretty dark movie, from what I hear, so I may bypass it. But hey, California *is* in the west after all, and has tons of great history. And another missed film was GONE TO TEXAS with Sam Elliott. Dang. Chalk another one on the list.

Next, actor Ed Harris (also the director, producer, co-author of the script) and Viggo Mortenson starred in the 2009 film APPALOOSA. Friends and mercenary peacekeepers, they were pitted against a villainous Jeremy Irons -- based on Robert B. Parker's bestselling novel. Pardon me if I'm totally out of the loop about Parker's books -- he has a string of best-selling western books. I admit I only saw it because I love Viggo -- although I didn't care for his goatee in the film -- but my feelings were mixed. It seemed a bit convoluted in terms of story, and didn't have much of a point in my opinion. Except -- if your friend kills so you can have a future with the one you love, will she resent you forever? I don't know. The details were spot-on for a western, however. A horror-western also came out that year, THE BURROWERS, a miss in my book, but hey, it was set on the Dakota prairie. THE LAST RITES OF RANSOM PRIDE was seriously panned.

Have you noticed the number of movies coming out each year? YEEHAW!

In 2010, the Coen brothers remade TRUE GRIT in a far more faithful adaptation of the Charles Portis' book. It won the Spur Award for Best Western Drama in 2012. But people complained that Jeff Bridges wasn't good enough to fill Duke's boots. I thought he did a fine job, and I much prefer Hailee Steinfield's portrayal of Mattie than Kim Darby. (Sorry, Kim, you were too old and you should have worn a long-haired wig in a loose topknot, at the very least). Even Matt Damon improved on Glen Campbell's LaBoef. I enjoyed seeing the Duke and Kate Hepburn in the (fictional) sequel, Rooster Cogburn, which came out after the original True Grit film. I have my doubts the Coens will bother. Too bad.

THE WARRIOR'S WAY also came out, along with MEEK'S CUTOFF and JONAH HEX. No idea if they're good/bad.

2011's RANGO was so fun -- and I don't care if animated films aren't seen as traditional westerns. I truly LOVED this movie. What a cool premise -- a green (and greenhorn) chameleon is stranded out west, meets some interesting characters and is seen as an unlikely hero. Loved Roadkill, Iguana Beans and other "townspeople" animals in Dirt -- plus the Spirit of the West... fabulous story, wonderful characters, a good solid and heart-of-gold ending. It may not be easy being green in Rango, but in my opinion Johnny Depp ought to have kept this as his "western tour-de-force" instead of tackling Tonto of the Black-Crow-head.

Another movie that came out that year, BLACKTHORN, begins with an intriguing premise. What if Butch Cassidy didn't die in Bolivia, and is tired of living as an ex-Pat and wants to see his old friends back home? From what I hear, Sam Shepard gives a solid performance. I'm putting it on my TBW list -- although some reviewers say it's nowhere near the Paul Newman-Robert Redford Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid romp of the 70s. Still, might be interesting to see. Yup, the list. Not so for THE LEGEND OF HELL'S GATE, despite being based on Texas history, or YELLOW ROCK.

And another -- COWBOYS AND ALIENS -- was a fun romp (at first) in the old west with a visit from an alien race, but took itself a bit too serious in the middle and end. I loved the beginning. Who can fault Daniel Craig for getting amnesia and wakes up with some weird-looking gadget on his arm, that will end up saving the old west town and its residents? And Harrison Ford as a bad guy who is redeemed -- another great plot point, but the mystical part ruined the fun in my opinion. Still, it was good to see the attempt. They tried to make it like Independence Day. Sort of...

I missed all of these 2012 films: DJANGO UNCHAINED which won director/writer Quentin Tarantino an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, plus a Golden Globe and a Spur Award for Best Western Drama Script (Fiction). Sam Elliott's I WILL FIGHT NO MORE FOREVER, which is supposedly a far more accurate depiction of the Nez Perce tribe's flight to Canada. Both AMBUSH AT DARK CANYON and DAWN RIDER were not well received. Surprisingly, the "are-you-serious?" hit ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER might not have been set in the west, but come on! Honest Abe, hunting fang-studded vamps! That is definitely on my TBW list.

2013 brought in THE GALLOW-WALKERS (another zombie fest, oh no!), A NIGHT IN OLD MEXICO, also with Robert Duvall, SWEETWATER with Ed Harris and January Jones, and the butchery (or scream-fest, depending on your point-of-view) of THE LONE RANGER. Need we say more? Did it put the kibosh (or a slash from El Kabong, for Quick Draw McGraw fans) on future western films? Did it signal the coming wave of comical westerns reflecting the tongue-in-cheek Blazing Saddles?

I rather doubt it, not with this year's coming films THE REDEMPTION OF HENRY MYERS, THE HOMESMAN, THE SALVATION, DOC HOLLIDAY'S REVENGE, FORSAKEN, HOT BATH AND A STIFF DRINK, plus 2015's JANE GOT A GUN and BONE TOMAHAWK plus others. Wow! Keep 'em coming, that's what we say. Don't forget this month's A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST -- it might not be as funny as The Lone Ranger. Then again, it might be better! Hey, Liam Neeson's in it. You might be able to see the whole movie by clicking here.

One thing is for sure. Western films for the big screen ain't exactly dead and buried. Yet.

Award-winning mystery author Meg Mims -- also one-half of the writing team of D.E. Ireland -- lives in Southeastern Michigan with her husband, a 'Make My Day' Malti-poo dog and a sweet Lhasa Apso-mix rescue dog -- the "hero" of Santa Paws. She loves writing novels, short novellas and short stories, both contemporary and historical. She earned a Spur Award, a Laramie Award and an M.A. from Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction program.

WILD WEST MOVIE HEROINES - Meg Mims

We loved them, we cheered for them, we cried for and with them, we sighed if/when the hero finally returned the heroine's love, devotion, loyalty... etc. Previously, I'd explored sidekicks and villains in western films. Today, it's time for the women who stood by and behind their men.

Here's a few I've found - many I've seen in movies and on television. Several have interesting backgrounds and awards. I'll start with my favorite.

MAUREEN O'HARA - The fiery-tempered red-headed Irish actress was a hit in several westerns with the Duke. Pictured to the right is the duo in McLintock! Maureen also starred with John Wayne (and shared remarkable on-screen chemistry with him) in two non-westerns, The Wings of Eagles and The Quiet Man. In her own words - "I was tough. I was tall. I was strong. I didn't take any nonsense from anybody. He was tough, he was tall, he was strong and he didn't take any nonsense from anybody. As a man and a human being, I adored him." (Chicago Tribune, May, 2013) Maureen starred in a few other westerns but McLintock! and Big Jake are my favorites.

GAIL DAVIS - I barely recall seeing Gail Davis in Annie Oakley when ABC rebroadcast the TV series after the 1950s show ended. But I enjoyed her portrayal. Strong, gutsy women, that's what I loved seeing, and Gail starred in many western films with Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. She also had roles in many television western shows. In her own words - "Back then I knew (Annie Oakley) was having a positive impact, especially on little girls. It wasn't until years later that I realized just how much. Little girls had turned into influential women, thanking my portrayal of Annie for showing them the way." (from the Gail Davis exhibit, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame) Loved the pigtails, too.

JENNIFER HOLT - I don't remember seeing her by name, but I'm sure I watched a few films with my dad that had Jennifer featured as the heroine. She joined the cast of movies starring Hopalong Cassidy, Russ Hayden, Rod Cameron, Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, Eddie Dean and Lash LaRue. The B-westerns were popular then and are still replayed (on occasion) on the TMC channel - usually on Saturday mornings or afternoons. All but eight of the 48 films she made were westerns. Maybe ya'll remember her, even if I don't. That's a lot of film credits, so I figured she belonged here in the list.

AMANDA BLAKE - I was fascinated by the actress' name (born Beverly Louise Neill.) We ended up naming our daughter Amanda, by the way, since it was so unusual (although the poor kid shared the name with at least three others in every school class.) Her beauty mark also intrigued me. Was it real? Ha! I missed the earlier shows where she was more than just owner of a saloon (wink, wink, nudge, nudge.) Ahem. As Miss Kitty, she had a heart of gold on the television western show Gunsmoke and kept Marshal Dillon company for 19 long years. Did you know Beverly first worked as a telephone operator? In 1968, Amanda Blake was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at Oklahoma City's National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum - the third actor, after Tom Mix and Gary Cooper! Not bad, Miss Kitty.

BARBARA STANWYCK - Well, I can't leave her out since she ruled the roost as Victoria Barkley in The Big Valley. I have to admit I preferred watching Bonanza over this show and Gunsmoke (sorry, but Little Joe caught my fancy along with his paint horse.) Barbara ruled in Hollywood as a first-rate actress in many roles, both villainous and heartfelt, and she was successful as the wealthy widow of a 1,000 acre California ranch based loosely on history. The Hill ranch, established in 1855 and owned by Lawson Hill until his 1861 murder, was taken over by "Auntie Hill" - his wife Euphemia - who was the matriarch over their three sons and one daughter. Today the ranch lies beneath Lake Camanche in Calavaros County, near Stockton.

HAILEE STEINFELD - Give me some leeway here. My favorite book is Charles Portis' True Grit, and I knew back in 1969 that actress Kim Darby was too old for the role of Mattie Ross in the film True Grit with John Wayne. So when the Coen brothers remade the movie in 2010, the year before Double Crossing was published, I cheered for Hailee's wonderful performance. She was perfect. Even the Duke would have agreed! Hailee portrayed Mattie with the right blend of innocence, savvy perspective about life's low points and die-hard determination. I'd suggest her to portray Lily Diamond if I had input and a film contract for my book. I hope to see her in more westerns.

Well, that's my list. Who are your favorite western film and television heroines? Leave a comment below. Happy trails!

Meg Mims is an award-winning author with two western historical mysteries under her Eastern belt. She lives in Michigan, where the hills are like driveway slopes and trees block any type of prairie winds. LIKE her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or check out her books on her website.