The Terror of Tiny Town.

Review #1597: The Terror of Tiny Town.

Cast:

Billy Curtis (Buck Lawson), Yvonne Moray (Nancy Preston), Little Billy Rhodes (Bat Haines), Billy Platt (Jim 'Tex' Preston), John T. Bambury (Pop Lawson), Joseph Herbst (The Sheriff), Charlie Becker (Otto the Cook), Nita Krebs (Nita), George Ministeri (Armstrong), Karl Karchy Kosiczky (Sammy), and Fern Formica (Diamond Dolly) Directed by Sam Newfield (#436 - Dead Men Walk)

Review:

“When I was first offered the role of the sheriff, they didn’t want to pay my established salary. Then we were all directed like we were children. Small, in the minds of stupid people, is kiddie stuff. So first they try to exploit little people. Then they patronize you. And when the picture comes out, then the audience laughs at you. Why? Not because we were low budget, because most westerns then were Bs. Because we rode ponies. What would a person my size ride – a stallion? I played the good guy who put the bad guy behind bars at the end – just like John Wayne. And I kissed the pretty girl – just like he did. So what the hell’s so funny?”

Truly, I can say without any doubt in my mind that you have not seen anything like this. A Western with music? Sure, you have seen that before, particularly with saloon scenes...but have you seen one with an all-dwarf cast? No, you have not, unless you like to specialize in the smallest of the barrel public domain features, or you just happen to like something offbeat. Supposedly, the film was inspired by a comment made about with a continued low economy, filmmakers could have to use "midgets for actors." The film was directed by Sam Newfield, who while not exactly known as a great director was known for one thing: making movies and making lots of them. From 1933 to 1958, he reportedly made over 200 feature films, with his foray also including shorts and other various B-projects, which were generally spent with Producers Releasing Corporation (also known as PRC Pictures; his brother Sigmund Neufeld generally served as a producer on those films), where he even made films under a fake name to hide his considerable presence over PRC films. In 1938 alone, he made fifteen feature films. Incidentally, One film he had done with Jed Buell the previous year was Harlem on the Prairie (1937), which featured popular singer Herbert Jeffrey as a singing cowboy in the first black Western musical. With this feature, it was made for roughly $100,000, and it managed to find itself distributed by Columbia Pictures, and Buell actually wanted to make a whole series of films with dwarf actors, including one about the Paul Bunyan myth...wrap your head around that. Fred Myton wrote the film, with Clarence Marks providing additional dialogue, which is who one can cite for such...interesting dialogue, such as referring to "big orders" or "getting smallpox from him", and so on and so forth. If one can get behind occasional songs (I am generally not familiar with the singing cowboy archetype), including some dubious dubbing, here is...an offering?

Honestly, the only reason to even think about the film at all for coverage is to wonder exactly how far they will go with this film about a dwarf Western. Oh you better believe they drag themselves all the way to the natural conclusion, reflected by its 62 minute run-time. Did you ever want to see people ride Shetland ponies? Or how about entering a bar by going under the door? Welp, here's your big chance to see all that and not much else in a pretty stale feature. You may or may not get a weird chuckle at seeing anyone ride a Shetland pony for a short moment, but it is such a blandly drawn out affair, reflected by repetitive music and a plot that goes exactly the way one will see coming in its first 20 minutes (by that point, you're already a third in, so why quit?). There may be "jokes" present, but it is wrapped under such stock blandness that a usual B-movie cast would result in nearly the same film (but hey, this one has "half-pints in 10 gallon hats!" - an actual tagline used on release), mostly because Placeritos Ranch (in Placerita Canyon, California) probably wouldn't seem so vast in size here. Curtis was once described as "handsome" alongside "quite arrogant", mostly because he had quite a bit of success when it came to vaudeville (he would act for roughly 50 years before his death). He, alongside Rhodes, Bambury, Herbst, Becker, Krebs, Ministeri, Formica, and O'Docharty, would later have parts as Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Everyone is pretty flat here, but at least he was proud of his role (as stated by that quote listed here, although its last statement isn't actually accurate - the bad guy dies due to dynamite exploding on him). They might not be great actors, but at least no one seems like they want to clown for scenery points (although Becker is used for silly moments, like trying to chase a duck down for food). Although presented as part of Buell's company of little people, a selection of the actors were actually part of Singer's Midgets, a performing troupe formed by Leo Singer that had popularity in its time of the early 20th century (this was also the case for The Wizard of Oz, which had over a hundred dwarf actors featured). Would you call this exploitation? Aside from a bubble of slapstick humor and a weird little opening that talks about the "novelty picture" one is about to see, everything is done with cut and dry size, which means it is best suited for those wanting to watch something curious that will be weird without thinking they are watching some actor or crew is being treated terribly. Is it the worst film ever? Of course not, but it sure is a turkey film, bland in all but its main sticking point to be remembered for after eight decades. Truly, a stinker can come in all shapes and sizes.

Overall, I give it 3 out of 10 stars.

Surprise! There has been a diverse bit of films covered over the month of November in the prevailing years, although according to my records the first one to be covered on Thanksgiving Day was Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (#489, in 2013). Home Sweet Home (#669, 2014), and Monster A-Go-Go (#756, 2015) followed, but its time for something interesting to mesh with the whole week leading on from Sunday to Saturday: Turkey Week, which will be dedicated to films with the reputation of being a "turkey", for better or worse. The goal is to feature at least five films from today until the 28th, and the surprise is to not know what is coming too far in advance...with the next one being: No Orchids for Miss Blandish (1948).

Unforgiven.

Review #1501: Unforgiven.

Cast: 
Clint Eastwood (William "Will" Munny), Gene Hackman ("Little" Bill Daggett), Morgan Freeman (Ned Logan), Richard Harris (English Bob), Jaimz Woolvett (The Schofield Kid), Saul Rubinek (W. W. Beauchamp), Frances Fisher (Strawberry Alice), Anna Thomson (Delilah Fitzgerald), David Mucci (Quick Mike), Rob Campbell (Davey Bunting), and Anthony James (Skinny Dubois) Produced and Directed by Clint Eastwood (#1252 - Space Cowboys, #1310 - Million Dollar Baby, and #1476 - Pale Rider)

Review: 
"Gene Hackman was interesting because I gave the Unforgiven script to his agent and he said no, he didn't want to do anything violent. But I went back to him and said, "I know where you're coming from. You get to a certain age and I'm there too, where you don't want to tell a lot of violent stories, but this is a chance to make a great statement"

It's easy to make a lasting great Western when it is going to be the last one you make after a long career defined by them. Eastwood had at least one defining Western that he was featured in, whether that involved television with Rawhide or with films such as A Fistful of Dollars, Two Mules for Sister Sara, or Pale Rider. This was his 17th directorial effort (and fourth involving the Western), and it surely proved a fitting last hurrah for Eastwood to declare as his last Western so as to not repeat himself or others (which has proven correct in for over two decades). The script for this film was written by David Peoples (who prior to writing had been a editor for TV and news programs) in 1976, with one development title being "The William Munny Killings", and one inspiration for him when it came to the depiction of violence was Taxi Driver. The script languished for years while Peoples wrote for other films such as The Day After Trinity (1980) and Blade Runner (1982), with Eastwood having waited around for years to do other projects first. Eastwood thought of making changes to the script, but he changed his mind because of how he saw the script was better without it (minus one thing, which involved having the opening having a text crawl rather than a voiceover). The result was two Academy Awards for Eastwood (for direction and Best Picture) and one for Hackman alongside one for editing.

At last, a Western great enough for the 1990s to deserve. It proves to be a riveting and somber ilm with its subversion of the Western and the myths that could make outlaws famous with whatever exploit could be covered fast enough. Sure, there have been quite a few films that have played with the clichés and traditions of what we saw in the Western in the classic era (with one slight resemblance being The Shootist, for example), but this one handles itself with a great elegiac quality in its direction, characters, and pace that make it one for the ages. It lives and moves with a great patience for making its surroundings resonate with its audience, with a false note never happening as more characters come and leave the picture as reflections of the time and place, whether that means a once-removed killer/farmer, or a savage outlaw, an outlaw with publicity, or even a sight-challenged kid with reputation. The easiest strength of the film lies within its main trio of actors, starting with Eastwood. No one ever fit the mythic mold of the Western hero ever so much in the last few decades of the 20th century film era like Eastwood did, who resonates in pained grit that reflects past and present with no contrived frills as a man with shades of gray. Hackman proves just as worthy in matching up to Hackman on the other side of the hill, tenacious and dedicated in intimidation and order (one of the people Hackman drew from was a police chief, for example) that lend excellence to small moments, such as a conversation with Harris and Rubinek involving the nature of fact and fiction with outlaws turning into a quiet showdown of chicken. Freeman (in the midst of a deserved rise in prominence with supporting and lead roles in the late 1980s) fills in the main details with resonating nerve and conviction that we come to depend on in a careful balancing act between him and Eastwood that make for useful time spent. Harris, despite being in the film considerably less than the others (and only having time with just Hackman and Rubinek) does a resoundingly good job in playing the part of the myth of a refined killer come out splendidly when faced with Hackman and his own interpretation of killers and those who write about them. Woolvett is the key supporting piece to encapsulate the film, brash but quite convincing as the lasting piece of the dealings of myth and reality when it comes to bits of amusement and action between him and Eastwood, never grating on one's patience. Rubinek and the others prove well in filling the town with interest and the dealings that come with conflicting view of justice and morality. What we have here is a film to stamp out the myths that came from films about a time as myth-inducing as the Old West with a wise one at the hand behind and in front of the camera in Eastwood to do wonders with for 131 minutes. This is a well-done piece of subversion and execution on a variety of levels that range from its cast to its look (done entirely in Alberta, Canada) that make the grand myth of outlaw one to look closer into and care about with flourish and satisfaction. It isn't the first Western one might view for themselves, but it sure is the one deserving of being up there to see time and time again among the classics.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Sabata.

Review #1432: Sabata.

Cast: 
Lee Van Cleef (Sabata), William Berger (Banjo), Ignazio Spalla (Carrincha), Aldo Canti (Indio), Franco Ressel (Stengel), Antonio Gradoli (Ferguson), Linda Veras (Jane), Robert Hundar (Oswald, Stengel Henchman), Gianni Rizzo (Judge O'Hara), Spartaco Conversi (Slim, Stengel Henchman), and Carlo Tamberlani (Nichols) Directed by Gianfranco Parolini.

Review: 
"Bad guys have always been my bag . . . I look mean without even trying. Audiences just naturally hate me on screen. I could play a role in a tuxedo and people would think I was rotten. You can do much more with a villain part. Movies are full of leading men, most of whom aren't working. It's much harder to find a good villain."

Oh sure, why not another Western to the pile, one might think when it comes to a film called Sabata [Ehi amico ... c'è Sabata. Hai chiuso!]. One can tie a great deal of interesting things to come out of 1969, whether that meant an X-rated Best Picture winner or a unlikely motorcycle film to become a smash hit with the counterculture, or films willing to push the creative envelope in tone in Z and Medium Cool, or a mix of westerns with grand legacies in a slowing genre with key stars. This happens to be a decent spaghetti western with its own interesting star in Lee Van Cleef. After serving in the U.S Navy during World War II, Van Cleef turned to stage acting before receiving a break into film with High Noon (1952), which was a small villainous part due to his refusal to fix his nose to fit a friendly character. His sharp expressions, eyes and nose resulted in a string of villainous roles in Westerns, sci-fi and noir movies. He nearly had his life and career end in a severe car accident in 1958 (with a kneecap injury that could've led to him never riding a horse again), although he did continue work with television. On the verge of ending his career, he received a break with a key role in For a Few Dollars More (1965) after Charles Bronson rejected the part. He would also appear in the follow-up film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly the following year, with the resulting films helping to make Van Cleef an international star, with varying levels of anti-heroism in a collection of films (a good deal being spaghetti westerns). This was the first film in the Sabata trilogy, for which Van Cleef would star in the first and third films (Return of Sabata), all of whom were directed by Parolini. He had directed a number of sword-and-sandal films along with adaptations of Kommissar X while also the same one behind If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death (1968, the first of a five film series), which had featured the title character in a black suit with trick weapons and a motivation for money with a sense of mystery to him.

While this certainly doesn't rank as a particularly great western by any means, there is certainly a good time to be had here with the sum of its parts. Sure, it's a treasure hunt kind of film that has a fair body count and a mixture of action and light humor that make for a welcome curiosity. It might be a cheap western or one that looks made fast, but it sure isn't just a product to consume at the dime store, that much is for sure. Van Cleef excels in confidence when it comes to gravelly-toned dialogue to banter with other briefly or engaging in a drawn out drawdown. It isn't exactly a part befitting of someone wanting to win awards or a hammy turn, but Van Cleef gets the job done with professionalism. Berger, an Austrian-turned-spaghetti western character actor (who had also appeared in the first Sartana film, along with starring in a knock-off version), accompanies the film with quizzical appeal, seeming more out of place in the town as Van Cleef does, and that isn't counting the banjo gun. In that sense, he makes for a few welcome moments. Spalla proves fairly amusing, a formidable presence in wanting to keep him on screen with some mildly wry quip. Ressel proves quite silly in smugness as the main threat for the film, one who portrays avarice with the conviction of a dime-store book needing a few more pages. While the film definitely seems a bit much at 111 minutes when it comes to getting itself going, it ultimately proves a diverting time, with Marcello Giombini's music helping to set a tone of reasoned action with some touch of lightness go right, particularly with its catchy title theme. Ultimately, this is fine entertainment and a neat little gem, with a solid Van Cleef performance to make it an fair sixties film to have in the corner of your mind on a late night.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
And there we have it, the last one for the month - the first 30-review month since July 2013. As such, here is the listing for the month of June, as we move into the "Me Decade" with 29 films. Hopefully you will enjoy.

Hud (1963).

Review #1411: Hud.

Cast: 
Paul Newman (Hud Bannon), Melvyn Douglas (Homer Bannon), Brandon deWilde (Lonnie Bannon), Patricia Neal (Alma Brown), Whit Bissell (Mr. Burris), Crahan Denton (Jesse), John Ashley (Hermy), Val Avery (Jose), George Petrie (Joe Scanlon), and Curt Conway (Truman Peters) Directed by Martin Ritt.

Review: 
"I make the kind of films that not too many people get to make in this town, though sometimes I've had to take the risk myself"

One cannot simply make a good film without some sort of sensitivity and knowledge of how to maintain a production and the aspects that go with it from cast to tone. Martin Ritt was a director known for his socially conscious films, concerned with the human condition while making sure to film with a careful hand and careful approach to his stars, which served him well over the years. Born in 1914, he grew up in New York City but attended college in North Carolina, with the latter experience shaping his vision in wanting to show the struggle of inequality. He moved to the theater not long after graduation, shifting from theatre groups (as actor and director at times) to the Federal Theater Project to the Group Theatre where he met Elia Kazan (in later years Ritt would do work at the Actors Studio when Kazan could not make a class). After serving in World War II under the US Army Air Forces, he had shifted some of his focus to television, but the prevailing fear over red influence into entertainment trapped him on the blacklist for a few years. A few years later, he directed his first feature film with Edge of the City (1957), which depicted a interracial friendship. In the course of over three decades, he would make several notable films, such as The Long, Hot Summer (1958, which also starred Newman), Sounder (1972), and Norma Rae (1979).

The film was adapted by Harriet Frank Jr and Irving Ravetch (who co-produced the film with Ritt) from the 1961 novel Horseman, Pass By from Larry McMurtry, the first of six of his works to have been adapted into film (with others being notable films like The Last Picture Show and Terms of Endearment). The key change made in adapting the novel was in expanding the character of Hud to be the main focus, as opposed to Lonnie. The film was shot over the course of four weeks, with most of it being done in the Texas Panhandle, with some time being spent beforehand to rehearse with the cast to have them delve into their roles before shooting. This is a feature with a tremendously well-rounded quartet (with Douglas and Neal winning Academy Awards for their performances), headlined by Newman. The method actor had risen from theatre work to feature film roles in the 1950s, and he had spent a couple of days in a Texas ranch working and sleeping in a bunkhouse to prepare for the role. He pulls off a magnificent performance here, a charming monster who lives for himself and the tastes that go with said figure that swaggers over the conventional lead focus for the time, sinking with ease into such a rough role. To the surprise of Newman and Ritt, audiences found a liking to this amoral character, who they thought would not be accepted as a heroic character, with Ritt believing it being a reflection of the counterculture that would engulf the latter part of the decade. Perhaps it is evident in a quote from the film that talks about how a country changes its look by who we admire, and one must make up their mind over what is right and wrong. In that sense, theatre-turned-film star Douglas matches up with principles and a weary but unbroken spirit that reflects his ranch with measured composure. When it comes to deWilde, he holds his own as a yearning youth at a crossroads that all growing youth find themselves, and he does it with plenty of conviction. Neal, a member of the Actors Studio that appears for just twenty minutes, makes the best of her time with a relentlessly compelling performance, filled with worn-out cynicism and wit. The other key highlight is James Wong Howe (a pioneer of cinematography for six decades) and his stark cinematography, which captures the depth of such a landscape like the Panhandle with tremendous contrast and shadows that make for a devastating effect for a reasonably paced 112 minutes. This is a film that sets its own trail of where one can go in their life without needing to draw it out for the audience, with four capable performances and direction to drive a film that drives hard to questions that aren't easy to get to but prove fairly worth it in the long run. It reaches most of the marks it wants to make while serving as its own kind of Western melodrama worthy of a watch for its vision of the countryside.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

One-Eyed Jacks.

Review #1405: One-Eyed Jacks.

Cast: 
Marlon Brando ("Kid" Rio), Karl Malden (Dad Longworth), Ben Johnson (Bob Emory), Katy Jurado (Maria Longworth), Pina Pellicer (Louisa), Slim Pickens (Lon Dedrick), Larry Duran (Chico Modesto), Sam Gilman (Harvey Johnson), Timothy Carey (Howard Tetley), Míriam Colón (Eedhead), and Elisha Cook, Jr. (Carvey) Directed by Marlon Brando.

Review: 
"You work yourself to death. You're the first one up in the morning... I mean, we shot that thing on the run, you know, you make up the dialogue the scene before, improvising, and your brain is going crazy"

Being an outsider can prove interesting when it comes to cinema, whether you are an actor or director. Marlon Brando certainly proved himself in cultivating a career in the former category with characters on the outside with a great deal of naturalization in acting that made him a presence to behold on screen for several decades, from the highest of highs to lowest of lows, and the 1960s were certainly an interesting one for him in his life and career. He appeared in thirteen films in this decade, which is considerable since it was the most he did in one decade in a 39 film career that spanned over five decades. He grew a reputation as demanding and troublesome on set in this decade with films that audiences felt where inconsistent in quality, ranging from Mutiny on the Bounty (1962, where he had conflicts with director Lewis Milestone), A Countess from Hong Kong (1967, where initial joy to work with Charlie Chaplin turned to disappointment over his directorial style) to Burn! (1969, which he felt was some of his best acting). In any case, this film proved to be a unique experience for Brando, who would direct for the first and only time in his career. He stepped into this because of massive turnover when it came to writing and directing for a film under his production company Pennebaker Productions. For example, the first draft of the script (an adaptation of the 1956 novel The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones by Charles Neider) was done by Rod Serling. Then the plan shifted to having re-writes by Sam Peckinpah with direction from Stanley Kubrick. Calder Willingham and Guy Trosper both contributed to further re-writes, and they ultimately became the writers credited on-screen in the final product. A disagreement between Kubrick and Brando resulted in the former leaving the production weeks before it was slated to began, and the latter volunteered to serve as director.

Perhaps it should prove unsurprising that the film ran for 141 minutes, since Brando had apparently did a first cut that ran for over four hours, since he shot hours and hours of footage that amplified a budget from under two million to six, and it did not return well at the box offices. It certainly is an interesting Western, one that sets a trail of clichés about revenge with attempts to make complex characters with intensity and realism that make a curious movie in Brando's filmography. In a role that seems to pull from historical figures like Billy the Kid, Brando pulls off a tremendous performance, a contradiction of reserved intensity that certainly threads a different needle than the usual "main hero" present in Westerns (fitting in a decade with plenty to offer in that department) that seems fitting of psychoanalysis more than adulation. Malden, noted in his career for his versatility as a character actor with everyman qualities of intensity and authenticity, accompanies him as a father figure with his own complexity as adversary and authority figure filled with half-truths. Johnson and Pickens accompany the film at times with composed grime, while Jurado (who carved an image for herself in both Mexican and American cinema) makes for a calming presence and Pellicer (who appeared in five films before committing suicide at the age of 30) makes for quiet chemistry with Brando. This is a film that soaks with paradoxes of moralities and myths, packing a swift climax that makes a fitting end for such nihilism, even if Brando felt a bit disappointment in how the characters seemed to be "black and white, not gray and human as I planned them." It meanders at times, but at least the cinematography by Charles Lang is nice to look at to make things palpable. On the whole, this is a film with plenty of intensity and ego on display in it its star and director, a fitting curiosity that any actor/director would surely be proud to have done, warts and all.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Searchers.

Review #1392: The Searchers.

Cast: 
John Wayne (Ethan Edwards), Jeffrey Hunter (Martin Pawley), Vera Miles (Laurie Jorgensen), Ward Bond (Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnson Clayton), Natalie Wood (Debbie Edwards), John Qualen (Lars Jorgensen), Olive Carey (Mrs. Jorgensen), Henry Brandon (Chief Cicatriz - Scar), Ken Curtis (Charlie McCorry), Harry Carey, Jr. (Brad Jorgensen), Antonio Moreno (Emilio Gabriel Fernández y Figueroa), and Hank Worden (Mose Harper) Directed by John Ford (#398 - The Last Hurrah, #1324 - 3 Bad Men, #1349 - Stagecoach, and #1372 - Fort Apache)

Review: 
Every director surely wants to have one masterpiece in their lifetime, or at the very least wants to have their name or films endure even after their death. John Ford is certainly one man who achieved both with making numerous classics, particularly with John Wayne. It should prove no surprise that this film has endured as a classic in the eyes of many, with Wayne calling it his favorite role and one of his favorite films, and numerous directors have been inspired by the film that ranged from David Lean to Jean-Luc Godard. The film was adapted from novelist/screen-writer Alan Le May's 1954 novel of the same name by Frank S. Nugent. There had been cases where Native American had abducted children and raised them as members of their tribe only to be rescued later, most notably with the Fort Parker massacre in 1836 Texas. This is a film that features familiar aspects of a Western for its director with Wayne and Monument Valley as a primary filming location to view throughout its 119 minute run-time.

This is an interesting film in the middle of Ford's penultimate decade of directorial work, one that grew considerably in reputation over the past six decades (going from receiving no award nominations to best-of lists), which can be attributed to a stellar cast and an injection of darker hues in terms of realism when it comes to telling its story in ways more complex than the usual standards for a Western were. We are intrigued by the characters that come across this vast barren landscape, particularly when it comes to Wayne. He excels with displaying such obsession over his pursuit for vengeance that burns with plenty of conviction that drives the climax in wondering just how far one man is willing to go to finish a quest as grisly as this one is. Hunter does just as well as a foil for this rough quest that we see plainly in his calm eyes, someone who grows as the film does that make him a key for how the tension is built so well for the climax, since our focus is on these two for most of the film and the child-turned-teenage star Wood has only so much time to be on screen (basically ten minutes) that she pulls off with resolve. Miles and Bond each lend a hand as counterparts to the main duo for moments on the lighter side, whether filled with a few wisecracks or something else. The other members of the cast (some of whom were part of numerous films with Ford) do their part in filling things out neatly, whether that means a sequence involving a marriage fight or the buildup to the climax with a nervous soldier. In any case, this is an entertaining film with plenty to say of the harsh realities of the Old West on numerous angles, where losses were suffered on both sides by innocents and warriors alike that went hand in hand with the attempts of trying to build a life for themselves in vast and dangerous territory. Life can be hard if one is not up to the challenge of standing up to what may come their way, whether that involves conflict with oneself or with prejudice from others or something else entirely when it comes a wanderer and coming home. In any case, The Searchers does fairly well with making an attempt at a darker Western with an intense Wayne at the helm to sell itself off beautifully by the time it gets to its enduring last shot. Six decades of time have left plenty to shine in this Western now more than ever as a rewarding film for the ages for all who take it upon themselves to get on the frontier and find themselves watching the film for themselves.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Track of the Cat.

Review #1387: Track of the Cat.

Cast: 
Robert Mitchum (Curt Bridges), Teresa Wright (Grace Bridges), Diana Lynn (Gwen Williams), Tab Hunter (Harold Bridges), Beulah Bondi (Ma Bridges), Philip Tonge (Pa Bridges), William Hopper (Arthur Bridges), and Carl Switzer (Joe Sam) Directed by William A. Wellman (#349 - Wings, #494 - The Public Enemy, #866 - Nothing Sacred, and #973 - A Star is Born)

Review: 
"Get a director and a writer and leave them alone. That's how the best pictures get made."

Whether the film turned out to be a classic or not, one can respect the diverse range that William A. Wellman brought to film during his time as a director. "Wild Bill" Wellman (who earned the nickname for his World War I air-service) had actually started in film as an actor, owing to his looks that were noticed by Douglas Fairbanks (after trying his hand as a salesman and hockey). However, he soon found the profession of acting to be "unmanly", deciding to shift his focus to jobs behind the camera that would gradually shift to directing. He debuted unofficially as a director with The Twins of Suffering Creek (1920) while starting his career with Fox Film Corporation with low-budget films. However, he soon found himself thrust into directing a World War I pilot melodrama with Wings (1927), which was a hit with audiences. Wellman was known for his high-strung temperament with his actors along with his fast nature of making films, usually settling with just one or two takes for a shot. He did a variety of genres in a career of over thirty years, from war / aviation films to romantic melodramas to comedies to westerns, which helped him earn three Academy Award nominations for directing and one win for Best Story while directing seven actors to Academy Award nominations.

This was the fifth-to-last film of his career, released in the same year that he had done a notable work (in this case aviation) with The High and Mighty (whose star John Wayne served as producer for this feature). However, Track of the Cat did not prove as successful, with Wellman even describing it as "a flop artistically, financially, and Wellmanly" (of course he also once stated that for every good picture, he made at least five stinkers), with one key regret involving not showing the blank panther up close. The film was adapted from the 1949 novel The Track of the Cat from novelist and teacher Walter Van Tilburg Clark, whose previous work The Ox-Bow Incident had been adapted by Wellman into a film a few years earlier, with novelist A.I. Bezzerides writing the screenplay. Wellman aspired to make a black-and-white film in color, where shooting was done with subdued and stark shades of grey, black, and white, which certainly stick out when there is a moment with an element of noticeable color, such as a red coat in the midst of snowy Washington. On the one hand, the film does look quite haunting for a Western, one that seems quite brooding and ambitious to churn out melodrama on an path different from others. Perhaps this turns out better for others who watch it, because I found the ultimate result a middling disappointment, seeming to lack a real purpose of existing beyond interesting imagery and occasional highlight moments. Honestly, I went into the film with a very small rundown on what the film actually was (too much of a plot check can be too much of a plot check), intrigued by Mitchum and Wright with a curiosity over a hunt for a cat. Well, one does certainly see a cat-hunt, but the time is mostly spent of family squabbling that meanders and feels lacking in real tension to make it seem worth it, where spending time in an actual cold mountain with someone you don't like might actually be preferable. I liked seeing Mitchum from time to time, because he has the confidence for a brusque role (by just being nonchalant) despite being fragmented from the others after the first third of the film or so. Wright does fine with a reserved role that is begging for more to do like the character reflects, since Bondi proves to have the most grip with self-righteous furor to go with a browbeaten Hunter that comes into his own with mixed results. As strange as it is to have a young actor play an elderly mystical character, it might seem stranger to note that it is played by former Our Gang star Carl Switzer, who doesn't talk too much during the feature, although he does do a decent job with what he is given. Perhaps the book is more reaching on a philosophical level than the film proves, but I generally found the movie to be just okay at its attempts at something to latch onto. The CinemaScope does tend to make the film look pretty well, but it is what goes on for 102 minutes that make things drop with a thud when it matters most. It is a kind of Western that might appeal to someone looking for something different to look at and think about if the mindset is in the right place.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Shane.

Review #1382: Shane.

Cast: 
Alan Ladd (Shane), Jean Arthur (Marian Starrett), Van Heflin (Joe Starrett), Brandon deWilde (Joey Starrett), Jack Palance (Jack Wilson), Ben Johnson (Chris Calloway), Edgar Buchanan (Fred Lewis), Emile Meyer (Rufus Ryker), Elisha Cook Jr (Frank "Stonewall" Torrey), Douglas Spencer (Axel 'Swede' Shipstead), John Dierkes (Morgan Ryker), Ellen Corby (Mrs. Liz Torrey), and Paul McVey (Sam Grafton) Produced and Directed by George Stevens (#911 - Woman of the Year)

Review: 
“I’ve always been of the opinion that a director should never touch a film without his having a basic knowledge of its contents.”

There have been a countless amount of Westerns to choose from when it comes to picking a film to watch and plenty that came from the 1950s. It should only prove natural that a classic as timeless as this one is came from George Stevens. Born in a family of actors and film crewmen, Stevens honed his craft first as a cameraman with the Laurel and Hardy film series before soon cutting his teeth as a director for shorts and eventually his first feature with the comedy The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble (1933). In the prevailing next few years, he would go on to do comedies and romantic dramas before he left to serve in World War II, which had a diverse selection of stars ranging from Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy (where he directed the first film to feature the two together in Woman of the Year) to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers with Swing Time (1936) to Cary Grant with Gunga Din (1939). He served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a head of the film unit, which filmed numerous events of the war such as the D-Day landings and shots of concentrations camps such as Dachau. When he returned to direct feature films in 1948, his films darkened in optimism, but he reached success with his ambitious efforts. He won two Academy Awards for Best Director for A Place in the Sun (1951) and Giant (1956), a feat matched by just twenty other directors before he closed his career with The Only Game in Town (1970). Stevens commanded respect from his fellow directors and stars, a man capable of keeping control of the film to himself and not at the whims of producers or big names, believing that films should be respected as more than just a tool to be used to sell products when they were aired on television.

It should only prove fitting that the film has a tremendous tense presence to headline a classic like this. Ladd (a man who tried his hand at extras and bit parts before getting his big break at the age of 29) is precisely the man for the moments required of him in this film, a weary presence that we see ourselves drawn to even before conflict has built itself to a boil. He doesn't have the biggest of backstories or the tallest of heights, but there is plenty to see within his eyes when interacting with the others, such as with deWilde or with Arthur, a graceful presence in her last performance before film retirement. Heflin keeps up with resilience fitting of a community man, while deWilde (who had his Broadway debut at the age of 7) makes a compelling coming of age presence that is crystalized with the final iconic scene with Ladd. The rest of the cast contribute in their own ways, such as a conniving Meyer. Palance utilizes his moments on screen with menacing precision through the way he says his lines, with the highlight being the sequence outside the saloon that builds tension right up until the gunshots are fired (done by shooting into a garbage can), complete with wires to jerk back the actor after being shot, a startlingly effective choice. The film was adapted from the Jack Schaefer's 1949 novel of the same name by Pultizer Prize novelist A.B. Guthrie Jr and columnist Jack Sher. It's interesting that the film turned out so well with the strange difficulties it faced at times with its stars. For example, Ladd, who disliked guns, took 116 takes when it came time to film the shooting demonstration sequence. Palance did not have much experience with guns or horses, and he had trouble in mounting (and demounting) his horse; the one take of him successfully mounting his horse would be used numerous times (along with being reversed for dismounts) during the film. This is a film that went from original plans of 58 shooting days to 75 (done in 1951) with extensive editing done by Stevens that led to delays. And yet here we are, talking about a classic for its decade because of how well-crafted it is, meticulous in its look in sets alongside award-winning cinematography from Loyal Griggs that go with a game cast and startling direction that certainly proved inspiring for future films (such as Pale Rider) while ultimately being a thought-provoking Western of a time that never ages and never dies.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Broken Arrow (1950).

Review #1376: Broken Arrow.

Cast: 
James Stewart (Tom Jeffords), Jeff Chandler (Cochise), Debra Paget (Sonseeahray), Basil Ruysdael (Gen. Oliver Otis Howard), Will Geer (Ben Slade, Rancher), Joyce MacKenzie (Terry, Scatfly Proprietress), Arthur Hunnicutt (Milt Duffield, Mail Superintendent), and Jay Silverheels (Geronimo) Directed by Delmer Daves.

Review: 
There have been plenty of Western directors, and one who had his own place with stars was Delmer Daves. He started his film career as a prop boy on a Western with The Covered Wagon (1923), having aspired to be a lawyer in California. Despite finishing his studies, he decided to become a screenwriter for MGM in 1929. Through various studios such as MGM and Warner Bros, he wrote numerous films such as The Petrified Forest (1936) and Love Affair (1939). Although he did not receive the kind of nominations and awards like other directors of his time, he still found time to make a 22-year career worthwhile while directing numerous stars in his films, revolving from Gary Cooper to George C. Scott in his 22-year directing career, with highlights including 3:10 to Yuma (1957), The Hanging Tree (1959), and Spencer's Mountain (1963). This film was not different when it came to stars, in terms of Stewart, who started the decade with a renewed output in films that evolved his everyman persona with a bit more ruggedness (with this being the first of his Westerns for the era), while Chandler was a relative unknown with physicality and radio (and a bit of film) experience that lifted him to stardom.

The film was adapted from Elliott Arnold's novel of the same name by Albert Maltz (who used a front name due to blacklisting), which told the story of a peace agreement between Cochise and the U.S. Army that occurred for a few years, with dramatizations of historical figures such as Jeffords and Cochise, particularly with the former in terms of a romance. However, it is the attempt to show Native Americans in a balanced manner that made it stood out from the hostile manner of other Westerns in previous years. It is dignity that encompasses the film in its portrayal of attempted peace in the face of prejudice that has its own merits now as it did then, where understanding is the real key to a just land as opposed to a whirlwind of strikes and revenge. Stewart is the fiber of the film, one with growing principles towards a future besides the status quo of war. Chandler (who would play the role again alongside Silverheels in The Battle at Apache Pass two years later) proves to be just as interesting with fiber, giving credence to a fairly balanced historical role with a sense of presence that makes him compelling to watch. Paget seems a bit too young for this particular role, since there is a considerable age difference of 25 years between her and Stewart, which ends up with a bare sense of chemistry that tangles up the climax a bit. Ruysdael and the others lend a fair hand at giving credence and differing tension to a film that yearns to tell a story beyond just fighting for a Western - which works itself out most of the time. On the whole, the film works itself for 93 minutes without too much trouble, a careful film that stands competently after eight decades with structure worth looking forward to now among the usual Westerns of its time.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Outlaw.

Review #1363: The Outlaw.

Cast: 
Jack Buetel (Billy the Kid), Jane Russell (Rio McDonald), Thomas Mitchell (Pat Garrett), Walter Huston (Doc Holliday), Mimi Aguglia (Guadalupe), and Joe Sawyer (Charley) Directed by Howard Hughes (#1332 - Hell's Angels)

Review: 
We live in an age of relentless promotion, don't we? Whether it is self promotion or social influencing, it can be a bit easy to become cynical about how a film can permeate our attention. Earlier decades aren't free of such statements, particularly when it comes to Howard Hughes, noted business magnate, investor, and engineer who also dabbled in films (he of course was known for purchasing RKO Pictures later in the decade). On the one hand, Hughes had plenty of highlights in thirty years of productions, with Hell's Angels (1930), The Front Page (1931), and Scarface (1932). On the other hand, his career also had films like His Kind of Woman (1951, which had two directors), The Conquerer (1956, known for inferior quality and being filmed 137 miles from nuclear testing), and Jet Pilot (1957, which Hughes tinkered with for four years). It was him who had brought Buetel and Russell for their debut performances, but their contracts to Hughes affected their careers, with the former not appearing in another film until 1951 and the latter was off the screen until 1946. Of course the film itself had plenty of trouble on and off filming. Hughes (who took over for Howard Hawks after he had griped about interference) had designed a special underwire bra for Russell to wear to emphasize her bosom. Interestingly enough, Russell didn't actually wear the bra for the film, discarding it secretly. You might notice the copyright of 1941 for the film, since production had finished in February. Hughes had plenty of trouble in releasing the film because of the Hollywood Production Code Administration. Simply put, they objected to Hughes' emphasis of Russell's features, wanting cuts made. The film was initially released for one week in February 1943 before objections were raised that led to shelving until 1946.

Of course with all that in mind, how's the actual film? It doesn't take a cynical eye to note that despite all of its daring attempts to stoke curiosity, it still comes in a film that is a tremendous bore, a deliberate insult to history that can't even stoke interest in the senses besides occasional glances to see how much is left in the tank (116 minutes, no less). While the film attempts to have back up with established stars in Mitchell and Huston (past and future winners of an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), one does not really seem to feel too particularly interested in what is actually going on, beyond its attempts at humor and stoking excitement of passion. Sure, Russell does seem like she could be a star of some sort with raw presence, but Hughes does not seem quite the one to do so (this of course could have been said for Jean Harlow when she made her appearance in Hughes' other directorial effort). These are flat lines, ones that only barely register in entertainment no matter who says them. Buetel looks especially lost, looking like he wants to be in some other Western than this. Everybody looks like they are acting in completely different films, and Mitchell and Huston seem no different. In a better film, one could forgive some of the flailing attempts of re-telling legends of the Old West. But with this one, it seems almost intentional to irritate the fact-checkers. Did Doc Holliday ever meet Billy the Kid? Did he get killed in an accident with Pat Garrett? Did Billy the Kid escape death? Who cares?! You might as well have made a fictional composite while you are at it, or find another way to use your time, like social isolation or snarky Internet posting. On the whole, The Outlaw is a film more known for its attempts at promotion that were objectionable for the time rather than the true finished product, and it definitely shows in an aged ridiculous spectacle that flails as a Western in the worst ways.

Next Review - Onward, unless something stops it.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Stagecoach (1939).

Review #1349: Stagecoach.

Cast: 
Claire Trevor (Dallas), John Wayne (Ringo Kid), Andy Devine (Buck), John Carradine (Hatfield), Thomas Mitchell (Doc Boone), Louise Platt (Lucy Mallory), George Bancroft (Marshal Curley Wilcox), Donald Meek (Samuel Peacock), Berton Churchill (Henry Gatewood), and Tim Holt (Lieutenant Blanchard) Directed by John Ford (#398 - The Last Hurrah and #1324 - 3 Bad Men)

Review: 
When the right actors and directors are in place to tell a tale of the Old West, it can make for great entertainment. In the early parts of the 20th century, there were plenty of Western films to go around, whether made with a bit of ambition in budget or made on the cheap. John Wayne served as star to several films of the latter category for a majority of the 1930s, most notably with Poverty Row company Monogram Pictures (although there were films he made with the bigger studios, albeit as B-pictures). Although one recognizes his good performance from his feature starring debut in The Big Trail (1930) now, it was considered a financial flop at the time, which did not help his career. But one man knew he had some promise. Who better to exude such confidence than John Ford? For his first Western in thirteen years, Ford tried to attract interest from the major studios to make his film the way he wanted, but it was Selznick International Pictures (founded by noted producer David O. Selznick) that found itself attracted to it more than the majors. Of course, Selznick wanted big name stars to headline the film like Gary Cooper or Marlene Dietrich as opposed to Wayne, but Ford stood firm and eventually found his producer in Walter Wanger with United Artists, albeit with a budget of just $500,000. The film is an adaptation of Ernest Haycox's 1937 short story "The Stage to Lordsburg", done so by Dudley Nichols, who had won an Academy Award for his screenplay in a previous collaboration with Ford earlier with The Informer (1935). A film like this would not come easy - for the director nor its stars. Ford was a man who liked to keep his actors on their toes, describing Devine at one point as a "big tub of lard" and Wayne as a "big oaf". Of course Devine provides a well-done performance (complete with his riding of six horses, which helped him get the part) and Wayne is the everyman that all should look up to, with Ford being the guide in challenging his actors to new heights. Of course one cannot forget Monument Valley, a region on the Arizona-Utah border with plenty of sandstone buttes to behold. Ford loved the place so much that he would return to use it for several films in the following decades, with its wide open spaces blending in with the studio-filmed coach sequences and the backlot usage for the town parts. One who should not be forgotten for their contributions is stuntman Yakima Canutt. The first is his help in suggestions when it came to trying to pull off a sequence with the stagecoach floating across a river with passengers in it (his solution? hollow logs tied to the coach). The second is his stunt-work with the memorable attack of the stagecoach by the natives, in which he rode full speed alongside the coach on a horse, with the most notable stunt being him falling between two lead horses before hanging from the rig before letting go to allow for the horses and the stagecoach to pass over him. Of course the way they handled the horses for filming during said sequence is not as astonishing, as they used a "Running W" device that essentially circled the legs of a horse with an iron clamp and strong wires for when they needed a horse to tumble after its rider was "shot" (with the obvious result being an effective trick but plenty of injured horses). The attitude towards Native Americans that this film has (as is the case with numerous Westerns of the time) is certainly dated, but I am sure it will note adversely affect the general enjoyment of the film as a whole.

One cannot forget about the ensemble in all of this. It is a brilliantly assembled group, each of which being clearly defined in their presence that does not get lost in the shuffle of adventure. A group of eccentric but well definable (and therefore relatable) folks on a trip wracked with some sort of problem either internally or externally seems fairly familiar, but this is a well-executed one at that, moving with the rhythm of a horse on the move. One cares for this group of travelers during this 96 minute trail, and it all starts with Wayne and his memorable close-up entrance. He provides wonderful dignity in a manner that extends to his time spent with Trevor. They share careful chemistry with each other, rolling with the tension that comes with a journey without needing to resort to cliches of the heart, which goes well with the weary vulnerability she exudes. Devine provides squeaky charm of the best sort - you would be proud to have him around for a ride or a story. One cannot forget Carradine (who went from stage company to 300-film company in a six decade career) and his sleek gambler nature that aligns with Platt in contrast quite well. Mitchell (in an Oscar-winning turn) provides warmth and eccentric nature through the wise drunk man routine that pays off in spades for each moment. Bancroft provides grit with authority that is to be expected to the ends the film needs to go to, while Platt, Meek and Churchill each provide distinct qualities that make them seem more than just in the background, wrapped in either dignity, meekness, or prejudice. By the time the film gets to its sequence involving the chase of the stagecoach through dangerous territory, one has found themselves never really wanting the trail to find its end, riveted at what they see go on with a crew at the top of their game for the perfect time (this of course did not stop someone from remaking it in 1966). The build-up to the final showdown is just as exquisite, magic in delivering tension without needing to show a big gun-fight to make an impact. Wayne became a star because of this film, and he would team up with Ford in several productions over the following three decades, most of which (but not all) being Westerns. 1939 was a great year for films, and this is one of those films, a legendary tale worth viewing to understand what one can do with an ensemble cast and a hard-nosed determined director at the helm to make history.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

The Big Trail.

Review #1333: The Big Trail.

Cast: 
John Wayne (Breck Coleman), Marguerite Churchill (Ruth Cameron), El Brendel (Gus), Tully Marshall (Zeke), Tyrone Power, Sr. (Red Flack), Frederick Burton (Pa Bascom), Ian Keith (Bill Thorpe), Charles Stevens (Lopez), Louise Carver (Gus's mother-in-law), John Big Tree (Indian Chief), DeWitt Jennings (Boat Captain Hollister), and Ward Bond (Sid Bascom) Directed by Raoul Walsh (#399 - The Thief of Bagdad (1924), and #907 - White Heat)

Review: 
The 1930s were an evolving and experimental time for film. The decade had already started with the Great Depression that affected the entire world on an economical level (which would doom Fox Film founder William Fox in 1930). As such, escapist or big spectacle fare was quite prevalent during this time, with this decade being a prominent one for the Golden Age of Hollywood, particularly with a prevalent studio system (domination of film production and distribution by a small group of major studios). Sound films were a phenomenon during this time, and certain movies even were done in color. One film with its own attempt at innovation is The Big Trail - which was shot in Grandeur, a 70mm film process. It was the last film released by Fox Film with this short-lived process nor the first done with the intent of making a widescreen movie. The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897), film's first feature film, was shot on a widescreen ratio of 1.65:1. Warner Bros released films with their widescreen process Vitascope, and MGM had the Fanthom Screen for a brief time, while The Bat (1930) was filmed in the 2:1 Magnifilm 65mm aspect ratio. Converting theaters to show in widescreen would prove futile, since they already had to deal the costs with adapting to sound, with the next push by a major studio to make films in widescreen not occurring again for two decades. One has to remember that this film was shot numerous times - not only was it done with the Grandeur cameras, it was also done with the conventional 35mm film alongside making versions for world audiences, with four versions in French, German, Italian, and Spanish done (this was before dubbing became more popular). Nowadays one can view the film in widescreen as originally intended - most theaters could not show it in this process, and the original 70mm negative was only preserved through a special printer over a year long process in the 1980s. On top of all that, the 35mm version was shorter at 108 minutes than the 70mm 122 minute run-time, so both films have scenes that aren't in the other version. This was a big spectacle piece, with over 90 actors and 700 natives from five different Native American tribes, hundreds of wagons and thousands of animals from cows to horses brought in. It only seems fitting that Raoul Walsh was behind the direction, seeing how this was the beginning his third decade of directing films, having spent the past fifteen years acting and directing before going on to direct further films in the next 34 years.

Of course the film also has a young talent with John Wayne at head. Wayne, who had went to the University of Southern California for football before an injury, had been hired as a prop boy/extra to actor Tom Mix (one of cinema's first Western stars, who also happened to good friends with Wyatt Earp) and director John Ford as a favor for his coach. He recorded bit parts in films such as Bardelys the Magnificent (1926), but it was Walsh who would notice the actor and think of him to headline this film While the film was not a major success at the time of its release (owing to its big budget), it is now noted as a prime Western for the era, one with sweeping spectacle and a well-earned first turn from its star and an engaging supporting cast to go with it. It takes its time to tell its story with an episodic nature on its take of the development of the West (which sounds a bit like The Covered Wagon (1923) - which also depicted a trip to Oregon), and it proves just as engaging with depicting the drive to make a living for oneself in a place of their own regardless of the struggle it would take to do so, whether involving the elements of weather or trying to get a wagon across the lands (along with some frontier justice). The film looks wonderful to view, where even the backgrounds can prove interesting to view besides the main conversation pairings. When it comes to Wayne, he really must have been born to play an Old West hero. Beyond his persona and the way he speaks and struts (which he took inspiration from Wyatt Earp) is a man who just has that raw presence this film desires in an everyman hero. While the film wasn't a major success, Wayne did continue to find work, albeit with B-movie Westerns before Stagecoach (1939) gave him another chance at prime status, which he worked handily. Churchill lines up fine when the film requires so, having some chemistry with him. Brendel, the vaudeville comedian turned film star does fine with delivering some comic relief alongside Carver when the film needs a fair chuckle. Power Sr, in his last role before his death the following year (along with his only talkie role), proves to be a worthy and sharp adversary, one who seeps right in as someone lurking in plain sight without needing to go for overblown theatrics. Marshall rounds out the cast in terms of being a fun highlight - warm, crusty and right-at-home kind presence (much like how he was the last time I saw him on film - which happened to be The Covered Wagon). In the end, the scenery is lush enough to be captured right on the screen, with Walsh handling a fairly well-made story (done by Hal G. Evarts, with un-credited help by Marie Boyle, Jack Peabody, Florence Postal, and Fred Sersen) together with craftsmanship and a game cast that stands tall as a gem that shines now more than ever after nine decades.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

3 Bad Men.

Review #1324: 3 Bad Men.

Cast: 
George O'Brien (Dan O'Malley), Olive Borden (Lee Carlton), Lou Tellegen (Sheriff Layne Hunter), Tom Santschi ("Bull" Stanley), J. Farrell MacDonald (Mike Costigan), Frank Campeau ("Spade" Allen), Priscilla Bonner (Millie Stanley), Otis Harlan (Editor Zach Little), Phyllis Haver (Lily), Georgie Harris (Joe Minsk), Alec B. Francis (Rev. Calvin Benson), and Jay Hunt (Nat Lucas) Directed by John Ford (#398 - The Last Hurrah)

Review: 
When it comes to making a classic Western, John Ford as director certainly comes to mind. Ford had a lengthy career that spanned nearly 50 years from his first in The Tornado (1917) to his last with 7 Women (1966). He could direct any sort of genre, whether a Western, drama, war documentary, romance or some sort of drama. In any case, it seems appropriate to pick a film like this from Ford, seeing as a great deal of his silent films are now lost, alongside the fact that it was also his last Western until another classic thirteen years later with Stagecoach. This also ties in to the film's main star in O'Brien, who starred in ten films for Ford (such as The Iron Horse (1924), Ford's first epic) while becoming a popular star for this decade in his own right. It is nice to see a Western that likes to try and play with other genres and succeeds in doing so, having highlights of comedy and romance that gel pretty well with a solid cast. It is a pretty riveting film that comes from Fox Film Corporation (who you might recognize from their subsequent merger with 20th Century Studios in 1935), juggling its plot and numerous characters with careful ambition, where its episodic nature plays out nicely for 92 minutes without overstaying its welcome. It is a film "suggested" by Herman Whitaker's 1916 novel Over the Border, with the scenario and adaptation being done by John Stone while Ralph Spence and Malcolm Stuart Boylan did the titles. There are quite a few Western tropes to spot here, such as bad guys gone good, a last stand for prominent characters, some sort of historical element (in this case, a land rush in the Dakotas), and so on. But it never seems like a cliche waiting to be made fun of because of how interesting Ford can make the landscape seem. Stock characters can still make for great entertainment if one has the right sense of direction to let the actors deliver some effort to them, and Ford does that well. O'Brien and Borden prove to be pretty watchable, having decent chemistry together, compelling to watch when faced with each other or when with the rascally "bad men". Tellegen proves to be a capably ruthless adversary, whose fierce eyes and disposition gel pretty well when needed for a showdown or just being rude to someone who wants to marry him. The highlight proves to be the outlaw group, headlined by a soulful Santschi, who carries this group to redemption with charm and tenderness. MacDonald and Campeau are also pretty good in giving some chuckles (as set up by the title cards). The rest of the cast prove just fine, particularly when it comes to a good ol' bar fight or the land rush. It is a curiosity worth checking out, where one can see a game cast work with equally sturdy foundations for a fun adventure along with seeing an early example of a memorable film by John Ford when it came to delivering capable entertainment that served him well over the course of the next few decades with sound and Westerns.

Next Time: Tribute to the Decades approaches a year of awards and sound first with Underworld.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Covered Wagon.

Review #1320: The Covered Wagon.

Cast: 
J. Warren Kerrigan (Will Banion), Lois Wilson (Molly Wingate), Alan Hale (Sam Woodhull), Ernest Torrence (William Jackson), Tully Marshall (Jim Bridger), Ethel Wales (Mrs. Wingate), Charles Ogle (Jesse Wingate), Guy Oliver (Kit Carson), and Johnny Fox (Jed Wingate) Directed by James Cruze (#1263 - The Roaring Road)

Review: 
What is it about the Western that inspires such curiosity? What inspired so many directors and studios to make their own tales (or adapt works) about cowboys, gunslingers, and other various subjects that dominated the film landscape for over half of the 20th century, doing so from the very get go with the first one shot in the United States (and second overall) in The Great Train Robbery (1903), which captivated audiences with its action in such quick time at 12 minutes. The evolution of film production in the two decades that followed meant that at some point one would strive to make a big budget Western epic to hang their cowboy hat on, at least until someone made one that looked better. The honor of being known as the first big-budget Western epic (made for roughly over $700,000 from Paramount Pictures) falls to this feature, which is adapted from the novel of the same name by Emerson Hough. Expense was not spared when it came to research to get costumes and locations scoped out, particularly when it came to finding a herd of wild bison (alongside other animals like oxen and horses) to roam the plains, complete with authentic wagons. If that sounds daunting enough, try being an actor having to spend months in the desert of Utah, dealing with various weather elements alongside being fairly distant from railroads, with one sequence involving wagons fording a torrent being a risky one to film in part because they had to actually swim for it alongside the accompanying horses and oxen. Simply put, one can trace Western epics and the level of craftsmanship one must take in executing ambition from costumes to characters to this film, which manages to hold itself fairly well without becoming too much a thing of the past.

It is an honest spectacle, welcome of curiosity for those who seek out fair pleasures. It has exactly the kind of things you would expect from a Western, with a clear hero, romantic lead and heavy to follow, and one can take a guess as to how these pioneers will do in their journey from Kansas to Oregon for 98 minutes - as long as one does not find themselves checking their watch from time to time or peeking at what comes next, you should do fine. It is the journey that counts when it comes to films, and how one enjoys the ride or trip with these actors and views that counts most, and this one does fine with that in mind - you could probably see this and at have some sort of interest in wondering about the plight of the pioneer, whether that means trouble with just getting to where they need to go or in-fights and so on. The highlight proves to be Torrence and Marshall, giving a bit of amusement as the comic relief, while Kerrigan and Wilson prove adequate if not too memorable people to look at through the lens of a routine romantic Western. Regardless, it proved an audience hit, making roughly seven million dollars, exceeding films now regarded as classics for that year such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Safety Last!, which now can all be found in the public domain for one to eye with curiosity. This film may not stand too highly with some of the Westerns that would come to pass over the next decade and beyond, but it still holds ground as a resilient charmer when it comes to entertainment, and that surely will prove enough for those who want to seek it most.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

True Grit (1969).

Review #1314: True Grit.

Cast: 
John Wayne (Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn), Kim Darby (Mattie Ross), Glen Campbell (La Boeuf), Jeremy Slate (Emmett Quincy), Robert Duvall (Lucky Ned Pepper), Dennis Hopper (Moon), Alfred Ryder (Goudy), Strother Martin (Col. G. Stonehill), Jeff Corey (Tom Chaney), Ron Soble (Captain Boots Finch), John Fiedler (Lawyer Daggett), and James Westerfield (Judge Parker) Directed by Henry Hathaway.

Review: 
It seems perfectly appropriate to close a year out with a Western (or start one, if you're into that sort of tradition) - particularly one released in a year as intreging as 1969. That year was a time where the genre experienced variations of telling a tale of the Old West through various lens such as The Wild Bunch with its touch of violence or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and its touch of humor. This is a film that very well could have been made in a previous decade - after all, its director was known primarily for quite a few Westerns in his time (mostly with Gary Cooper as star), with producer Hal B. Wallis having served as producer on films such as Casablanca (1942) or Westerns like The Sons of Katie Elder (released four years earlier, which had both Hathaway and Wayne). However, this was an adaptation of the 1968 novel of the same name from Charles Portis, adapted to the screen by Marguerite Roberts. Wayne had read the novel and soon expressed a desire to star in the main role, while later calling the screenplay the best one he ever read. The other parts of the main trio came a bit more shakily, with considerations for Mattie ranging from Mia Farrow to Sally Field before Darby wound up with the role, while Elvis Presley was the original one in mind for the role eventually taken up by Campbell (complete with singing the title song to open the film). Hathaway did not find himself having a great relationship with either of them along with Duvall, but he certainly leads them to worthy performances, not tripping up the momentum in part because the film knows when to be an adventure and when to have a bit of charm as well. It may be a tale of revenge, but it's still one with tradition involved. Wayne moves with careful confidence, a man wracked by who he is and what he means to someone who needs a person like him to hunt - plenty of grit and plenty of charm beneath that gauze eye-patch. Darby shines with persistence, a fine person to play off the main presence without being lost in the background. Campbell seems a bit stiff when on screen, but at least he doesn't slow the momentum too much. Duvall makes for a fair adversary alongside Hopper and Corey (who gets to make a crack while doing a stare-down) makes for a compelling showdown person for the climax. It uses its 128 minutes to great effect, driving a riveting climax with action and class, earning its wonderful last shot (Wayne jumping a fence with a horse) with conviction and triumph. It is a film with a spirit of adventure that brims itself high and mighty without needing to be wrapped in too much sentiment or bluntness. It falls into the conventions of the genre, without trouble, a well made venture for those who seek it out looking for something worthwhile.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Review #1289: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Cast: 
Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy), Robert Redford (the Sundance Kid), Katharine Ross (Etta Place), Strother Martin (Percy Garris), Henry Jones (Bike Salesman), Jeff Corey (Sheriff Bledsoe), George Furth (Woodcock), Cloris Leachman (Agnes), and Ted Cassidy (Harvey Logan) Directed by George Roy Hill (#962 - A Little Romance and #1178 - Slap Shot)

Review: 
It never proves to be a bad idea to do watch a Western, especially when you have a dynamite trio of actors and a capable director willing to have some fun with a genre as familiar as this one. The 1960s certainly could turn a film genre on its head a bit, as was the case with The Wild Bunch - which was a violent shocking take on the genre released the same year. Really the best representation of this film and its vision of a Western could be the scene involving the sheriff and his attempts at rounding people up to apprehend the two leads, which leads to a salesman trying to push bicycles as the new way to get around instead of horses. William Goldman was inspired by the exploits of the real-life duo of robbers in part because of the fact that they had a second act (running off to Bolivia after their pursuit by the "superposse"); he wrote it as a screenplay between 1965-66, but it initially did not receive interest in part because of the departure to South America by the characters, and numerous actors rejected being the stars such as Steve McQueen, Warren Beatty, and Jack Lemmon. In any case, adapting an Old West legend into its own little tale isn't exactly a new thing, but this is a film that is fairly clever in its approach, being good-natured with where it wants to go without pushing its audience too hard in any one direction, having a bit of fun alongside other moments that make this a worthy Western for anyone. Both Newman and Redford are fun to be around with, with the former having plenty of charm and a sense of humor, which sticks out in most scenes, such as him riding a bicycle with Ross while "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (which ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song for its writers, Burt Bacharach and Hal David) plays in the background. Redford is just as dynamic when it comes to garnering a sardonic moment in a role that helped boost him to full-fledged stardom - for good reason. Ross proves interesting as well, making for a fine spark within a trio that holds the ship well. There isn't a big bad like one sees with other Westerns, but the film doesn't really need one to really drive things, where little moments with others work just as fine in giving the film something to tell an interesting yarn that doesn't need all the facts to be a capable Western. The 110 minute run-time proves alright, with its surrounding first and latter halves holding a bit more steady than its middle involving the departure to Bolivia. The action does work out pretty nicely, including one amusing moment with a train and its clerk. It stands out well with its good sense of humor and timing, a pleaser for the crowds that stands just as tall today as it did a half century ago.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Lonely Are the Brave.

Review #1229: Lonely Are the Brave.

Cast: 
Kirk Douglas (John W. "Jack" Burns), Gena Rowlands (Jerry Bondi), Walter Matthau (Sheriff Morey Johnson), Michael Kane (Paul Bondi), Carroll O'Connor (Truck Driver), William Schallert (Harry), George Kennedy (Gutierrez), and Karl Swenson (Rev. Hoskins) Directed by David Miller.

Review: 
Sometimes you come across a Western that is a bit different from the rest. This Western drama is adapted from Edward Abbey's 1956 novel The Brave Cowboy with a screenplay from Dalton Trumbo. The film deals with the difficulty an individual can have living within growing society, one where wires and fences loom over the open country, where one lone man stands with his principles. Douglas (who calls this his favorite film) was attracted to playing the lead after reading the novel, with him getting Universal Pictures to help fund the film with him as star, complete with cast and crew recruited from his production company Joel Productions. Filmed on a budget of two million around Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lonely Are the Brave is a stark and excellently done tragic classic, headlined by a great performance from Douglas alongside a capable supporting cast to go alongside him in a film that stands out from other Westerns of its time, both in setting and in tone. Key moments include Douglas and his fight with a one-armed man (Bill Raisch, a stand-in for Burt Lancaster on occasion best known for his appearances on The Fugitive beginning the following year), well-done cinematography by Philip H. Lathrop that shows off vast landscape shots without trouble and fine detail and an understated performance from Matthau, who was more known for his work on the stage (winning his second Tony Award the same year of this film's release, in fact). For the most part, this is a film for Douglas to grab with his performance, which is quite wonderful, running the gamut in grace as a man of the West trapped in a tragic fate of a moving world that makes this revisionist Western stand tall. Rowlands and Kane do fair with their brief time on screen, being the kind of people who could cross paths with a rogue like our lead without seeming completely in the background, trying to roll with their path in a weary world. The other members of the cast (including a young O'Connor) do just fine, including a rough Kennedy. It did not prove to be a huge hit upon initial release, in part because of disputes between Douglas and Universal over how the film should be released, with Douglas believing it should be released in art-houses and gradually build its audience and the studio preferring to release it wide without any sort of big support. Despite this, the film has its own cult following and it isn't hard to see why. It has a solid headliner with Douglas in a role he excels with, making it obvious why he would adore it still after half a century since, since it is a solid production with its own bit of thrills and distinctive voice among Westerns that make it a fair piece to recommend out of curiosity on the trail.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.