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Westerns, Noir
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John Ireland
John Smith
LylecBettger
Dan Duryea
Mercedes McCambridge
etc.
Reviews
Diamante Lobo (1976)
They were national treasures
Anything lacking in this is solely for the writing. You have here 3 particular icons in the last stretch of their lives, still working. Lee Van Cleef is such a fine wine, allowed in his late career to truly shine as the great character actor that he was. Jack Palance looked no older than in his 30s and Richard Boone needed more dialog.
The directing was pure Kramer and gives the feel of the old westerns.
Notice Lee had an earring in his right earlobe in the brother scenes. He had 1 pierced ear from his WWII Navy days. The shame here is our very best actors had to work in Europe because of the poison atmosphere at that time in Hollywood to non leftist actors. The fans missed these men then. I personally put this in the iconic category.
Daniel Boone: The Sound of Fear (1965)
Could be a movie by itself with Dan Duryea
Of all the episodes in Season 1, this one is jam packed with the big stars with a powerful story that carry classic acting as bad guy, killer, Dan Duryea. Dan Duryea, son Peter, Jack Elam, Robert Wilke, Aubochon, and the cast, You couldn't ask for more. The suspense was that it was possible Mingo or Daniel would be killed. No spoilers, but this episode is one to watch. A western noir.
The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956)
Corrections
It is really annoying when facts easily found are discarded by neophytes to Westerns.
Scott Forbes was South African, not British
The "humming" to only humming theme to a series is wrong. Those are the Ken Darby Singers who ALSO THEMED TO The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp series and during the show of Earp until Season 4 Episode 4. And only the opening theme since. The Darby singers were used by the Desilu studios and appear in other westerns.
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp: The Noble Outlaws (1959)
Best Coburn
The funniest western you'll ever watch. James Coburn is great and obviously having a good time in this episode. Superb acting.
Zane Grey Theatre: Lonesome Road (1959)
Rating
One of the best written, directed, and acted of the western shorts of all TV westerns at that time.
Classic Edmond O'Brian. Definitely worth 30 minutes.
Heaven with a Gun (1969)
Let's look at the time frame of the movie
What you have here is a western made late in the period of Westerns. For us of that era, we see the similar. Beery, Anderson, Griffith, Bryant are western mainstays. Especially Anderson. They came from the late 30s. We KNOW they're acting level. They don't even need scripts. In this movie they are bringing the next generation up, like David Carradine who is not his father John, but does ok. These actors and actresses, especially Carolyn, a favorite from the noirs are known characters. Even Glenn still wears his brown corduroy jacket that he wore in Evil Gun on 1958. And he wears on Cades County etc. Its his character. The acting in these artists is always good. Its THEM. What is bad is the late 1960s silent directing coming into the 70s where blood and gore gets more prevalent, like in Gene Hackman. Thats when westerns became awful. This Glenn Ford movie is one of the last of the era. I could see it over and over. Oh and the plot, it is one of seven pulled for a western story, dealing with land rights. It looks to me some commentels are judging by today's movies for comparison. Like even mentioning Eastwood..come on. This story isn't in Eastwood's generation. But if you want to see Clint in Sheep watch the Rawhide episode where he becomes a sheep man.
The Sheriff of Cochise (1956)
Before Cade's County
If you watched any of Glenn Ford's Cade's County of 1971 and 2, this is in the same locsl southwest flavor. Here, the sheriff is played by John Blomfield, a highly underrated TV actor and western actor. He is still very handsome and fit man here for his fans. There are guest parts for your favorite western actors every week. Ruta Lee, James Griffith, Michael Landon to name a few. Having lived in Southern Arizona near that time, I love seeing local shots. Also the cars. Oh boy, A DeSoto, the 1956 Chevy. I can't see enough of them. TV lost a great star when Bromfield decided to quit in 1960 and become a fisherman. What a man.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The actors found a story
You can go on about the west, guns, the story etc. But what it comes down to is, for all time we have all the most important western and noir actors male and female in one movie. Who's missing is Glenn Ford and John Ireland, Lex Barker, Randolph Scott, John Anderson Robert Wilke,, Brennan and Buchanon and Borgnine.
Seeing Edmund O'Brian in a totally different role is a treat for all time. He was one of the legendary greats although not celebrated.
One great legendary movie.
The Americano (1955)
A Period Foreign Western
I won't write 4 paragraphs about the plot. I wanted to see this movie again from another perspective. In the 50s to 1966 when Eric Fleming was killed in Peru filming an adventure movie, studios did some live filming on field locations because the tourist industry, airlines, people with vacation money wanted to see Panama, Brazil, Morocco etc. I like to watch on location movies with Ford and other actors. This one is good for the location filming but shallow. Glenn Ford displays again his excellent horsemanship. he was considered of the top 3 riders of that time. 2 high jumps and 3 running mounts. I can watch a whole movie of him riding. This is 1 movie where its not about him in a romance, so his acting has more character. For as much as this story could have contained, it was spread out evenly. Glenn was great, movie is good.
Victim Five (1964)
Beautiful Capetown
Considering most 1960s movies are cinemgraphic garbage, this movie is beautiful in color and action. Capetown is a gem and the scenes grab as much scenery as possible. Although the story develops slowly, viewers wanting to see Rex Barker get what they want. Lots of hot girls, him kissing them, him in a swim suit and watching one hot hot man, in action. He had James Bond beat in my book. His early passing a true loss.
Six Black Horses (1962)
Classic Duryea
This is a good western for 1962. Murphy has fully formed into a great natural actor. Dan Duryea, the classic noir actor, is natural voiced, but classic Duryea. My focus was thier horsemanship and the dog. Audie was a great horseman and displayed that. Dan is also an accomplished western rider and western actor (watch his appearances on Rawhide episodes) and never loses his Joyzey accent even though he's from upstate New York. I wouldn't watch this for Audie, but I brake for any Duryea and it doesn't disappoint.