Winchester '73 (1950)

Thanks to a couple short western films I was able to sneak this one in as my last film in the war/western themed month. At almost exactly an hour and half it was a quick watch, and helped that I really liked it.

I initially gave this a 7/10 but it has really stuck in my mind and was so much different than other westerns [in a good way]. The film doesn't follow a person, it follows an object. The film starts by telling us about the first repeating rifle that "tamed" the west. The Winchester company makes and sells their guns in mass production, but the ones that test well on accuracy they sell at a premium. The gun in the story is called the "one in a thousand" and considered the best gun made that year. We then go to Dodge City where Wyatt Earp is mayor, they are having a rifle competition where this famed gun is the prize. Lin McAdams [James Stewart] wins the contest, but before he is able to safely get out of town he is jumped by Waco Johnnie Dean [Dan Duryea]. Dean loses it in a poker game and the gun is passed along over and over.

Not the biggest time commitment and a unique twist on your typical western film, I'm glad I got this one in before the end of the month.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043137/

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The Gunfighter (1950)

A short and simple western film that I was able to sneak in right before the end of the themed month. This film stars Gregory Peck, who is easily one of my favorite actors of the 1950's. My favorite of his films is Cape Fear, which I reviewed here.

The film isn't even an hour and a half long and has a simple and uncomplicated plot. Peck plays "Jimmy Ringo," a notorious gunfighter with a reputation that precedes him. In the opening scene he isn't able to sit quietly in a bar without a young cowboy making him prove his toughness.

I found it interesting that this film portrayed a real person in such a fictitious manner. The REAL Jimmy Ringo did little to earn a bad man reputation and died of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Not really the sympathetic gunfighter looking to put his past behind him and become a "good man," that this film makes him out to be.

Forget what his name is and it is a decent short western film. I like it, but it was also pretty forgettable.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042531/

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Little Big Man (1970)

A western adventure film that I would compare to Forrest Gump . Starring Dustin Hoffman as Jack Crabb, the film starts with an old man recanting his entire life. Raised by Indians,  taken in by a town major as a teenager [and Faye Dunaway as Mrs. Pendrake, the major's wife], fighting with General Custard, and back and forth between the cowboys and Indians over and over.

The film is too silly to consider a drama, some parts come out as a comedy, but there are also very chilling scenes were Indians are massacred. I have mixed emotions about the film, part of me really like it for what it was... a tall tale. Another part of me really disliked it for bouncing between a comedy and a serious drama. I ended up giving it a pretty decent score, because if this was a story being retold by a very old man he probably would remember both humorous and sad things about his life.

Although it was funny to make General Custer look like a lunatic and silly because committed so many horrible murders on innocent people, I just don't see his character as being realistic. Good, not great.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065988/

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The Professionals (1966)

I have to say I'm more familiar with Burt Lancaster in a father or bad guy role than in the leading role, and I can't say I'm a fan. Lee Marvin is pretty good though, so that did make the film enjoyable.

The Professionals is a film about a couple of men who are hired by a  wealthy Texan to go into Mexico and return his kidnapped wife. Marvin plays Henry, who then assembles a team to take on the daring mission. They encounter bandits on the way to "Raza's" rebel camp. Claudia Cardinale stars as Mrs. Grant, a Mexican woman taken from her people to become the wife of a rich white Texan, it is pretty obvious from the start that this might not really be a kidnapping.

Good message, good stars, good western action, you can't complain. A was a little bored at times, but that is probably just from the large quantity of westerns I've seen lately. I liked Lancaster throwing the dynamite instead of using a gun against bad guys. I had the impression that this would have been a Top 10 Western when the AFI awards came out in 2008, and if they would have scrapped their attempt to be broad in include a mining town film McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and a cheesy comedy Cat Ballou, than this one would have been on there.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060862/

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Lonely Are The Brave (1962)

Although this is a western, it really is a drama above all. This film an adaptation of the novel "Brave Cowboy" by Edward Abbey. Kirk Douglas liked this book so much that he gave it to a friend, Dalton Trumbo,  to write the screenplay. Considered by himself and his son to be his best work, I personally still liked Spartacus more.

The film is about a man who almost lives in the wrong era. Some might even call him a little nuts, but just because they don't understand. The film starts with John Burns [Douglas] sleeping at his campfire on a barren western plain with his horse nearby. He awakes to the sound of an airplane passing by. As he gets up and starts his day, he needs his wire cutters at the ready as he has to cut through fence after fence to get to the next town. He arrives at his sister-in-law's place and it becomes evident that this is the middle of the 20th century. He learns that his brother is in jail for a year for helping immigrants who have crossed a border he didn't think much of.

John gets in a bar fight and punches a cop so he can "break into jail" see his brother, then break out. A strange film, I'm not sure I understand the message, but I do get the western man unable to conform to a changing society. Not an award winner, just one of the 50 western films in my 501 Must-See films, nothing special to me.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056195/

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Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)

I've been looking at this blog post all day trying to decide how to write a review. I'm not going to let it be one of those movies that persists to keep me far behind the finds I'm currently watching. The film was a meandering mess with minimal plot. Directed by Sam Peckinpah who I can't say I have much of an opinion about either way.

Basically the story goes that Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid were once friends in the same gang. After a job gone wrong they all split up, and Garrett became sheriff in a western town. When the Kid shows up he give him a few days to leave, when it doesn't they capture him and prepare to hang him. The Kid escapes and the rest of the film is Garrett in slow pursuit of the Kid.


This is one of the films that was not picked for the AFI Top 10 Westerns and I thought might have been overlooked. It was filmed in Mexico so I don't know if that has something to do with it or not. I'm happy if it was overlooked now.

The film stars James Coburn as Garrett and Kris Kristofferson [you'd recognize him from the Blade series] as Billy the Kid. The most notable part of the movie however is one of the supporting characters, Bob Dylan. He plays "Alias" a young man in Billy's gang. He also lent some music to the film, most notably "Knocking On Heaven's Door," which was later covered by Guns N' Roses.

The film is not worth your time.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070518/

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3:10 to Yuma (1957)

It is not typical for me to like a Hollywood remake more than the original, but I would say that this is one instance where the remake is better. This western film is about cattle rancher, broke from a drought, who takes a job of escorting a captured outlaw to the town of Yuma to put him on the 3:10pm train to jail.

The remake stars: Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, and a very scary Ben Foster. If I compared the role of the outlaw Ben Wade then I would say I liked Glenn Ford in the original just as much if not more than Crowe. If I compared the rancher Dan Evans then I would say that I definitely favored Bale over Van Heflin [the guy with the bomb in Airport]. If I compared Foster's character to the one in the original... well there is no comparison... this is by far the difference between the two for me. Foster plays Charlie Prince in the remake, the #2 in gang of outlaws who is trying to stop Mr. Evans from getting Ben Wade on the train. Richard Jaeckel did nothing memorable with this role, he was a yes man and seemed weak in his role. For me this Foster's best performance to date, and has been enough reason for me to watch just about everything he is in now.

The movie is actually pretty boring, they wait on the train then get on at the last second, the remake is much more complicated and has a lot more action. It almost makes me want to give the remake an 8/10 instead of my original 7/10 after watching this. So don't watch this, watch the remake.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050086/

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Cimarron (1931)

Western/War month has been a great for me to watch some old Oscar winners. This one is about the state I was born and raised in, and I'm really glad I watched it. Winner of three Oscars and nominated for seven this film. Starring Richard Dix an RKO Pictures star in this era, this film brought him is only career Oscar nomination.

The film starts with Yancey Cravat [Dix] preparing for a land run in Oklahoma. A confident adventurer he compares the land run to biblical references of cities of thousands popping up overnight. He moved his wife and children to Oklahoma from Kansas reluctantly, and against his mother-in-law's wishes. They setup as newspaper and he single-handedly protects the city from bandits and outlaws several times.

A man incapable of settling down he disappears for years on end leaving his wife in charge of the newspaper. The story becomes just as much about her, as it does about him after he disappears for good near the end of the film. The pace of the film is irregular and confusing at times, it is not like a modern day film in how we just from year-to-year. the most annoying part of the film though is Dix's hair. It is almost comical and not captured well in this movie poster. There is a memorable court room scene where his hair seems to take a life of its own. I lost some respect for the character and actor at the same time, and although this might sound nit-picky or overly critical to ding a movie on an actors hair... well you just need to see it to understand.

I probably would have given this a 4 or 5 if not for the fact that I grew up in Oklahoma and loved the land run and boom town aspects of the film. I would suggest you pass...

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021746/

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High Plains Drifter (1973)

This is more like the western I expected. A film I'm sure I have seen parts of on television before. Clint Eastwood stars in a film about a man with no name that rides into a town and brings along some western justice.

Eastwood's unnamed character strolls into town, goes to the barber shop and kills three men before getting a shave. Then he rapes a girl, get a drink at the saloon, and before the town's sheriff. Hired to protect the town from men the town wrongfully condemned but are not set to get out of prison and return to the town.

Midgets, shootouts, whippings, showdowns... this film is all the typical western themes thrown into one... and a midget! Don't expect a lot out of this one, but nevertheless it did have some good action.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068699/

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The Shootist (1976)

I'm not sure if I should bring it up now... or after 10 more westerns... but there always seems to be a theme of the age of the west and the cowboy dying out. This was John Wayne's final film. A western hero in many films his character is the culmination of all of his works as he plays a hero who has outlived the old west.

Wandering into town to find a doctor he finds out that he has terminal cancer and the doctor suggests that it would be more brave to make a last stand than to wither away. The film also features a widow who rents out her rooms played by,  Lauren Bacall, and her son played by a young Ron Howard. James Stewart plays Wayne's only friend in town, the doctor. So overall it is a well acted film.


Nominated for a Oscar for Art/Set direction, not really worth mentioning. However, the film is much like one you are more likely to have seen: Unforgiven, which to date is Clint Eastwood's last western film, and is along the same lines.

Just ok, only a couple action scenes, and a little boring.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075213/

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The Long Riders (1980)

Even though we are a few weeks away from western/war movie month I wanted to watch this western film because I happened to have the opportunity to see it in HD.

Directed by Walter Hill and starring all 3 Carradine brothers, the Keach brothers, and the Quaid brothers. I found this one appropriate to watch sooner than later since it pairs David Carradine and Hill AGAIN. Having recently watched Death Race 2000 and Cannonball! in June.

Maybe that made me more critical since I didn't like those films and do not have the highest opinion of Carradine as an actor. Before watching this I didn't realize that Randy Quaid [Cousin Eddie from the Christmas Vacation and other Lampoon films] was Dennis Quaid's older brother. I didn't see the resemblance. I like Dennis, but his role was so minor it really isn't worth mentioning. The only real role that caught my attention was James Keach as Jesse James. He was really good and the only part of the film I really cared for. It was pretty cool that this is based on the Younger/James gang and from what I can tell is a pretty good telling. I would say I like this more than The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford even though I gave them both a 6/10.

I sure hope won't top the rest of western month.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081071/

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My Darling Clementine (1946)

A classic John Ford western starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp. Not the best title for a film, which lead me to think it might even be a romance. Some might say it is a romantic western, but that is kind of an oxymoron. A film that finished the filmsite.org top 100 for me, this was really pretty good.

A retelling of the shootout at the OK Corral in the town of Tombstone. A western tale retold in several other films this is Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holiday against the Clanton family. Walter Brennan plays the father of the Clanton family, an actor I'm used to seeing in a hero, or at least on the side of good.

 The love triangle between Earp, Holiday, and Clementine give depth to the storyline. For a western, I really liked it, and if you are looking for a good western check this one out.


Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038762/

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True Grit (2010)

Nominated for 10 Oscars and selected by many critics for their top 10 lists of the year. This western film based on the Charles Portis book is supposed to be more true to the book than the original film. To be honest I don't read a lot of books [I watch a lot of films], and I'm not going to read the book to get a comparison. In reality I could careless, if a director takes liberties to make the story more entertaining, that is fine with me.

I managed to watch the original the remake in the same day. Maybe this makes the comparison better or worse, I don't know. I would probably favor the first film regardless when doing a comparison so it can be hard. The bottom line with this film is the girl is the main character and makes or breaks the film. Kim Darby was fantastic in the original, and the Coen Brothers either lucked out, or are brilliant, in casting Hailee Steinfeld. She did the part justice.

There are some differences. Scenes between La Boeuf, Mattie Ross, and Marshall Cogburn definitely seem more realistic, and maybe just because I'm more familiar with Matt Damon, I liked him better than Glen Campbell. The thing that made this film only a 7/10 is how hard it was to understand Jeff Bridges. Why does Hollywood want to make all western stars look like the dirties, most unlikable people now? Kids wanted to be John Wayne, no kid wants to be Bridges. Sure I get it, it is probably a lot more realistic, but I want to at least be able to understand the dialogue. Last comparison: Most of the scenes took place during the day in the original film, they were all at night in this one. I'm not sure why this struck me as odd, maybe it is easier to make a set look realistic in the dark? Maybe the encounter late at night was more realistic...

I don't want to comment to much on the ending. If you haven't seen it yet, then skip this paragraph.Why did we need to go that far? Leave it a mystery! There is no reason to go revisit these characters, bad ending.


There haven't been many westerns in the last 20 years. So for what it is, I liked it a lot. I wouldn't watch it again, and wouldn't recommend it to everyone.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/

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True Grit (1969)

I really felt it was necessary to watch the original before watching this year's remake of this classic western. I'll leave the comparison of the two for the remake post.

The film starts with Mattie Ross [Kim Darby] saying goodbye to her father as he goes to town to make some trades. When he is murdered she hires Rooster Cogburn [John Wayne] to hunt down her man. The film features performances by Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper. Lest we forget, this film won an Oscar for Wayne's performance and was nominated for Best Song as well. The remake may have more nominations, but is not going to duplicate the leading actor award.

The fate of this film lay in the hands of the actress playing Mattie Ross. Darby is spectacular in her role as a 13 year old girl in the west holding her own with grown men. One of the best westerns I've seen.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065126/

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The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Chasing list completions can get boring, so I decided to branch out from my current goals and pick a few random movies from each genre and give them a shot.

This western has always been spoken of very highly, and its absence from the AFI Top 10 Westerns made me wonder if this was an oversight or overrated.

The story goes like this. Bandits attack a farming town regularly, stealing food and women. Farmers look to retaliate and hire seven men to chase them off. Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, and Robert Vaughn are the most notable of the Seven and Eli Wallach plays the head bandit.

A simple story with some meaningful lessons and cute banter with the kids in the town. As someone who isn't a huge western fan I liked it. I don't want to watch it again, and given the caliber of the other films in the AFI Top 10 Westerns this indeed should have been in the lower half.

If you like westerns you have to watch this one, if not, don't bother; it is very predictable.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054047/

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Rio Bravo (1959)

I'm sorry to say that this is another John Wayne film that I simply didn't enjoy. Paired up again with director Howard Hawks [since recently watching Red River], this is another slow unrealistic western.

I'm not a huge fan of the genre and it is because of films like this one. The plot is [too] simple, bad guy kills a man in a bar and three misfits have to keep him in the jail until the Marshall gets to down... because of course a Marshall is a magical man who can take the prisoner away from the town with absolutely no trouble...

The plot is very slow, they are just keeping the guy in the prison throughout the movie. Dean Martin plays the drunk trying to sober up, John Wayne plays the sheriff that doesn't have enough good help, and Walter Brennan plays the old man loyal to the sheriff [note Brennan played almost the exact same character in Red River with Wayne and Hanks].

Just incredibly boring and painful to get through. Ricky Nelson's fake singing is the point that most people would change the channel if watching this on tv. I can't stand that films like this are so highly acclaimed.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053221/

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Red River (1948)

A 60 year old western film about a cattle drive starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. Listed by the American Film Institute as a top 10 western of all time. On the imdb top 250 until 2004, in the 1001 movies to see before you die, in the 501 Must-See movies, on the National Film Registry, and on the filmsite top 100 of all time. This film definitely has a lot of backing as a great western.

The most interesting thing about this film to me was that the main character changes in the middle of the film. We spend the first hour following a storyline centered around John Wayne, then we take an abrupt turn and follow Montgomery Clift for the rest of the film. The acting, up to the grand finale, is fairly authentic for a western. The sets are good, except when they are galloping on the horses... which looked very fake. The storyline was interesting.

For the story alone I liked this film, which warranted the rating of 7. The plot for the last 1/2 of the film was unbelievable to me and even silly at points. I can see why this one has fallen by the wayside on the imdb over the last 6 years. I haven't seen enough westerns to judge if a top 10 is accurate and the 501 book has 50 westerns... so of course it is in there.

A slightly above average western...

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040724/

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McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

Starring Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde) and Julie Christie (Don't Look Now), this film was voted by the American Film Institute as the #8 American Western of all-time. The story is about the growth of a small mining town which centers around the dichotomy of the brothel and the church.

McCabe strolls into town and with the help of Mrs. Miller they start a brothel, meanwhile the town is building a church, McCabe with no moral standards even intices those working on the church to come to the brothel. The mining corperation catches wind of the brothel and tries to buy McCabe out. The true battle between corperation and little business man is at the forefront, but I truly think the director was trying to project that the real battle here was between the morality of the town. This can't but fully understood or explained without me ruining the movie, if you watch this film ask yourself who really won in the end and was there a hero in the collective of the townspeople.

Mrs. Miller is a much more boring character than I expected, how Christie got an Oscar nomination is beyond me, and the real star of the film is only McCabe. The book was originially titled just "McCabe" so I think the director/producer wanted to add the Mrs. Miller for marketing reasons. I'm very split on recommending this film because they are so many other westerns that are just better. The best part of the film, however, was the soundtrack. It gave it an epic film feeling while being while also being very unique, much like one of my favorite soundtracks from Gangs of New York.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067411/

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Cat Ballou (1965)

The #10 American Western as listed by the American Film Institute on last years 10Top10 list. This is the type of western movie that as a kid made me ask, "why does anybody like westerns?" There is a barn dance, over-the-top bad acting, silly fights and some awful country singing during the jingles that narrate and tie all the scenes together.

The star of the film is Jane Fonda, in one of her earlier roles, who plays the role of Catherine 'Cat' Ballou. I have managed to avoid just about any film or television show with Fonda, and not exactly by coincidence. Her roles in Monster-in-Law alongside Jennifer Lopez and Wanda Sykes is just one of those I've avoided. However, I had no idea how beautiful she was when she was younger. She is definitely the only reason to watch this film.

One of the more significant supporting actor roles comes from Lee Marvin as a gun-slinger hired by Cat. This is the first of his films I've seen as well, but I do however have more than a few of his on my list The Dirty Dozen, The Professionals, and Hell in the Pacific.

With this slapstick storyline, and a pretty entertaining cast this is a western that probably earned a PG rating, personally I'll stick with the shoot'em up westerns like The Wild Bunch and anything with Clint Eastwood.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059017/

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